Box Score
Butch Henderson isn't necessarily saying the Wayland Baptist Pioneers are poised to contend for a national championship after securing a win in their first-ever meeting against a nationally-ranked NAIA team.
Still, you have to start somewhere, and Saturday afternoon's 31-20 victory over 25th-ranked Webber International is as good a place as any.
"A win like this sets a precedent of where you want to go. You want to get yourself to where you're able to play with those type of teams, and you have to do that week after week," Henderson said.
"This means a lot to us."
Quarterback Mitchell Parsley threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Trey Rowe, while all-American linebacker Alden Mann made a huge impact in his return to the field for the Pioneers, who have won three of their first four games since Wayland restarted football five years ago.
"We played a really good football team, and we played well," Henderson said. "The kids have been able to raise their level of play and keep it there."
The coach harkened back to last week's 40-37 overtime win against Howard Payne for helping give the Pioneers the confidence to beat a team that is tied for No. 25 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
"It was a matter of believing they were going to win and playing with that belief. It's neat to see them mold into a team, a unit, with that belief," Henderson said. "We played well defensively, we played well offensively. Everyone played off of each other."
Wayland never trailed in the contest, taking a 3-0 lead on a 37-yard field goal by Daniel Martinez on the Pioneers' second possession following an interception by Michael Nealy that he returned to the Webber 26-yard line.
 The Pioneers put their first touchdown on the board following another big play by the defense, this one a fumble recovery by Travis White at the Webber 40.
 A halfback pass from Rowe to Preston Woodard on first down moved the ball all the way to the Warrior 5, and three players later Parsley found Keyshawn Hawkins for a touchdown.
Webber got on the board by returning a 37-yard punt for a score, but it took the Pioneers only two plays to answer when Parsley found Rowe on a 48-yard touchdown toss.
The Warriors booted a 35-yard field goal to make it 17-10, but once again the Pioneers had an immediate response as Parsley hooked up with Jerrell Peterson on a 21-yard screen then hit Rowe on a 40-yard back-shoulder pass. With just under 2 minutes left before halftime, Wayland led it, 24-10.
Webber cut that lead in half, however, quickly advancing the ball to set up a short TD run with just 19 ticks left in the half.
After the teams combined for 41 points in the first 30 minutes, the scoring slowed considerably after intermission.
Webber's lone score was a 32-yard field goal early in the third quarter, then after Parsley and Devonte Hayden connected on a 30-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth, the Pioneer defense took over.
Actually, before Wayland's final TD, White came up with an interception late in the third, this one in the Wayland end zone for a touchback.
Henderson couldn't say enough about the Pioneers making "big plays at key times. The turnovers the defense got and the big pass plays came at key times, lots of times when we needed to regain momentum."
After the Parsley-to-Hayden TD, the Wayland defense forced back-to-back 3-and-outs. The Pioneers sealed it when Mann, who earlier had a key pass knockdown, intercepted Webber quarterback Garry Chouloute at the Wayland 20-yard line with 1:24 left to play.
Mann, after missing two weeks with injury, ended the game with nine solo and 13 assisted tackles.
"Having him back was great," Henderson said. "He just gets out there and plays."
The Pioneers now have their second week off of the season leading into the start of Central States Football League play, which gets going for the Pioneers Oct. 8 in Muskogee, Okla., against Bacone. The Warriors (1-3) won their first game Saturday in their conference-opener at home against Lyon, 34-21. Bacone plays at Texas College on Oct. 1.
"We're feeling good, but we have to keep that ball up and rolling," Henderson said. "We'll have a chance to heal and recuperate for a week, then head into conference play and keep it rolling."
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