Not that they drew it up this way, but the Wayland Baptist football team has saved the best for last.
The Pioneers face what would appear to be their biggest challenge of the year Saturday when they end the season against the NAIA's eighth-ranked, Central States Football League champion, undefeated Langston University Lions.
"They're a good football team," Wayland coach
Butch Henderson said. "They deserve their No. 8 ranking."
That said, the Pioneers (4-5, 4-3 CSFL) aren't throwing in the towel against the Lions (9-0, 7-0). While Langston – which last week secured the conference championship for the first time since 2014 – is looking forward to a spot in the NAIA playoffs, the Pioneers have several things they would like to accomplish with a victory, not the least of which is setting a positive tone for the off-season.
"That's very important, and we'd also like to see this group of seniors off with a win and go 5-5 on the season," Henderson said. "This group of seniors has worked very hard."
Eight seniors will be recognized during pre-game at 1:40 p.m. Saturday, prior to the 2 p.m. kickoff at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium.
Wal-Mart Distribution Center will provide free food and drinks, while it lasts, at a tailgate beginning around 12:45 in the home parking area. Fans, who are encouraged to wear black as part of a team Black Out, are invited to join the WBU spirit teams and band as they greet players on their way to the field in the tailgate area at 12:45 and 1.
As the Pioneers will be wearing black uniforms, fans are invited to wear black as well.
Coverage links are available at
www.wbuathletics.com, with coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. Danny Andrews will provide play-by-play.
The Pioneers are coming off a bye week that followed back-to-back victories over Bacone (48-21) and Texas Wesleyan (54-24). Henderson said his team is refreshed after last week cutting back on workout hours and avoiding contact.
"They worked well and were able to heal up some. The kids look fresher," the coach said.
Langston, meanwhile, will be playing its third straight road game, something the Pioneers did to start the season. After edging two-time defending conference champion Arizona Christian, 21-20, at home to start the regular-season-ending gauntlet, the Lions went to Muskogee and defeated Oklahoma Panhandle State, 27-14, before topping Southwestern Assemblies of God last week in Waxahachie, 14-10.
"They've had the ability to make plays when they've needed to," Henderson said of Langston.
Defense, he said, is at the heart of the Lions' success.
"They play really good defense," Henderson said. "They're at the top of the conference and the nation in a lot of areas."
In fact, Langston ranks in the top eight in the NAIA in nine defensive categories, including No. 1 in pass defense efficiency, No. 2 in scoring defense (12.9 points per game), No. 3 in total defense (252 yards per game), and No. 4 in total sacks (31).
Causing much of the disruption for Langston opponents is defensive tackle Jamarae Finnie, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound senior from Tacoma, Wash. Finnie ranks third in the NAIA in fumbles forced per game (0.4), sixth in tackles for loss per game (1.7), and 15
th in total sacks (7.5).
"He is big and strong, and they have three others up there who are really fast. Their four down linemen can really move," Henderson said.
He said the Pioneers' offensive linemen must do a good job of maintaining their blocks, and the backs must "find alleys and creases" to get open.
"We have to be patient and take the short passing game they'll give us and mix that with the (extended) passing game to move the football," Henderson said.
According to the coach, Langston's defense is greatly aided by a ball-control offense.
"Their defense ties with their offense in that they predominantly run and control the clock. They have the ability to throw; their quarterback is a pretty good passer. But what they really want to do is run the ball."
Langston doesn't have a quarterback, running back or receiver that ranks in the top eight in the CSFL. Instead, the Lions take advantage of tremendous depth and use multiple players to get the job done.
One of Langston's most dangerous weapons is quarterback Jaylen Lowe, a 6-foot, 200-pound junior from Collinsville, Okla. Lowe is sixth in the league in total offense, having combined to pass (752) and run (283) for 1,035 yards.
Wayland will be looking for its first on-field win in what will be its sixth meeting with Langston. (The Pioneers do have a victory over the Lions that resulted from a forfeit in 2013.) In their five previous meetings, Langston has outscored WBU, 213-41, including 54-10 last season.
Despite it being a great challenge, Henderson is optimistic this could be the year the Pioneers handle the Lions.
"We have a chance to beat a nationally-ranked football team, which would help us tremendously as we go into the offseason," he said. "The kids have bought into that. I feel like they can go in and put things together to be able to win."
The key, he added, will be playing 60 minutes of solid football.
"We have to play four quarters. We can't play two or three and expect to win. We have to play all four."
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