OTTAWA – Kansas Wesleyan Flag Football returned to Ottawa for the second time in six days to face the Braves in the Kansas Conference opener for both teams. Ottawa would come away with the 26-18 win at AdventHealth Field.
 
KWU took the ball first and drove to the Ottawa 10 yard line, but Ava Duerr could not hold onto a pass from Chihiro Iwata giving the ball back to the Braves. Ottawa scored on its drive, using a 42-yard pass play to set up the 7-yard scoring play for the Braves.
 
After a failed KWU drive Ottawa scored again with 5:29 to go in the second quarter.
 
The Coyotes answered right back as Iwata hit Alexis Jimenez for 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left before the half.
 
Ottawa would score with 31 seconds left covering the 66 yards capped by a 242-yard touchdown pass. The Braves led 19-6 at the half.
 
Ottaws scored on its first drive of the second half, to extend the lead to 26-6 with 9:15 to go in the third.
 
Wesleyan would score on its next drive capping the march with a 7-yard pass from Iwata to Angel Roman with 1:35 left in the quarter. Wesleyan's defense would hold on the next drive and KWU scored again, this time a 5-yard pass from Iwata to Aliyah Wood with 4:39 left in the game to make it 26-18.
 
Ottawa took the final drive of the game, and would get to the KWU 1 yard line, and tried to score one last time as time expired, calling a timeout to set up a potential scoring play with three seconds left, but Ashley Hawthorne would break up the pass to keep the score where it was as the Braves got the win.
 
Iwata was 31 of 48 for 278 yards and three scores for the Coyotes, and had four rushes for 12 yards. Wood had 12 catches for 115 yards and a score. Roman had six for 45 and a touchdown, Duerr had four for 45.
 
Alexa Mansur led the Coyote defense with four flag pulls.
 
The Coyotes are back in action on Sunday, hosting KCAC newcomer William Woods at 1 p.m. at JRI Hospitality Stadium. It's the home opener for the Coyotes.