ATLANTA - Kansas Wesleyan Flag Football will open play in the NAIA Flag Finals on Wednesday, starting with two games in Pool Play against Reinhardt University and Thomas University. Both games will be played at Franklin Gateway Sports Complex in Marietta, Georgia.
The NAIA Flag Finals features 12 participating teams that made the journey to Atlanta. The teams are divided into four three-team pools to determine who advances into the "A Bracket" and "B Bracket" which begins on Thursday.
The two-bracket format is the same format used in the first two years of the NAIA Flag Finals, while last year was one large double-elimination bracket that was used to determine the winner of the Flag Finals.
The participating teams in this year's Flag Finals include (by Pool):
Pool A: Keiser (Fla.), Baker (Kan.), Midland (Kan.)
Pool B: Warner (Fla.), Webber International (Fla.), Milligan (Tenn.)
Pool C: St. Thomas (Fla.), Campbellsville (Ky.), Ottawa (Kan.)
Pool D: Kansas Wesleyan, Reinhardt (Ga.), Thomas (Ga.)
KWU will face off with Reinhardt in the first game on Wednesday at 10:20 a.m., Central Time, 11:20 a.m., Eastern Time. KWU then takes on Thomas at 1:40 p.m., Central Time, 2:40 p.m., Eastern Time.
The four pool winners will advance to the "A Bracket" along with two other selected teams to complete the 6-team bracket field. The remaining six teams will comprise the "B Bracket" field.
Kansas Wesleyan is 16-3 on the season, and posted an 11-2 record in KCAC play. The Coyotes advanced to the KCAC Championship for a third straight season, facing Ottawa University at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, dropping the championship game 27-8.
KWU comes into the NAIA Flag Finals averaging 31.8 points per game, while holding opponents to 11.4 points per game. KWU is averaging 271.7 yards per game of total offense while holding opponents to 160.6. The Coyote defense has four shutouts this season.
Chihiro Iwata paces the Coyote offense and is 361-of-584 passing, a 61.8 completion percentage, and has thrown for 4111 yards and 67 touchdowns, averaging 228.4 yards per game through the air. She has also added 335 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground.
Jazmine Whitfield is one of three receivers over 50 receptions and 700 yards on the season, leading the team with 100 catches for 1177 yards and 15 touchdowns. Angel Roman has 76 catches for 757 yards and 14 touchdowns and Ciaran DeCuir has 53 catches for 706 yards and a team-best 16 touchdowns. A total of 17 different players have caught passes.
Alexa Mansur leads the Coyote defense with 123 flag pulls on the season, and has five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. Roman leads the defense with six interceptions and Nickayla Howard adds five as well. Ansdiane Rabano has 6.5 sacks on the season. Howard leads the defensive backfield with 12 pass break-ups.
Reinhardt enters the NAIA Flag Finals with a 3-10 record overall and the Eagles went 1-4 in the SUN Conference this season. One of Reinhardt's wins was a forfeit victory over Point University.
The Eagles only have statistics listed for three games this season, but in those stats Alicia Wyatt is the quarterback and had completed 55.2 percent of passes for 360 yards, and is only listed with four interceptions and no touchdowns. Jahnaeia Thomas is the top receiver with 11 catches for 90 yards. Evanee Cooper has 11 catches for 43 yards.
Dachea Branham as 17 flag pulls to lead the Eagle defense.
The Thomas University Night Hawks are 15-3 on the season and went 6-2 in the SUN Conference this season, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament where they reached the championship game, losing the top seed Keiser 6-0.
Thomas hangs its hat on defense, tossing 10 shutouts during the season. The Night Hawks are allowing just 3.7 points per game this season, while scoring 33.2 per game. Thomas has a 565-63 scoring advantage over opponents. Thomas averages 235.4 yards of total offense per game while holding opponents to 107.8 yards per game.
Alexa Wilson is Thomas's leading quarterback, going 334-of-457 passing for 2891 yards and 52 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, completing 73.1 percent of her passes. She averages 180.7 yards per game passing. Tara Llorente is 73 of 124 passing for 609 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Nakerra Brown is Thomas's leading receiver with 72 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. Aliyah Wood has 67 catches for 580 yards and eight touchdowns. Gisele Jones has 39 catches for 387 yards and a team best 13 touchdowns.
Janae Scott leads the Thomas defense with 55 flag pulls on the season, and has two sacks, two interceptions and 12 pass break-ups. Kaitlyn Herb is the Thomas rush specialist with 49 flag pulls that includes 38 stops for loss and an impressive sack total of 32 on the season to go along with a pair of interceptions and 10 pass break-ups. Gisele Jones has 12 pass break-ups and a team best 10 interceptions.