For Matt Middleton the time has come to cut to the chase.
Since being named Kansas Wesleyan's football coach eight months ago he has checked the requisite boxes in preparation for his first season at the Coyotes' helm. Working with a squad of approximately 150 Middleton and his staff have their sights on the season opener against Ottawa at 6 p.m. at Dr. Gene Bissell Field at JRI Hospitality Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.
Middleton is ready.
"You go through the recruiting cycle and build your roster then go through spring practice and find out where you need immediate help. We feel like we've done that," he said. "I think the kids, the staff, all of us are ready to go play. I know I am, I'm ready to get to it."
Middleton was quarterbacks/fullbacks coach at Division II powerhouse Harding for the last two years.
"I feel like we've got a really good staff, I feel like we've got a really good team," he said. "Obviously, we have to go prove that. We haven't been in the fire together; we have not played in a game; we haven't faced adversity yet. So, all that on paper is one thing but you've still got to go do it. We need to fight through some adversity early and some things to go our way. If that happens then we can grow as a team and we'll see where it takes us."
With a new staff and numerous roster additions Middleton is like a kid on Christmas morning - anxious to see what he has.
"You feel like you have certain guys that you know are playmakers and then you're always going to have some surprises," he said. "There are always some guys that you didn't count on early on that end up being really good, impactful players."
OFFENSE
Middleton is relying on a mix of returning players and newcomers.
Henry Austad, a transfer from Southeastern (Florida), and Caden Middleton, Middleton's son and a transfer from Southern Arkansas headline the list at quarterback. Austad started all nine games and threw for 935 yards and six touchdowns last season as the Firebirds went 7-2. Caden Middleton was a redshirt last fall but played his freshman season.
"We have a veteran quarterback who has played a lot of football at other places other than here, and our backup quarterback is a veteran football player that's played a lot of games too," Matt Middleton said. "He's been around some football, so you have two guys that are in the one-two spot that have played a lot of college football."
Running back Luke Armstrong returns after earning NAIA First Team All-America honors in 2024. He led the KCAC in rushing with 1,453 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Veteran D'Heaven Domena is in the mix after a solid spring.
"We've got a lot of playmakers on offense," Middleton said. "The NAIA knows who Luke is, so does everybody else in our league. We've had to make sure that we surround him with some other playmakers that enable him to make plays and not be the focal point every week. And other defenses know that."
Rhadarious Lomax-Spivey returns at wide receiver after sitting out last season. He caught 27 passes for 465 yards in 2023. Will Wilcox (Henderson State) and Jevin Dorsey (Western New Mexico) were outstanding in the spring.
"We feel like we're in some scenarios to have some guys make some plays off each other and that's what you want," Middleton said. "You don't want one or two guys that the defense can key on and try to take them out of the game.
"I don't know that we'll have a feature back, so to speak, or a feature receiver. It's our job as an offensive staff to try to get those guys in the best position to make plays and that is going to be our goal."
The guys up front appear to be capable as well. Easton Lewis, a Third-Team All-American, leads the group at center.
"I do think the strength of our team right now is in the offensive line," Middleton said. "We've got some guys that are back and then we've sprinkled in some newcomers that are really good football players and played a lot of football at other places."
Middleton said the scheme could vary week to week.
"I hope we're going to bring exciting brand of football but we're going to do whatever it takes to win a football game whether that's run it 80 times or throw it 80 times," he said. "I don't really want to be married to a system or a percentage of run/pass or those things. Whatever the defense gives us is what we're going to do."
DEFENSE
Middleton and his staff spent the summer bolstering the ranks after the spring scrimmage. He likes what he's seen so far.
"Coach (David) Leonard and those guys on the defensive staff have worked really hard this summer," he said. "We needed to go get help and we brought in several Division II transfers that have played a lot of games, some have started a lot of games. I do feel completely different on paper than I did at the end of spring."
Linebacker Myles Elam and end Josh King-Bradley were major contributors last fall and are back. Elam had a team-best 117 tackles (sixth in the NAIA). King-Bradley had a team-high 17 tackles for loss that included 13 sacks (second in the NAIA) and received Third Team All-America recognition.
"Myles is a really good football player," Middleton said. "He's one of those that played at an extremely high level (in high school) in Texas. He's been coached well a long time; you can see it in him."
Key newcomers are end Diego Davis (Harding), edge Gavin Skerek (Shasta) and safety Robert Rezex (Southern Arkansas).
"We feel like we're in a position to get better quickly defensively," Middleton said. "Really good players make coaches look a lot better than they really are. The name of the game is playing with dudes and that's what we're going to do."
SPECIAL TEAMS
Placekickers Cole Segraves and Talon Cope return along with punter Griffin Wiltse. Segraves handles kickoffs and had three field goals in 2024 while Cope converted 10 field goals and 35 extra points. Wiltse averaged 35.3 yards per punt. Enoch Walton is the long snapper.
"Cole Segraves, I believe, is one of the best kickers in the country, there's no ifs, ands or buts about that," Middleton said. "He's got an extremely powerful leg on kickoffs and field goals. Talon Cope has been a guy that had kicked a lot of extra points and field goals here through the years.
"I'm a special teams guy and I brought a guy from Harding with me (Ben Blahauvietz) that is a special teams guy so we're going to put an emphasis on it. It's really big in what you do and we're going to try to steal possessions and make big plays and be explosive on special teams. I really like where we're headed schematically there as well."
KANSAS CONFERENCE
KWU faces a stern test after the KCAC realigned the two divisions after last season. The Coyotes are joined in the Dr. Gene Bissell Division by Friends, Southwestern and McPherson who combined for 30 victories last fall. Saint Mary and Sterling round out the division.
"I feel like we play the Green Bay Packers every week," Middleton said. "That's how important it is to our staff so week one to me is just as important as week eight because it means something overall. We know we've got to handle our business week to week.
"We're going to need to have some success early. If you don't win it outright, then you need to be in the mix for an at-large bid so every game matters. Most important game of the year is the one at hand which is week one versus Ottawa. I'm ready to get out and see what this conference is about because I'm nervous as a cat no matter what."
AT THE END OF THE DAY ...