GLENDALE, Ariz. – For the second straight game, Wayland Baptist managed to hang around for a half against a high-powered opponent from Arizona, but the Pioneers weren't able to sustain things in the second half. This time, WBU suffered a season-ending 54-16 loss to No. 21 Arizona Christian here Saturday afternoon.
"We had them hooked and let them off," Wayland coach Butch Henderson said. "The kids played real hard and played well. We just have to learn how to finish."
The Pioneers (2-8, 2-7 Sooner Athletic Conference) took a 7-0 lead when on the fourth play of the game quarterback Nick Quintero hooked up with Brenden Strickland on a 60-yard touchdown toss.
The Firestorm (8-2, 7-2) came back with a TD on their first possession, although a blocked PAT by Dylan Sterling kept WBU on top. Arizona Christian took the lead for good with its second TD late in the first period. Then a 37-yard field goal by Wayland's Jeffrey Lucido closed the deficit to 14-10 early in the second.
The first half's final 2 minutes, 42 seconds featured three touchdowns, the first a 37-yard TD pass for the Firestorm. The Pioneers put together a six-play, 75-yard drive capped with Quintero's 21-yard TD pass to Skyler Whitten. The PAT missed, and with 59 seconds left before intermission Wayland was within 21-16.
It took the Firestorm just 39 seconds to get those points back. Five plays after a 25-yard kickoff return and 15-yard WBU penalty, the Firestorm were in the end zone thanks to an 18-yard TD toss.
Henderson said the penalty was a killer as it set up ACU across the 50-yard line.
"Little things like that we have to learn not to do," he said. "You can't do things like that against good football teams."
The second half was all Arizona Christian, which scored 13 points in the third and 14 more in the fourth. The first three TDs were passes of 40, 16 and 73 yards, while the last was a 72-yard run.
Arizona Christian ended up with 647 yards of offense, including 408 through the air, while WBU managed 258 in the air and 84 on the ground. Strickland and Whitten caught seven balls each for 99 and 79 yards, respectively.
On defense for WBU, Tari York and Manny Arguijo recorded 10 tackles each while Keondre Vasser had nine.
After winning the teams' first-ever matchup in 2014, Wayland has dropped the last eight meetings with the Firestorm.
The Pioneers suffered a similar fate a week earlier against No. 15 Ottawa (Ariz.). WBU was within 17-10 at the half, only to fall 61-30.
"We've learned the last two weeks we can play with those people. When the opportunity is there you have to take advantage," Henderson said. "We just make a few mistakes and it makes a big difference."
The coach said he's proud of how hard the Pioneers worked this season.
"The kids hung in there and got better all the way through. The seniors played hard."
He said almost everyone is due back next season.
"We have just about everybody coming back except two or three kids. If we can pick up next year with what we've done, especially the last two or three weeks, we have a chance to be a very good football team."
