After working in the preseason for what seems like weeks and weeks on end, most teams can hardly wait to face outside competition for the first time and get their seasons rolling. That's especially true for the Wayland Baptist Pioneers, who are later than most of their counterparts in getting the college football season under way.
While a couple of Sooner Athletic Conference schools already have taken the field twice and most have played at least once, the Pioneers will be in uniform for the first time when they open their 2018 campaign Saturday afternoon at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium against the Austin College Kangaroos.
"We're really at a point where we're ready to play an opponent," WBU head coach
Butch Henderson said. "We're in good condition. The athletes came back physically ready to play, and they've definitely had enough reps with practice time to get ready to play."
Kickoff for Saturday's game – sponsored by Plainview Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram – is set for 2 p.m. Available at the gate, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, with all WBU students, faculty and staff admitted free with proper ID. Also, at all WBU home events, Plainview High School student-athletes are admitted free with proper ID and with the purchase of an accompanying adult ticket.
Coverage, including free streaming, is available at www.wbuathletics.com.
Free hot dogs, provided by Happy Union Baptist Church, will be available while they last in the southeast corner of the stadium's home parking area beginning around 12:30 p.m. Activities for the new
Pioneer Pals group will be held in the same area.
The Pioneer football program – starting its seventh season since being reinstated in 2012 – is anxious to earn what would be its first win in 13 games. Although Wayland – on the heels of a 7-3 record in 2016 – won four contests last season, the Pioneers ultimately forfeited those victories due to an ineligible player.
One of WBU's losses last season was a 34-12 setback to Saturday's season-opening opponent, Austin College. That game marked the second time the schools have met, with the NCAA Division III Kangaroos also winning in Wayland's inaugural season, 24-23. Both of those games were played in Sherman.
Austin College, which finished with a 3-7 record last season for the second straight year, opened its season last Saturday at home against WBU's Sooner Athletic Conference opponent Southwestern Assemblies of God University, ranked No. 22 in the NAIA. The Kangaroos sprinted out to a 21-10 lead, but the Lions used a big second half to post a 37-28 win.
Austin College's final touchdown last week was a 60-yard pick six, something the Kangaroos also pulled off against Wayland in last year's game to the tune of an 82-yard return that started a 28-0 explosion in the game's first 16½ minutes.
Henderson said the Kangaroos will sport a different look when they roll into town Saturday.
"They've changed up what they're doing offensively. They were more of a wing offense last year, and now they're more power- to throw-oriented," the coach said. "Defensively they have some good, quick athletes. Their coaching staff does a good job of utilizing their quickness."
Austin College returned its quarterback, junior Colt Collins (6-1, 228) of Princeton, Texas, who last season against Wayland completed 9-of-21 passes but for two touchdowns while also rushing 13 times for 80 yards.
Trying to make life tough for Collins and the Kangaroo offense will be a Pioneer defense that returns just three starters from a year ago. Henderson, though, bragged on what the defense has been able to accomplish in the preseason.
"The defense has made a big, big jump since last spring. That's exciting to see," he said. "The coaches made some personnel switches trying to get kids in position to do what we'd like them to do, and they have come back in and taken off. They're understanding what we're asking them to do."
Among the players impressing the coach the most has been redshirt-senior cornerback
Richard Parham (5-11, 185) of Honolulu.
"Richard has had some nagging injuries the last two years, but he came in and had a tremendous camp. His maturity level is high, he understands what to do, and he's a good athlete on top of that. If he will just stay healthy."
While Wayland's defense may be somewhat unfamiliar with new faces and position changes, the Pioneer offense should look very familiar with starters returning at every position but one. Â Henderson said they'll employ the same hurry-up style they've always used, directed for the third straight season by senior
Mitchell Parsley (6-2, 195), a two-time all-conference pick who in his career has thrown for 4,635 yards and 36 touchdowns.
"We'll got as fast as we can and throw it or run it, depending on how many people they put in the box," Henderson said.
Lining up with Parsley in the backfield will be last season's two top rushers in juniors
De'Sean Johnson and
Jerrell Peterson, who in 2016 combined for 763 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Protecting them all will be an experienced offensive line – revolving around all-conference first team center
Keaton Vawter (6-5, 300) – that also drew high praise from Henderson for their hard work during the off-season.
"A lot of them stayed here through the summer to work together. They're functioning very, very well as a unit," he said.
The Pioneers have had a couple of intrasquad scrimmages, and Henderson said both "went well.
"You can't have both sides of the ball look real good. If your defense looks good then the offense doesn't, and vice versa. But overall I've been pleased with both sides," Henderson said.
The coach hopes he can say the same thing at about 5 p.m. Saturday.
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