Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes Suffer Season Opening Loss Due to Turnovers and Missed Opportunities
In their season opener, the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes faced a tough loss against Evangel due to turnovers and missed opportunities. Evangel’s defense capitalized on four KWU fumbles and stopped the Coyotes on downs twice in the red zone, securing a 17-7 Kansas Conference victory on Saturday night.
This defeat marks Kansas Wesleyan’s first season opening loss since 2017, while it also marks Evangel’s first victory in the KCAC after being part of the Heart of America Conference for the past 37 years.
The Coyotes, with several new starters following the departure of 35 seniors from last year’s team, struggled to find a rhythm on offense. They managed only 148 total yards on 57 plays, averaging a mere 2.6 yards per play.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Coyotes’ defense put up a gritty effort, forcing five turnovers from Evangel, including three interceptions and two fumbles. However, Evangel still managed to compile 399 total yards on 92 plays, but only added three points in the second half.
The only touchdown for KWU came from a five-yard run by an unidentified player with 4:49 left in the opening quarter. This quick scoring drive followed one of two interceptions by nose tackle [insert player name]. While the Coyotes reached the red zone later on, their fourth-down pass fell incomplete at the Evangel 20-yard line.
In the second quarter, Evangel scored both of their touchdowns. The first was a seven-yard pass from RJ Wakely to Dillon Hester, followed by a three-yard toss to Hester for their second touchdown.
During the second quarter, [player name] replaced Lara as the quarterback and played for the remainder of the game. Lara had completed 6 of 15 passes for 65 yards, while Graves completed 4 of 9 for 29 yards.
Leading the KWU offense was [player name], who rushed for 35 yards on 10 carries and had two receptions for 24 yards. Allsman had the most receiving yards for the team, gaining 31 yards on three catches.
On the defensive side, [player name] spearheaded the effort with 14 tackles, followed by players with 11, 10, and 9 tackles respectively.
Abusharkh made two interceptions, the second of which came in the second quarter after Evangel had reached the KWU 35-yard line. [Player name] also contributed with a third interception in the early stages of the fourth quarter, while fumble recoveries were made by [player names] in the first and second quarters.
Evangel’s all-star receiver, Dillon Hester, who was named an NAIA All-America in 2022, had an impressive performance with 12 receptions for 111 yards. Additionally, running back Sammy Robinson contributed 153 yards rushing on 31 carries. Despite these individual efforts, Wakely struggled with turnovers, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble.
Looking ahead, the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes will face their archrival, Bethany, in their home opener at 7 p.m. next Saturday on Gene Bissell Field at JRI Hospitality Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex. Bethany also suffered a loss in their opener against Avila.
In summary, the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes’ season opener was marred by turnovers and missed opportunities, resulting in a 17-7 loss against Evangel. Despite a strong defensive effort, the Coyotes’ offense struggled to find its rhythm. Meanwhile, Evangel capitalized on the KWU mistakes and secured their first victory in the KCAC. Both teams will now regroup and aim for better results in their upcoming games.
