6 home games, 2 new opponents on Wayland football schedule

Add Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google

Provided by Wayland Baptist University

With six homes games on it and two brand new opponents, Wayland Baptist football coach Butch Henderson said he's excited about the 2015 Pioneer schedule.

"I like the looks of the schedule," Henderson said. "We feel really good about it."

The Pioneers will open and close the season with brand new opponents in Southwestern College of Kansas and Lyon College of Arkansas. Wayland kicks off the season against Southwestern at home on Aug. 29, then closes the regular-season on the road against Lyon, a Central States Football League newcomer from Batesville, Ark.

"We have two new solid schools on there," Henderson said.

Located in Winfield, Kan., Southwestern is a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, which Henderson called "one of the top NAIA conferences in the nation."

The Moundbuilders, after winning five games two years ago, were victorious just once last year. Among Southwestern's losses in 2014 was a 47-17 setback to Oklahoma Baptist, a team that has moved out of the NAIA and is not on Wayland's schedule in 2015, along with Western State-Colorado and Oklahoma-Panhandle State.

Henderson said he likes the match-up with Southwestern.

"It's good that we're playing other NAIA schools, which helps you get rated faster, and the ratings determine whether you get in the playoffs," the coach said. "We'll be able to begin to build some comparison with that conference, which then gives us an NAIA comparison."

Lyon College will be in its first season of competition in 2015 after a full year of practice without competing in games in 2014, much like Wayland's "Leadership Class" season in 2011 before the Pioneers began play in 2012.

"They will strengthen our conference," Henderson said of the Lyon Scots.

Besides Southwestern, other home games for the Pioneers are Sul Ross State, Arizona Christian, Texas College, Bacone and Langston. Wayland's homecoming game is its CSFL opener against Arizona Christian on Oct. 3 in the middle of a three-game home-stand. The Pioneers opened last season against then first-year program Arizona Christian and, after 10 losses the previous two seasons, posted its first-ever road win, 28-21.

"We have more home games this year (than on the road)," Henderson said, pointing out a stretch when the Pioneers play five of six games at home from Sept. 26 to Nov. 7, in contrast to the 2014 season when Wayland went six weeks – including all of October – without a home game. "We will be at home more than we will be away, which is nice. It's always good to play in front of the Wayland family."

2015 Wayland Baptist Football Schedule