Waxahachie – The Pioneers went on the road to challenge a tough Nelson Lions team, and they came away with a 27-7 victory thanks to another dominant offensive performance paired with a stout defensive effort despite missing a few players due to injuries.
Wayland Baptist opened the game with the football but failed to score on their opening possession which gave the Lions some early momentum. Nelson followed up with a three play, 74-yard drive that ended with a touchdown to put the Pioneers down 7-0 early.
The Pioneers weren't fazed in the slightest, following with their own scoring possession that was six play, 70-yards that ended with a 69-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback
Davian Guajardo to freshman wide receiver
Brenden Strickland to tie the game at 7.
The Pioneer defense started settling in and forced the Lions to punt their next two offensive possessions, which gave the Pioneer offense some life. On the Pioneers second possession of the second quarter, Guajardo struck again – this time using his legs for a 21-yard touchdown rush to put the Pioneers up 14-7.
The Lions still had 1:57 on the clock before halftime, so they tried to push the ball down the field to get into scoring position to get some last second points before halftime. However, Pioneer sophomore safety had other plans as he picked off the Lions quarterback at the 50-yard line to give Wayland Baptist the ball back. The Pioneers took the 14-7 lead into the locker room at the halftime break.
The Pioneer defensive stood tall yet again to open the second half, giving the ball back to Guajardo and the offense with the score still 14-7. After
Dequan Green returned the punt back to the Lion 37, it took the Pioneers seven plays to score with junior running back
Damon Ford punching one in from a yard out to make it 21-7, Pioneers. Wayland Baptist would carry that 21-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
Wayland Baptist senior kicker
Leo Marini would make it a three-possession game after drilling a 37-yard field goal to give the Pioneers a 24-7 lead with just under five minutes left in the game. Pioneer freshman corner back,
Tyrone Morgan, would sink the Lions hopes of making a comeback after picking up his second interception of the season to give the Pioneers the ball back with 4:05 remaining.
Marini would put add the final insurance points with a 27-yard field goal to put the Pioneers up 27-7 in the final seconds, securing the hard-earned road win at Nelson to put the Pioneers at 3-3 on the season and 3-2 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
The Pioneers were down a few key players on defense, but they had some players step up tremendously. Head Coach Marcos Hinojos talked about the defense, "Defensively we came together today. We have had to overcome some injuries to key players. Some of the starters now have had to learn a new system, gel with new teammates and in a short amount of time. It's taken us 6 games to do all that. Our leaders have played an integral part in that process."
Guajardo led the Pioneers passing attack with 250 yards on 16 of 24 passing with one touchdown and no interceptions, while also gaining 19 yards on six rush attempts and a touchdown. Ford was the leading rusher for the Pioneers tonight, totaling 92 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Barron was the leading receiver for Wayland Baptist, finishing with seven catches for 104 yards. Strickland had one catch for 69 yards and a touchdown.
"I love the balance of rush to pass and the ability to control the clock. I love the confidence that our kids have in our coaches and our coaches in our players. Most of all I love the detailed approach to work that we have all week," said Coach Hinojos referencing the strong play from his offense so far this season.
Defensively,
Isaiah Brooks led the Pioneers with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 a sack. Morgan had five tackles and an interception. Henry finished with four tackles, a sack, and an interception.
Brennen Davis had seven tackles, one tackles for loss, 0.5 a sack, and a pass break up.
Kaleb Brooks had seven tackles, including one tackle for loss.
The Pioneers will be on a BYE next week, but SAC first-place, Texas Wesleyan, will be heading to town in two weeks for a massive showdown at Greg Sherwood Memorial Stadium. Kick-off is set of Saturday, October 26
th at 4:00 PM.
