Pioneers Can't Overcome #16 OUAZ in Season Opener

SURPRISE, AZ -- The Wayland Baptist University Pioneers football team faced a tough outing on Saturday night, falling to the 16^th ranked OUAZ Spirit 49-7 in their season opener at Spirit Field in Surprise, Arizona.
The game began with OUAZ establishing an early lead, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter, one a 30-yard pass and another a 15-yard pass, and adding two more rushing touchdowns in the second quarter, putting the Pioneers in a significant 28-0 deficit at halftime.
 
However, the second half kicked off with a moment of brilliance for Wayland Baptist. Mark Mukiibi ignited the special teams, returning the opening kickoff of the third quarter a spectacular 89 yards for a touchdown, bringing life back to the Pioneers and cutting the lead to 28-7. This marked the team's only score of the night.
 
Offensively, Wayland Baptist struggled to find consistency against a strong OUAZ defense. The Pioneers managed 161 total yards of offense compared to OUAZ's 479, with 57 net rushing yards and 104 net passing yards. Quarterback Khalon Davis completed 14 of 28 passes for 104 yards but was sacked three times and threw one interception. Keamodre Horace led the ground attack with 65 yards on 12 carries, while Damon Ford added 55 yards on 10 carries. Donte Hurt was the leading receiver with 37 yards on 4 receptions, while Jamari Jackson hauled in 4 catches for 34 yards.
 
Defensively, Donovan Henry stood out with 10 total tackles, leading the team in a valiant effort to slow down the high-powered OUAZ offense. Isaiah Brooks was close behind with 9 including a sack, while Kacen Anthony and Zion Oso Adesanya each recorded a sack. Brennen Davis also finished with 8 total tackles.
 
OUAZ continued to extend their lead in the fourth quarter with a 68-yard touchdown pass, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a 3-yard rushing touchdown, ultimately securing the 49-7 victory.
 
"Deciding factors were missed tackles and costly mistakes on defense," said head coach Marcos Hinojos Sr. recapping tonight's game. "Offensively, we struggled to get things going. A lot of new faces on the offense. The effort is great, but the execution was not where we need it to be against a ranked team."
Coach Hinojos talked about what playing a top ranked team in the country in the season opener can do for his team moving forward this season, "Every team in our conference is tough and each week we have to grow from the good and the bad. Each team presents a different challenge."
 
While the result was not what the Pioneers hoped for, the team will look to learn from this experience and regroup as they prepare for their next challenge. Wayland Baptist will hit the road again next Saturday, September 13th, to face Louisiana Christian in what promises to be another test for the squad. Kick-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM.