With two weeks to prepare after a "one-of-those-nights" game against Texas-Permian Basin, the Wayland Baptist football team is set to kick off Sooner Athletic Conference play when the equally-reeling Arizona Christian Firestorm come to town this weekend.
While the Firestorm are winless after two games, WBU coach
Butch Henderson said the Pioneers aren't fooled.
"Arizona Christian is a very good football team. They ran into a buzz saw with another NAIA school (Montana State-Northern) then played Abilene Christian, an (NCAA Division I FCS). They found out some things they need to fix, just like we did," Henderson said. "They're a talented football team. They'll come in here reloaded."
Kickoff between the Pioneers (1-1) and Firestorm (0-2) at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium is 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets, available at the gate, are $10 for adults and $5 for students (WBU students and employees admitted free with ID).
The game is being sponsored by Vista Bank. Free food, while it lasts, will be provided by Wayland in conjunction with Tombstone BBQ in the southeast corner of the stadium's home parking lot.
One lucky fan will have a chance to win a Jeep Wrangler, courtesy of Plainview Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Selected at random, one contestant at halftime of each of WBU's home games will attempt one throw with an NCAA standard-size football from 30 yards away. If the ball makes it into a 10-inch diameter target, they win.
While Arizona Christian has gotten off to a slow start this season, the Firestorm have been nothing short of impressive since beginning their football program six years ago. After going 2-7 the first season, Arizona Christian posted records of 6-3, 7-3, 7-3 and 8-3. That includes back-to-back, undefeated Central States Football League championships in 2015 and '16.
Wayland and ACU have met each of the last five years, with the Firestorm taking the last four contests after the Pioneers prevailed in their very first meeting. The teams met in the season finale last year in Plainview, with Arizona Christian – ranked the equivalent of 31
st in the NAIA – holding on for an entertaining 37-36 victory.
The game, which featured 60 first-half points, saw Wayland go up 36-34 with 5:19 left in the third quarter. Only three more points were scored the rest of the way. They came when ACU kicked a 33-yard field goal – a low liner that just cleared the crossbar – with 11½ minutes left.
Wayland got two more chances to regain the lead. The first, as the Pioneers were driving inside ACU's 30-yard line, ended with an interception. The last came after Wayland's defense held on fourth-and-1 near midfield. That gave the Pioneer offense the ball with 3½ minutes left. Wayland managed one first down before a rush for no gain and three incompletions turned it over on downs at the ACU 44 with 2:12 showing.
That ended Wayland's season at 5-5, 3-5 in the SAC for sixth place; ACU wound up 8-3, 6-3 in the SAC for third place.
"They have been at the top of our conference. They're picked third this year," said Henderson, whose Pioneers were voted by league coaches to finish in a tie for seventh.
Arizona Christian began the season ranked the equivalent of 32
nd in the NAIA. The Firestorm stopped receiving Top 25 votes after losing their season-opener at home to Montana State-Northern, 20-14, and two weeks ago to Abilene Christian, 66-14. Their trip to Plainview will be the second trip to West Texas in two weeks for the Firestorm, who were idle last week.
Both the Pioneers and Firestorm will be coming off two of the most lopsided setbacks in program history. In fact, Arizona Christian's 52-point loss to Abilene Christian was the second most-lopsided setback in program history, while Wayland's 53-point, 60-7 loss to NCAA Division II UTPB ranks tied for fourth most-lopsided.
Henderson hopes the setback will benefit the Pioneers in the long run.
"When you play somebody good it lets you evaluate the little things you're doing. If you do things technically right, you're all right. That's the biggest issue. Are the kids doing what we coach them to do? Now we're able to go through those things and make sure we can do them over and over and over.
"It doesn't make for a real fun open date. That was one of those nights. But I was proud of the kids for the way they hung in there together."
Arizona Christian has used three quarterbacks this season, with sophomore Maverick Gamez (6-3, 200) listed as the starter. Last season against Wayland, Gamez shared signal-calling duties and completed 8-of-16 passes for 147 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
"They're going to put the ball in the air a bunch. That's what they do," Henderson said. "They run a lot of RPOs (run-pass options). The quarterback reads well and puts the ball in different people's hands."
One of those is sophomore running back Aidan Quinn (5-8, 190), who as a freshman a year ago against the Pioneers ran 26 times for 129 yards and two TDs. "He has good vision," Henderson said of Quinn, who ended 2018 with 783 yards while averaging almost six yards a carry.
On defense, Henderson is especially impressed with the Firestorm's front line.
"They have three or four guys in there, all about 6-1, 6-2, 290 pounds. The middle of their defense is really tough."
The toughest may be senior tackle Jaron Green (6-1, 295), an all-conference pick and all-American candidate this season. "He's the war horse of what they do," Henderson said.
The WBU coach believes the Pioneers are ready to get the conference season under way.
"Anything you do in life, to be successful, you have to have a vision. Our vision is to win the conference, and that starts right here," he said.
"The other thing you have to have (to be successful) is perseverance. That could be in a ballgame or it could be as we go through conference play. We play two of the top three teams in first two weeks (WBU travels to Ottawa-Arizona next week), so we have to be ready to play."
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