WBU re-shifts as season begins winding down

Playing to finish the season with a 5-5 record is not what Butch Henderson envisioned for his Wayland Baptist football team heading into the 2017 season homestretch. But the veteran coach has been around long enough to know he doesn't always get what he wants, and so Henderson and the Pioneers are looking to make the most of their remaining three games, starting with Saturday's contest against Bacone College.

"We need to get our motor back up and remember how to win," Henderson said. "If we can win this week and next (at Texas Wesleyan) and go into the Langston game with some confidence, that gives you a chance to go into the off-season 5-5."

Kickoff in the Central States Football League game between Wayland (2-5, 2-3 CSFL) and Bacone's Warriors (2-5, 2-3) is at 2 p.m. Saturday at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium. The pregame broadcast featuring Danny Andrews begins at 1:30 and can be heard locally at 1090-AM and through links available at www.wbuathletics.com.

Free food, offered by Trinity Life Church, will be available while it lasts beginning around 12:45 p.m. in the southeast corner of the home parking area. Fans can greet players on their way to the field for pregame at 12:45 and 1 in the tailgate area.

The Pioneers and Warriors, of Muskogee, Okla., enter the game tied for fifth place in the nine-team CSFL. While Wayland is coming off back-to-back losses to conference co-leaders Oklahoma Panhandle State and Southwestern Assemblies of God, Bacone has won its last two outings over Texas College (31-26) and first-year Texas Wesleyan (33-18).

The Warriors lost their first five games of the season, to Robert Morris (22-7) and Austin College (31-18) prior to a trio of CSFL contests to No. 23 Arizona Christian (35-7), OPSU (31-8) which is ranked the equivalent of 26th, and No. 8 Langston (36-6).

"They are a very talented football team with excellent skill position players," Henderson said of Bacone.

The coach glowed over senior quarterback Samuel Sewards (6-2, 200).

"He's a weapon," Henderson said. "He throws the ball well and, the problem you really have with him is if he gets out of the pocket he can run. He's very dangerous there, so you have to be careful in your rush to keep him in front of you."

Sewards is third in the conference in total offense, averaging 212 yards per game, 189 of that coming in the air where he has thrown for 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Sewards' favorite target is senior receiver Grayland Dunnams (5-11, 190), whose 34 catches on the season is seven more than anyone else in the CSFL. Dunnams averages almost 12 yards a catch and has three TDs.

"He catches a lot of balls and they have a great passing attack, but you can't devote all of your attention to that because they have good running backs, too," Henderson said.

Bacone's defense features solid pass coverage fueled in part by tremendous pass rushers that rank sixth in the NAIA with 22 sacks. A pair of sophomore linebackers – John Johnson (6-1, 237) of North Carolina and Dequincy Narcisse (6-2, 220) of Louisiana – have five sacks apiece, good for 19^th in the NAIA.

They're complimented by a third talented backer in senior Shawndell Kirkland (6-0, 225) of New York. Johnson leads the team with 49 tackles while Kirkland is a close second with 48.

"Those guys can run sideline to sideline," Henderson said. "They're defense is so good because they have such good skill kids."

As a team, Bacone has 75 tackles for loss.

Henderson said the Pioneers could get quarterback Mitchell Parsley back in the lineup after the junior was injured in 30-28 win over Lyon College three weeks ago.

"He's made good progression. We'll just have to see how the rest of this week plays out," the coach said of Parsley. "We're a little beat-up, but that's normal for this time of year."

While the Pioneers would like to be one of the teams involved in this week's conference games deciding the top-of-the-league standings (Arizona Christian is at Langston and SAGU is at Panhandle State), Henderson said his team is holding together well.

"The kids have been good about staying together. There's been no bickering, no name-calling, no finger-pointing. This is a true football team.

"We just have to make plays and win some ballgames."