The Coyotes are back home for a Family Weekend game against Kansas Conference and Kessinger Division opponent Friends. Kickoff is 6 p.m. Saturday at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.
LIVE COVERAGE
- The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan.
- Live Stats will be available at https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
- Radio coverage can be heard locally on KINA 910 AM/107.5 FM, and online at Eagle Communication's Post Sites (salinapost.com in Salina). The online stream is also available at https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2. Tyler Henry will have the call with pregame starting at 5:00 p.m.
RECORDS
- Kansas Wesleyan 1-2
- Friends 3-0
THE SERIES
KWU has won the last eight games and has averaged 75 points in the last five. The Coyotes won last year's game 70-0 at JRI Stadium in the season opener. Wesleyan has a 15-7 edge since the 2001 season.
KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE
- The Coyotes fell to 1-2 with a 24-3 loss to No. 9 Southwestern last Saturday in Winfield. Neither team scored the second half as the defenses took control. KWU limited the Moundbuilders to 85 total yards the final 30 minutes. The Coyotes finished with 75 total yards and Southwestern 285.
- Linebacker Quatama Massaquoi led the defense with 10 tackles while linebacker Ricco Moore had nine and safety Julian Urioste eight. End Josh King-Bradley had seven tackles and a sack.
- Moore is the team's top tackler with 29, Massaquoi has 24 and linebacker Shaylan Lewis 23.
- The defense has been outstanding through the first three games. Opponents are averaging 14.7 points and 227.3 total yards that includes 112 rushing.
- Getting the offense untrack is the key. KWU is averaging 13.7 points and 203.7 yards in the first three games. Richard Lara is slated to start at quarterback Saturday.
FRIENDS AT A GLANCE
- The Falcons are 3-0 and receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches' poll. They're coming off a 54-20 victory over Avila last Saturday in Wichita and also have beaten Saint Mary 64-20 and Ottawa 49-20.
- Friends is averaging 533 yards and 55.7 points. The flexbone triple option offense is averaging an NAIA-best 494 yards rushing and just 39 passing. The Falcons have thrown just seven passes and completed three this season.
- Seven Falcons are averaging at least 124 yards rushing led by quarterback K'Vonte Baker with 292 and running back Elias Pino with 240. Baker has a team-best six touchdowns and Pino five.
- Friends' opponents are averaging 20 points and 305 yards to per game.
- Coach Terry Harrison is in his second season after leading Bethel to a combined 29-14 record in four seasons. He was head coach at Wichita Heights High School for five seasons before going to Bethel.
KWU COACH MATT MYERS
"Offensively we need to find our identity and that's going to be the goal here in the next few weeks and especially this week. We have possibly been overcomplicating a few things. We need to do what we do well and do it over and over and don't over-complicate things. Defensively when we play with the correct posture and intensity we play really well. Friends is super-hot right now and is scoring a lot of points. Terry Harrison has done an excellent job of recruiting. They have one of the best offensive lines I've seen, they are very good. The quarterback (Baker) is very good, makes really good decisions and is athletic. Their defense does things a little bit different that you have to prepare for. They have guys that move around a lot. Their first three games I haven't seen them make any big mistakes."
NEXT WEEK
The Coyotes play No. 23 Bethel at 1 p.m. Saturday in North Newton.