STERLING, Kan. — Sterling lost to Kansas Wesleyan 24-14 on Saturday. Sterling went ahead 14-10 on a 10-play, 74-yard touchdown drive late in the second quarter, but the Coyotes scored the game’s final 14 points.
The Coyotes struck first on the opening drive when Wyatt Oak hit Kevo Taylor for a 77-yard touchdown at 13:28, and the extra point put Sterling behind 7-0. After KWU punted from its own territory, Sterling used the short field to answer, with Steven Werking finding Khyaire Hines for a 33-yard touchdown on fourth-and-4 and Emmanuel Roman adding the tying kick. The defenses and special teams traded field position from there, including Wyatt Newberry forcing a Sam Mitchum fumble that Daniel Fowler recovered and James Henisey later pinning the Coyotes at the 1 with a 54-yard punt. KWU recovered a Sterling fumble near midfield and put together a 12-play, 56-yard drive that ended with AJ Woods’ 20-yard field goal, leaving Sterling down 10-7 after the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with Sterling and the Coyotes trading punts, and Sterling’s next possession stalled after Steven Werking‘s fumble was recovered by Sterling at its own 15. With Sterling trailing 10-7, KWU took over at the Sterling 43 and reached the Sterling 18 on two Caleb Deal completions to Will Wilcox, but Dutton Taylor intercepted Deal at the 18 and returned it 8 yards to the Sterling 26. Sterling turned the takeaway into a 10-play, 74-yard scoring drive, with Werking running for 9 and 18 yards before finding Hines for 24 yards to the KWU 2. Werking finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with :51 seconds remaining in the second, Roman added the kick, and Sterling carried a 14-10 lead into halftime.
Sterling moved into Coyotes territory on the opening drive behind Stephenson Kennard runs and two pass-interference penalties, but the series stalled at the KWU 47 before James Henisey‘s punt pinned the visitors at their 8. The Coyotes answered with one first down before punting, and Sterling’s next possession went three-and-out from its 42. KWU threatened on its next drive when Wyatt Oak completed a third-down pass to Sam Mitchum into Sterling territory, but Newberry forced a fumble, and Tyler Fassio recovered at the Sterling 28. Sterling used Kennard carries to pick up a first down before punting back, and Dutton Taylor‘s 7-yard stop of Oak late in the quarter helped keep the third quarter scoreless.
Sterling moved from its 45 to the KWU 28 early in the fourth quarter, helped by Steven Werking‘s 23-yard completion to Hines, but the drive ended on a fourth-down sack. Dutton Taylor intercepted Caleb Deal on the next Coyotes possession and returned it to midfield, but Sterling later punted, and KWU put together a 70-yard drive that Deal finished with a 10-yard touchdown run with :38 remaining before AJ Woods’ kick made it 17-14. On Sterling’s next drive, Taylor Collins intercepted Werking and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown with :07 seconds left, with Woods adding the kick for a 24-14 Coyotes lead. Sterling got one final completion from Werking to Nicholas Trepton for 17 yards to midfield, but KWU finished off the 24-14 result.
Werking completed 6 of 25 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 21 yards and a score. Hines caught three passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Dutton Taylor recorded 10 tackles and two interceptions, returning the picks for 14 yards. Newberry forced two fumbles, made five tackles and returned four punts for 45 yards.
Up next, Sterling visits Saint Mary on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 1 p.m.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports) and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
