SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Evangel Valor hit the road on Saturday (Oct. 3) afternoon, taking on their fourth consecutive top-25 or (RV) opponent, facing off with (RV) Kansas Wesleyan in their final non-divisional matchup of the season, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m., in Salina.
To view the live stream, click here. To access live stats, click here. For tickets, click here.
OPENING STORYLINES
-
Evangel eleventh-year head coach Chuck Hepola enters Saturday's contest with a 73-38 overall record, the most wins by a football head coach at Evangel.
-
Evangel was picked to finish first in the Kessinger Division coaches and media poll, while Kansas Wesleyan was slated to finish fourth in the Bissell's preseason media and coaches poll.
-
The Valor slipped to (RV) in the NAIA after falling on Saturday in a home matchup with #8 Friends, 59-24. Leading the KCAC, Friends is currently 8th, while McPherson sits at #15. Southwestern and Kansas Wesleyan round out KCAC schools in the poll, both currently receiving votes. An updated top 25 rating comes out every Monday the rest of the season.
-
Evangel and Kansas Wesleyan match up for the sixth time in program history, as Evangel leads the series, 4-1, taking a defensive battle in Nixa last season, 7-6.
-
Senior Broc Lyle sits 2nd all-time in receptions (169), 4th all-time in receiving touchdowns (26), and 8th in receiving yards (2,207) in school history.
-
Draven VanGilder led the defense last weekend, finishing with seven tackles, as well as a forced fumble that set Evangel up with strong field position.
-
Matt Allen earned most of the QB reps last week against Friends, throwing for 144 yards and a touchdown.
-
Evangel's defense recorded nine tackles for loss last week against Friends, while the Evangel offense scored the most points that the Falcons defense has given up this season.
-
Cody Voysey went 3-3 for PATs on Saturday, moving his streak to 59 consecutive PAT makes, dating back to more than a year ago. His final PAT on Saturday broke the school's consecutive record, formerly held by Derek Roberts.
-
Evangel moved to 4-3 all-time against Friends with the loss last Saturday and 2-2 in the Hepola coaching era against the Falcons.
UP NEXT
Evangel Football will enjoy their bye week and return to action on the road to open divisional play, taking on the Ottawa Braves on October 17th at 1:00 p.m., in Kansas.
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—
