While the pieces to fielding a winning football team are starting to form, they've yet to all come together for the Wayland Baptist Pioneers. Coach
Butch Henderson hopes that happens on Saturday afternoon in Alpine.
"The pieces are there. We just have to make the whole puzzle fit together and win," Henderson said.
After opening the season with a road victory over Arizona Christian, the Pioneers (1-3) have lost their last three contests at home. It's back on the road this week as Wayland heads to Big Bend country to take on the winless Lobos (0-3).
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Wayland's radio crew – featuring play-by-play announcer Tom Hall and color analyst Danny Andrews – will be in Alpine with the broadcast on local radio KKYN (106.9 FM) and streamed live at
http://mixlr.com/plainview-radio-sports-channel-1/, with links available on
www.wbuathletics.com. (No video streaming or live stats are scheduled.)
Saturday's contest marks the start of a five-game road swing over the next six weeks for Wayland. After Sul Ross State, the Pioneers have an open week leading into the start of their Sooner Athletic Conference schedule, beginning Oct. 11 in Waxahachie against Southwestern Assemblies of God University. After that are matchups against a pair of Oklahoma teams receiving NAIA Top 25 votes, Langston and Bacone.
Henderson said it's important the Pioneers gain some momentum heading into SAC play, and the best way to do that is by winning. The coach said it's also important the players get another taste of success because of how hard they continue to work, which he feels needs to be rewarded.
"Those guys are battling their tails off, and each week we ask them to continue to do that, which they have. That isn't always easy when your belief system is really getting challenged," Henderson said. "That tells you something about the strength and character of the kids we have playing."
Still, a win would be much-needed confirmation of the team's hard work and talent.
"We tell them they're a good football team," Henderson said, evidenced in part by a number of high national statistical rankings, including the No. 9 passing offense in the NAIA.
The coach refuses to make excuses, but a number of things have gone against the Pioneers in recent weeks, including a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown last Saturday against Hardin-Simmons.
"The kids are overcoming a lot of tough things and hanging in there," he said.
As much as the Pioneers could use a win, Sul Ross State no doubt would like a taste of victory just as badly.
After losing their season-opener to Texas Lutheran, 61-15, the Lobos have dropped two close decisions to Southwestern University, 27-20, and Trinity University, 14-6.
"I know they're hungry," Henderson said of SRSU, the last of four new opponents for Wayland this season.
The Lobos might still be trying to find their identity under new head coach John Pearce, a former defensive coach at Blinn Community College and Prairie View A&M.
"They installed a new system, and understanding that and learning to play together, especially offensively, takes time," Henderson said. "But the kids are learning it and starting to mesh together. They're starting to see some real improvement. They're getting better all of the time."
Possibly hampering the Lobos' progress has been an injury to sophomore quarterback Derrick Bernard, a dual passing/rushing threat who is not listed on the team's depth chart this week. Taking the snaps against Trinity last Saturday were freshman James Davis and junior Colton Brownson, who combined to complete 6-of-19 passes for 34 yards after Bernard threw for 425 yards and four scores while also rushing for 100 yards and a TD in the Lobos' first two games. Davis also is a running threat, motoring for almost 80 yards last week.
"They're pretty balanced between the run and throw," Henderson said, adding that the Lobos have a good bit of depth in their rushing and receiving corps. "They're all pretty balanced all the way across."
On defense, SRSU likes to employ a lot of pressure.
"It's a sic 'em defense," Henderson said. "You're going to see anywhere from 5-7 (players) across the line of scrimmage. They try to bring people and play lock-up man-to-man most of the time."
The Lobos' top tackler is 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior linebacker Earl Hines, who has 27 stops in three games, including 6½ tackles for loss plus a sack.
"He's very aggressive and a good-sized kid," Henderson said of Hines. "Their down linemen try to keep (blockers) off and let those linebackers make tackles.
"We'll have to be able to throw the ball quickly and get it out of there."
Henderson also had good things to say about freshman punter Stephen Slater.
"He really helps them, so field position will be a big deal," Henderson said. "The positive side of that for us is Blair (Magee, WBU's punter) is doing a good job of that also."
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