KWU Sports Information
ATLANTA, Ga. – Kansas Wesleyan flag football saw its best season in program history come to a close on Friday as the Coyotes split two games in the NAIA Flag Football Finals Tournament.
The Coyotes used a come from behind win against Warner to advance in the losers bracket after a loss on Thursday, to advance to play Keiser.
The Coyotes trailed Warner 13-6 in the early morning game, but the Coyotes came back to get within a point at 13-12.
Alexa Mansur (SO/Henderson, Nev.) made the first play of the game for the Coyotes intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown, giving the Coyotes an 18-13 lead with 7:34 left in the game.
The Coyotes nearly had a huge defensive stop, forcing a long fourth and goal for the Royals but Warner would convert a touchdown pass in the back corner of the endzone to take a 19-18 lead with 58 seconds left.
Back came the Coyotes, as Brianna Hernandez-Silva (SR/Las Vegas, Nev.) hit Angel Roman (SO/Jacksonville, Fla.) for a 66-yard touchdown pass to give Wesleyan a 24-19 lead with 37 seconds left.
Warner drove down the field, getting into KWU territory for a first down at the KWU-39 but could not find a way to the next zone before time ran out, and the Coyotes held on for the win.
The Coyotes then headed outside to the Home Depot Back Yard, adjacent to Mercedes Benz Stadium, where the Coyotes faced Keiser.
KWU fell behind to start, but came back and were within a score at half time 21-14.
Keiser though would control the second half, scoring 14 unanswered points, including forcing several interceptions on KWU drives that had gone deep into Keiser territory to come away for the win.
The Coyotes conclude the season with a 15-6 overall record and were 8-2 in the KCAC, finishing as the conference runners-up. A record number of players were named All-KCAC, including Hernandez-Silva as the Offensive Player of the Year.