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football
3
Central Methodist (M CMU 2-4 , 1-1
35
Winner MidAmerica Nazarene MNU 5-1 , 2-0
Central Methodist (M CMU
2-4 , 1-1
3
Final
35
MidAmerica Nazarene MNU
5-1 , 2-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
CMU Central Methodist (M 0 3 0 0 3
MNU MidAmerica Nazarene 14 14 7 0 35

Game Recap: Football | | Sports Information Department

Pioneers Blow Out Eagles to Open Copeland Athletic Complex

The Basics
Score: MNU 35 – Central Methodist 3
Record: MNU (5-1, 2-0), CMU (2-4, 1-1)
Location: Olathe, Kan. – Pioneer Stadium

OLATHE, Kan. – MNU rolled to a commanding 35-3 victory over Central Methodist on Saturday afternoon at the brand new Pioneer Stadium, using a balanced offensive attack and a suffocating defense to earn their fifth win of the season and stay unbeaten in the Heart South.

The Pioneers set the tone early, striking first on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Drew Miller to Samuel Gonzalez midway through the first quarter. Moments later, Miller and Gonzalez connected again, this time from 29 yards out, to make it 14-0 after one.

Central Methodist managed a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but MNU quickly responded. Miller capped a six-play, 74-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown toss to Aiyo'n Carter to extend the lead to 21-3. Before halftime, Devin Andrews powered into the end zone from a yard out to finish a 12-play, 80-yard march and give the Pioneers a 28-3 lead at the break.

The dominance continued after halftime. Sherman Smith punctuated another 80-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, pushing the advantage to 35-3. From there, MNU's defense took over—holding the Eagles scoreless for the final 40 minutes and forcing multiple punts, sacks, and missed field goals.

"What a great way to open the new stadium," said head coach Ivan Cordova. "Our players played hard and executed for 60 minutes. Our players and coaches did a great job of staying focused and preparing for the game. They were able to perform at a high high level and come away with a big time win. As a team, we feel honored to be a part of a day so many had waited for and we are happy to come away with a win." Miller led the way with 213 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 15 of 27 passes. Gonzalez hauled in four catches for 42 yards and two scores, while Zane Hall continued his strong season with 137 receiving yards on seven receptions. Andrews contributed 21 rushing yards, a touchdown, and 52 return yards, while Sherman Smith added 30 yards and a score.

The Pioneer defense was relentless, holding CMU to just 79 passing yards and 2.6 yards per attempt. Jonathon Brown led the charge with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery. Eli Saintjuste and Isaiah Woodyard each added a sack, and the unit collectively tallied four sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Turning Point
MNU's first touchdown connection between Miller and Gonzalez gave the Pioneers a 7-0 lead and all the momentum they would need.

Individual Leaders

Up Next
After a bye week, the next game is Saturday the 18th at Baker (2-3, 2-0) at 6:00.

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