It wasn't the outcome Kansas Wesleyan coach Matt Middleton wanted on Senior Day and the final game of the season but in the big picture he's grateful for what his injury ravaged team was able to accomplish overall in 2025.
The Coyotes lost to No. 23 Southwestern 59-28, Saturday afternoon on Bissell Field at JRI Hospitality Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex. KWU ended with a 7-4 record, 3-2 in the Bissell Division in Middleton's first season.
"I'm super proud of the young men that stepped up when those guys were hurt and have played all year long," he said on the postgame radio show. "Today hurts getting pounded the way we did but we did. We did get seven (wins) and had a great win last week (over McPherson). Under the circumstances I'm super proud of this group."
Twenty-seven seniors were recognized before the game and three - D'Heaven Domena, Henry Austad and Rhadarious Lomax-Spivey - had huge games.
Domena, who took over when All-America tailback Luke Armstrong went down with a season-ending injury in the second game, rushed for 182 yards on 38 carries and put the finishing touches on a superb season. He finished with 1,388 yards rushing on 262 carries and 10 touchdowns.
Austad, who played the final five games despite a torn knee ligament, threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a fourth. He had 1,900 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and rushed for 286 yards and nine additional TDs on the season.
Lomax-Spivey caught five passes for 89 yards, two touchdowns and finished with 56 receptions for 701 yards and five touchdowns. He emerged as KWU's top wide out after Will Wilcox was lost for year with an injury in the sixth game.
"For him to come back in two weeks and hobble around and make things happen the way he has, I can't speak enough about him and who he is as a person and ultra competitor," Middleton said of Austad. "When Wilcox and (Jevin) Dorsey went down and we lost Luke it forced (Domena and Lomax-Spivey) to be the guys. Everybody on the opposing defense knew it and they found a way to make plays. I'm glad they stayed."
The Coyotes totaled 427 total yards Saturday (217 rushing, 210 passing) and no turnovers.
The defense, which carried the team much of the season, ran into an offensive juggernaut in Southwestern. The Moundbuilders entered the game ranked fourth in the NAIA with 533 yards per game and were fifth in passing yards at 320 yards.
They had 626 yards Saturday (420 passing) and scored on nine of 10 possessions. Quarterback Jamie Odom, the fifth-ranked passer in the NAIA, was 27 of 44 for 404 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught a 16 yard touchdown pass from Bryce Chambers for a sixth touchdown. Matthew Holthus had 12 catches for 157 yards, and two touchdowns, and Chambers had six catches for 127 yards and two scores in addition to the one passing touchdown. Running back Joe Smyth added 109 yards rushing and a touchdown.
"Their quarterback is a special player," Middleton said, "and he's surrounded by some good players too, the wideouts and those things, and they (played) for 60 minutes. Defensively we had a good year, but we struggled today. Didn't get any stops. But let's not take away from the fact that they played well throughout the year. It's just tough that it ends this way."
Middleton said he knows what needs to be done going forward.