Football wraps up cross-division play on Saturday at McPherson

By KWU Athletics Release October 2, 2024

The Coyotes take a short trip to McPherson on Saturday for the final cross-division game of the year against Ted Kessinger Division foe McPherson. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at McPherson Stadium.

LIVE COVERAGE

RECORDS

  • Kansas Wesleyan 2-3
  • McPherson 4-1

THE SERIES

  • It has been all KWU of late, the Coyotes winning the last nine games. They prevailed 10-7 in a defensive battle last season in JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex and won 14-12 in 2022 in McPherson as defense again ruled the day. KWU has 17-6 advantage since 2001 including a 9-3 record in McPherson.
  • KWU leads the all-time series with McPherson, 59-37-4. Last year was the 100th all-time meeting between the teams. The teams have met annually since 1927, except between 1943-45 because of World War II.

KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE

  • The Coyotes defeated previously unbeaten Bethel 21-6 last Saturday at JRI Stadium. Defense led the way limiting the Threshers to two field goals and 216 total yards that included 49 rushing on 34 attempts (1.4 yards per carry). KWU had 17 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.
  • Junior end Josh King-Bradley was named the KCAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. He finished with seven tackles (five solo), 4.5 tackles for losses totaling 32 yards and all three sacks for 28 yards.
  • Richard Lara and Daedon “Buck” Taylor played quarterback in place of the injured Byron McNair. Lara was 10 of 17 passing for 129 yards, one interception and one touchdown – a 46-yard strike to Zarek Fewell in the first quarter. Taylor had a team-best 69 yards rushing one nine carries and a touchdown – a 43-yard dash late in the fourth quarter.
  • Tyler Boston’s two-yard touchdown run with 4:04 left in the game sent KWU past McPherson last year at JRI Stadium. The Coyotes went 75 yards on nine plays on their final drive. The Bulldogs drove to the KWU 13-yard line, but Dylan Worrell stripped the ball from quarterback Tristan Szabo and King-Bradley recovered with 59 seconds left.
  • McPherson had 297 total yards but just 24 rushing on 26 attempts. KWU had 248 total yards. McNair was 7 of 11 passing for 115 yards in relief of Lara who was 7 of 16 for 54 yards.

McPHERSON AT A GLANCE

  • The Bulldogs defeated Avila 43-24 last Saturday in Kansas City. It was their fourth consecutive victory after losing to Tabor in the season opener. They’ve defeated Sterling 42-30, Saint Mary 38-10 and Ottawa 31-14 in addition to Avila.
  • Szabo, a senior quarterback, was named this week’s KCAC Offensive Player of the Week. He was 13 of 18 for 273 yards and four touchdowns and had 30 yards rushing on five carries and a touchdown against Avila. On the season he’s completed 61 percent of his passes for 647 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 165 yards rushing.
  • Jalil Brown has a team-best 439 yards rushing, is averaging 7.3 yards per carry and has seven touchdowns. Traven Lewis-Johnson leads the receiving corps with 13 catches for 303 yards and three TDs.
  • McPherson averages 32.8 points and allows 19.6. The offensive attack is balanced – 208.4 yards rushing and 182.8 passing per game. Opponents are averaging 288.6 total yards.
  • McPherson is coached by Jeremiah Fiscus who’s in his sixth season and has a 28-26 overall record. He coached one season at Bluestem High School before going to McPherson. He spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Henderson State (Arkansas) before taking the Bluestem job.

HEAD COACH MATT MYERS
“(Bethel) is the most downhill running, physical team you usually play throughout the year. Your only goal is to be violent and run through as many hips as possible. The demeanor and the posture and the way that we played defense was much improved from the first couple weeks of the season.

“Lara did a really good job of managing the game. Richard isn’t necessarily the fastest guy at the quarterback position but he does make good decisions with the football. Buck was our offensive player of the game; he averaged 7.7 yards. He helped us move the ball down the field and he busted that long run for a touchdown to kind of seal the deal. It also is going to put a lot of pressure on our opponents going forward because they have to start making a gameplan for when he goes into the game.

“(Against McPherson) we need to make sure we’re able to run the ball whichever way, whichever form or fashion that exists. We need to keep making sure we’re pressing them vertically with the passing game. It will be a little bit more difficult because they do a couple of different things.”

DEFENSIVE END JOSH KING-BRADLEY
“One thing we did differently (against Bethel) is we really challenged the offense in practice. We brought a lot of energy no matter what time of day it was. When we got out there everybody was yelling, everybody was loud, it was a game-day atmosphere. That’s how it needs to be every week. I feel like preparation-wise everybody was really locked in.

“It was one of those weeks where everything that I had drawn up in my head just played to perfection – utilizing my speed and my strength in unison. I go back to the drawing board after every game, win or lose, and see what it is I need to work on and perfect to start seeing the results that I want to see on the field.

“The biggest key (against McPherson) is definitely building from where we left off Saturday. (Szabo) got Offensive Player the Week and he’s going to be clicking on all cylinders. It’s going to be our job to really just stop that momentum.”

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JUSTIN SULLIVAN
“We were splitting gaps, getting into the (Bethel) backfield, making them make split-second decisions and then just tackling them. Eighteen tackles for loss and holding them to very little rushing yards is based on the fact that we were able to get off the field and be healthy, fresh and ready to go for the next round.

“Getting three sacks is huge for Josh and it’s huge for the team too. They look at him as a leader and he’s the dude of this defense. Now that the production is there for him it’s going to promote some really good things within us.

“(Szabo) is a Brett Farve-kind of player. He’s going to go out there and take some shots and regardless if they hit or not it puts a lot of stress on the defense, on the defensive backs. That’s one of the things that I admire about his game, he’s going to risk it. And they’ve got some other good tools there as well.”

NEXT WEEK
KWU and the rest of the KCAC are idle October 12. Following the bye week the Coyotes begin play against teams in the Gene Bissell Division on October 19 – Avila the first opponent at 1 p.m. in Salina for KWU’s Homecoming.