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Myers Hendrickson has waited and worked his entire life for this moment – his first game as a college head football coach.
Normal jitters and angst aside, he's eager to see how far his Kansas Wesleyan team has come since he replaced Matt Drinkall as the Coyotes' head coach in January.
"We feel great, it has been a long time coming," said Hendrickson, whose No. 4-ranked team plays Texas Wesleyan in the season opener at 6 p.m. Saturday at Graves Family Sports Complex.
PROMOTIONS / ACTIVITIES / GAME SPONSORS
Saturday's game is Celebrating College Football. This includes the 150th anniversary of college football, being celebrated nationwide this year. There is plenty else going on at the game. There will be a cornhole tournament going on in the tailgate lot between the Student Activities Center and the Graves Family Sports Complex. There is also a tailgate starting at 4:30. Fans can join students at the tailgate for $7 per person. There will be giveaways of schedule magnets, posters and cards. The first 300 students to check into the game will get a shirt. There is also a register to win contest for a KWU branded YETI cooler which will be given away at the end of the third quarter
Rocking M Media will be having a radio remote at the game and will interview individuals during the pregame.
Saturday's official game day sponsors are Visit Salina and Salina Family Healthcare.
GAME COVERAGE
Saturday's game will be broadcast live the Coyote Sports Network, powered by Stretch Internet at portal.stretchinternet.com/kwu. Live Stats will be available on the Coyote Sports Network portal and on DakStats at www.dakstats.com/naia. The game can be heard live on the radio on FM 104.9 in the Salina area and all around the world at www.ksal.com. Pat Strathman and Dan Flemming will have the call of the game with pregame starting at 5:30 p.m. on FM 104.9.
Hendrickson has coped with the pressure by doing the only thing he can do – make sure his team is as prepared as possible.
"We've approached in a way that we're just trying to get better every day," he said. "Spring ball was good and we continued to build off of it in the summer. I think we've had an outstanding fall camp and school started and it's all here. It was a good process and we're ready to go."
Having 19 seniors on the two-deep depth chart helps ease the angst.
"We're fortunate we've got a really senior-led group," Hendrickson said. "The first game in college football, it doesn't matter who's playing or where it is, there'll be some nervous energy but I feel like overall we're in a really good place with that."
Playing at home doesn't hurt, either.
"There's a comfortability being at home which I'm excited about," Hendrickson said. "Our guys are always excited to be out on Bissell Field, it's a great environment."
KWU defeated Texas Wesleyan 42-7 in the 2018 season opener in Fort Worth, Texas. The Coyotes scored the game's final 35 points as Demarco Prewitt (SR/Menifee, Calif.) rushed for 129 yards and Johnny Feauto (SR/Boulder, Colo.) threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns.
It was the first of 13 consecutive victories that included a 10-0 record in the Kansas Conference and a trip to the NAIA semifinals where the Coyotes lost to Benedictine.
Feauto and Prewitt return along with a host of other offensive veterans, including standout tight end Trenton Poe-Evans (SR/Needles, Calif.) and four linemen, led by All-American left tackle Eli Smith (SR/Severy, Kan.). Prewitt earned All-America honors after finishing with 2,371 yards rushing and 41 touchdowns (38 rushing). Feauto totaled 3,273 yards passing, 41 TDs and only six interceptions.
Hendrickson, a Drinkall protégé and assistant at KWU in 2014 and '15, employs a similar offense with a few wrinkles.
"It helps that we have so many seniors, we could install at whatever pace we wanted to and that makes it easy to add those wrinkles in," he said. "The guys picked it up, they're excited about our offensive and defensive schemes and the things they can do out of it."
Defensively the Coyotes are led by ends Shaq Bradford (SR/San Diego, Calif.), an All-American who led the NAIA with 22 sacks and 35 tackles for loss, and Anthony Munro (SR/Fresno, Texas). Linebackers Warren Singletary (SR/Hawkinsville, Ga.) and Jasper Chavez (SR/Rosemead, Calif.), last year's top two tacklers, return along with four who saw significant duty in the secondary. Newcomers have also bolstered the secondary.
The biggest question defensively entering the season is the interior line after graduation claimed Josh Davis and Brad Coombs. Hendrickson, though, likes what he's seen from the newcomers. Malakye Adams (SO/Victoria, Texas) will start at nose guard and either Daniel Killian (JR/Orange, Texas) or David Mares (JR/Rancho Mirage, Calif.) at tackle.
"We feel really good about that group," he said. "There's a ton of competition there going back to the spring and we got guys into the mix in fall camp. We've continued to build at that spot. With Bradford and Munro we feel like it makes it really difficult for an offense to game plan against our interior guys."
"We're extremely locked in, like no other," Bradford said. "Everybody knows the playbook in and out, everybody's hungry to learn more. The physical aspect of the game is there, we have a very talented group."
Jhonatan Morales (JR/Labelle, Fla.) will handle the placekicking duties once again.
Texas Wesleyan was 2-8 last fall but four of the losses were by nine points or less.
The Rams feature an explosive, pass-oriented offense that's led by senior quarterback Donovan Isom. Isom, who's 6-feet-5, 265 pounds, threw for 1,701 yards while completing 48 percent of his passes in nine games a year ago. Senior tailback Jemarcus Jones ran for 477 yards (93 against KWU) and averaged 5.7 yards per carry. LeMant Moore is the top returning wide out after catching 45 passes for 831 yards.
"They're an explosive offense and have some fantastic skill players," Hendrickson said. "It starts with their quarterback, he's a big, strong, great player. Can run, throws it well, he's got a real presence about him.
"Their tailback is extremely explosive, he's a very good player and they have all those receivers back. They like to spread you out – they spread it out and throw, they spread it out and run. Their offensive line does really well, too."
Pressuring Isom will be crucial. He was 10 of 21 passing for 110 yards and two interceptions in last year's game before leaving with an injury in the second quarter.
"Our pass rush will be huge for us," Hendrickson said. "He's going to get (the ball) out quick so that's one thing we'll have to be ready for. They make you defend the entire field sideline to sideline and they'll take vertical shots as well."
Defensively TWU returns three of its top four tacklers in free safety Chance Carroll, nickel back Dylan Pettway and strong safety Diamond Williams.
"They're going to come up and challenge you and you've got to be ready for that," Hendrickson said. "In the past they've played some tight man-to-man defense and have a really aggressive, attacking front seven. And they're a really athletic group."
