Press release submitted by Tyler Price, Baker University Assistant Athletic Director
BALDWIN CITY, Kansas – The number 2 ranked Baker University football team made history on Saturday afternoon, as they became the first Baker football team in its over 125 year history to finish a regular season a perfect 11-0, as they defeated Evangel, 46-13, inside Historic Liston Stadium and captured the 2016 Heart of America Athletic Conference Southern Division championship outright.
The 11-0 Wildcats have now earned a berth into the NAIA-FCS Playoffs for the fourth time in five years and will see who it plays next Saturday in the First Round on the NAIA Selection Show this Sunday at 4 p.m.
Saturday also featured Senior Day, as the Wildcats honored 26 players and three student assistants prior to the game. The Baker Senior Class is now 41-7 in its four years at Baker.
With the win over Evangel, Baker has now won 17-straight games against a Heart of America Athletic Conference opponent.
Clarence Clark broke two school records on Saturday, as he is now Baker’s all-time leader in receptions with 169, breaking Jimmie Rose’s record of 168 in which he set in 1993.
He also broke the single season record for most extra points made in a season with 71, the old record was set in 1980 by Tony Butts.
The Wildcats established the run game early, scoring their first two touchdowns on the ground. Adonis Powell put the Wildcats on the board late in the first quarter with a 25-yard touchdown run, giving Baker a 7-0 lead.
With the lead down to 7-3 in the second quarter, Cornell Brown scored the first of his two touchdowns of the day, this one from 13-yards out to score the final points of the first half for either team.
The offense picked up in the second half, as the Wildcats ran off 32 unanswered points to bring the lead to 46-3.
The ground game played a major role throughout the second half as well, as the Wildcats garnered 248 rushing yards on the day. Brown led the way with 153 yards, while Powell had 74 of his own on just 12 attempts.
Logan Brettell had his first score of the day when he found Damon Nolan for a 44-yard touchdown.
Brettell finished the game as Baker’s single-season record holder for offensive yards, with 4,062.
He also found Jaylen Rose from 8-yards out early in the fourth quarter, and Quanzee Johnson had his 14th receiving touchdown of the year with 8:57 left in the game.
Evangel had two late scores in the fourth, including an 83-yard pass from Blake Woodard to Noah Pierce. The other 3 points came on a field goal as time expired, to bring the game to its final of 46-13.
Defensively, Baker held Evangel to just 55 yards rushing on 39 attempts, an average of 1.4 per rush.
Darrain Winston had his 9th interception of the season he is just two shy of the Baker record for most picks in a season, 11.
Kharon Brown led the team in tackles with nine and Mikeice Adams also finished with nine tackles. Nick Becker had a team-high three tackles for loss.
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