SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Evangel Valor travel to Hillsboro, Kansas to take on the Tabor Bluejays on Saturday (Nov. 1) afternoon, aiming to extend their lead in Kessinger divisional play. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. from Joel H. Wiens Stadium.
OPENING STORYLINES
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Evangel tenth-year head coach Chuck Hepola enters Saturday's contest with a 67-35 overall record, currently the leader in wins all-time at Evangel, after passing former head coach Keith Barefield last week with a win over Avila, 58-0.
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Evangel was picked to finish first in the Kessinger Division coaches and media poll, while Tabor was slated to finish second in the division.
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The Valor jumped back into the top 25 in the seventh edition of the NAIA Top 25 Coaches Rating, currently at #24. In the KCAC, Friends earned sole possession of fourth overall, while Southwestern dropped to #18. McPherson moved up to #21, while Kansas Wesleyan is still also receiving votes. An updated top 25 rating comes out every Monday the rest of the season.
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Evangel and Tabor match up for the fourth time in program history, with the Valor looking to continue their winning streak over the Bluejays, as they lead the series, 3-0.
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Eric Williams leads Evangel in rushing yards and total offensive yards, currently with 670 yards rushing and 925 total yards this season. Williams has rushed for seven touchdowns and reeled in five from the air to open the season.
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Broc Lyle currently sits ninth all time with 18 total receiving touchdowns, leading the team so far this season with 494 yards receiving and three touchdowns this season.
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Reid Potts leads Evangel at quarterback, throwing for 1,648 yards so far this year and 16 touchdown passes.
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Kenneth Spring had an exceptional game defensively last week, recording 3.0 sacks for 27 yards and forced a fumble that was recovered in the endzone in the win over Avila.
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Draven VanGilder leads Evangel defensively with 66 total tackles.
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Evangel enters Saturday's contest with a 268-234-3 all-time record, recording a win in their 500th game against Southwestern on September 13th.
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—
