SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Evangel Valor football team returns home Saturday to host MidAmerica Nazarene for Senior Day and Homecoming for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Eagle Stadium.
SERIES HISTORY
Evangel trails the all-time series with MidAmerica Nazarene 13-20-1. Last year, the Valor won 37-29 in Olathe, Kansas, continuing a trend of road teams picking up the win in the last five games of the series.
OPENING STORYLINES
? Evangel and MidAmerica Nazarene meet in the 46th edition of Evangel's Homecoming game this Saturday. The two schools have a rich history against each other, with 34 meetings, and EU has hosted MNU for Homecoming twice in the last four seasons.
? Evangel snapped a nine-game losing streak to Baker last Saturday in a 17-12 win over the Wildcats. The Valor earned its first win since 2011 at Baker.
? The Valor trail the all-time series 13-20-1, with both teams splitting wins in the series the last four seasons. During those games, the away team has earned the victory, with Evangel taking a 37-29 win in Olathe last year.
? Athanie Leeviraphan still sits at five interceptions this season and at 14 interceptions during his career. The Owasso, Oklahoma native moved into a tie for second all-time with Derrick McBride (93-94) and Cam Bruffett (09-13). Eric Collins (1977-80) holds the all-time record with 16.
? Will Anoa'i now ranks second all-time in tackles for a loss with 46.5. The former Kickapoo Chief sits behind only Josh Evans (2014-17), who holds the record with 64.5.
? The Valor defense nearly missed what would have been a school record third shutout on Saturday—holding Baker to just 96 yards rushing and 12 points. Evangel ranks second in the Heart and 20th in the NAIA scoring defense.
? Dillon Hester ranks second in the Heart in all-purpose yards with 974 yards. The Strafford, Mo., native has also cracked the top 10 in the Evangel record books in kickoff return yards with 823 yards.
? Wide Receivers Dillon Hester and Michael Murray have also provided a 1-2 punch for the Evangel offense, ranking 4th and 8th in receiving yards per game. Hester also ranks fifth in league with six touchdowns, and Murray ranks eighth with five.
? Evangel seventh-year head coach Chuck Hepola enters Saturday's contest with a 40-29 mark as EU's sideline boss; his win total ranks third in school history, trailing only Keith Barefield (66) and Scott Metcalf (44).
? All Evangel home games in 2022 will be streamed live on the Evangel Sports Network in conjunction with the Heart Network. Fans can download the Heart Conference Network App for AppleTV, Amazon, or Roku and watch Evangel football games on their smart TV or streaming devices.
LOOKING AHEAD
Evangel will head back on the road for its final two regular-season games, starting with a road trip to 7th-ranked Benedictine.
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.
—#OneValor—
