The 20th-ranked Coyotes open the 2023 season on the road against new Kansas Conference member Evangel. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at Eagle Stadium in Nixa, Missouri.
 
LIVE COVERAGE 
The video stream of the game will be available online through the Coyote Sports Network at www.kcacnetwork.com/kansaswesleyan. Evangel will be handling the production of the game with their TV partner Mediacom.
 
Live Stats will be available at https://kwucoyotes.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
 
Radio coverage will be on the Coyote Radio Network. The online stream is available at https://radio.securenetsystems.net/ce/kina2. Tyler Henry will have the call with pregame starting at 5 p.m.
 
8/26 vs Evangel Coyote Radio Network lineup
Salina: 910 KINA-AM/107.5 FM
Hutch: 98.5 FM (KWBW)
Great Bend: KVGB 1490 AM/97.7 FM
Hays: KAYS 1400 AM/94.3 FM Junction City:
KJCK 1420 AM/107.9FM
North Platte, Neb.: KOOO 1410AM/98.1 FM
 
RECORDS 

• Kansas Wesleyan 0-0, ranked No. 20 in NAIA, 8-3 overall, 7-3 KCAC in 2022
• Evangel 0-0, 7-3 overall, 4-1 in Heart of America South Division in 2022

 
THE SERIES 

• Tied 1-1. Coach Dave Dallas's KWU team won the last meeting 38-28 on October 14, 2013 at Salina Stadium. Evangel won 48-0 November 17, 2001 in a first-round game of the NAIA playoffs. The Coyotes of coach Dave Dallas were making their first appearance in the postseason that year.

 
KANSAS WESLEYAN AT A GLANCE

• Second-year coach Matt Myers has a young and largely new team after the departure of 35 seniors. KWU was 8-3, 7-3 in the KCAC last season.
• The Coyotes are 20th in the NAIA coaches' preseason poll. Southwestern is 11th and Bethel 23rd. Wesleyan was picked to win the Gene Bissell Division in the KCAC coaches' preseason poll
• Richard Lara will open at quarterback. He started the last five games a year ago and threw for 899 yards and five touchdowns. He'll be joined in the backfield by tailback Nick Allsman; Mark Benjamin and Tyler Boston will also see duty. Veterans Woody Banks and Rhadarious Lomax-Spivey will start at wide receiver. Rolandius Williamson is the lone returning starter in the line.
• Defensively the Coyotes are led by linemen Ricardo Garcia, Josh King-Bradley, linebackers Ricco Moore and Jhalen Haynes and Julian Urioste and Jordan Dupre in the secondary.
• KWU is 52-9 over the last five seasons, 41-6 against conference opponents.

 
EVANGEL AT A GLANCE

• The game will be the Valor's first as a member of the KCAC. They had competed in the Heart of America Athletic Conference since 1987.
• The Valor were among the teams that received votes in the NAIA coaches' preseason poll. They were 7-3 overall and 4-1 during their final season in the HAAC in 2022 and were picked second in the Ted Kessinger Division of the KCAC coaches' poll. Evangel five of its last six games a year ago.
• Coach Chuck Hepola is in his eighth season and has a 42-30 overall record.
• RJ Wakley returns at quarterback after throwing for 1,439 yards and nine touchdowns last fall. All-American wide receiver Dillon Hester averaged 131 yards receiving per game and running back Sammy Robinson gained a team-best 441 yards rushing.
• The defense is led by linebackers Bradley Myers, who led the team with 102 tackles, and Koel Orchard. Zach Myers anchors the defensive line.

  
KWU COACH MATT MYERS

• "I'd like to make sure that we play enough guys to stay hydrated and make sure we're not losing guys to cramps. I'm really just looking for guys to go out there and perform when their number's called because we're going to play almost everyone who travels. We want to take what the defense gives us, take care of the football and ideally, I want the offense to have multiple explosive plays over 20 yards. Defensively it'll be seeing how well we tackle in the run game and don't give up anything deep in the pass game. We need to show up ready to play for four quarters. They lost a few guys from last year but their quarterback comes back and have a lot of guys back."

NEXT WEEK
The Coyotes play arch rival Bethany in their home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday on Gene Bissell Field at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.