Football 11/18/2022 8:35:00 PM

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: NO. 5 WILDCATS TAKE ON NO. 13 AVILA IN FIRST ROUND OF NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Football 11/18/2022 8:35:00 PM

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: NO. 5 WILDCATS TAKE ON NO. 13 AVILA IN FIRST ROUND OF NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

PREVIEW

NO. 5 INDIANA WESLEYAN (9-1) vs. NO. 13 AVILA (10-1)
IWU begins postseason play in the First Round of the 2022 NAIA Football Championship Series at home in Wildcat Stadium.
The Wildcats put their 9-game win streak against an Eagle squad on a 7-game win streak with only one team able to continue on in their season.
Both teams are looking for their first playoff victory in their program's history.

KICKOFF

Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1:00 p.m. in Marion, Ind.

ON THE INTERNET

Fans can watch the game on the IWU Wildcats Livestream.
Listen to the game on WBAT Radio 105.5FM/1400AM or online on WBAT.com by clicking HERE.
Live stats are available by clicking HERE.
Fans can visit the Championship Central page by clicking HERE.

THE SERIES

This marks the first time these two programs have played each other.

NATIONAL LEADERS

Xander Stokes is 7th in the national rankings with a completion percentage of 64.5% and 9th with 23 touchdowns.
Dederrian Williams is 21st with 80.6 rushing yards per game. He's tied for 13th with 12 rushing touchdowns.
Jacquez Carter is 24th nationally with 72.7 receiving yards per game. His nine receiving scores are tied for 17th in the rankings.
Ethan Collins is 6th with 79 points among kickers.
Donovan Shelton is tied for the national lead with seven interceptions. His 101 interception return yards are 16^th. Isaac Abeo's 9 sacks are good enough for 16th in the rankings. His 60 yards lost are also 18th nationally.
Devin Bacchus' two fumble recoveries are tied for 13th.

WILDCAT LEADERS

Xander Stokes has thrown for 1932 yards and a program record 23 scores against just two interceptions while completing 64.5% percent of his throws. Jacquez Carter's nine touchdowns lead the team as does his 723 yards. Markell Stephens-Peppers is second on the team with 4 touchdowns.
After Dederrian Williams' two monster games, he now has 806 rushing yards, and his 12 scores tie the program record. Jameson Chesser is averaging 9.7 yards per carry after a 159 yard performace last week.
Ethan Collins is averaging 38.2 yards per punt with a long of 68 and placing 19 inside the 20. He has hit 12 field goals on the season.
Clayton Mosher has a team-high 80 tackles while Isaac Abeo's 15.5 tackles for loss are the most on the team. Abeo's 9 sacks lead the squad. Donovan Shelton's seven interceptions are the most on the team. Neil Campbell has seven pass break-ups.

EAGLE LEADERS

AU ranks 10th in the NAIA with 26 rushing touchdowns and 20th with 184.4 yards per game.
The Eagles' 33 sacks this season rank 10th in the nation. They have also scored 3 defensive touchdowns ranking 14th in the NAIA.
Freshman quarterback Eli Williams has thrown for 1,751 yards and thrown for 19 touchdowns.
Malik Nesbitt leads the rushing attack with 973 total yards and 13 touchdowns. Williams also averages 60 yards a game running at the the quarterback position.
Andrew Williams and Melvin Reid are the biggest targets for Williams, connecting on 13 of the team's 21 receiving touchdowns.
Kaivon Mortazavi is 5-9 on field goals this season and kicking 90% on extra points.
Defensively, Joey Mars and Jose Bautista lead the defense combining for a total 148 tackles of the team's 698.

WHAT TO WATCH

One of the nation's top defenses in IWU goes up against Avila, one of the best rushing attacks in the country. In a game where weather and wind will play a factor, look for both teams to emphasis the ground game.

UP NEXT

The winner will advance to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Football Championship series and will face the winner of No. 4 Bethel (Tenn.) vs No. 12. Keiser (Fla.)

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS

Follow Athletics (@IWUWildcats): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Follow Football (@IndWesleyan_FB): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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Players Mentioned

#94 Isaac Abeo: DL; 6' 3"; Senior; /

#24 Neil Campbell: DB; 5' 11"; Junior; /

#8 Jacquez Carter: WR; 6' 2"; Graduate Student

#22 Jameson Chesser: RB; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#17 Ethan Collins: K/P; 5' 10"; Junior; /

#2 Clayton Mosher: LB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#0 Donovan Shelton: DB; 5' 8"; Graduate Student; /

#16 Xander Stokes: QB; 6' 1"; Senior; /

#3 Markell Stephens-Peppers: WR; 5' 11"; Junior

#5 Devin Bacchus: LB; 6' 0"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#94 Isaac Abeo
: 6' 3"; Senior; /
: DL

#24 Neil Campbell
: 5' 11"; Junior; /
: DB

#8 Jacquez Carter
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student
: WR

#22 Jameson Chesser
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: RB

#17 Ethan Collins
: 5' 10"; Junior; /
: K/P

#2 Clayton Mosher
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: LB

#0 Donovan Shelton
: 5' 8"; Graduate Student; /
: DB

#16 Xander Stokes
: 6' 1"; Senior; /
: QB

#3 Markell Stephens-Peppers
: 5' 11"; Junior
: WR

#5 Devin Bacchus
: 6' 0"; Graduate Student
: LB

Indiana Wesleyan University

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW: NO. 5 WILDCATS TAKE ON NO. 13 AVILA IN FIRST ROUND OF NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: NO. 5 WILDCATS TAKE ON NO. 13 AVILA IN FIRST ROUND OF NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Players Mentioned

#94 Isaac Abeo

#24 Neil Campbell

#8 Jacquez Carter

#22 Jameson Chesser

#17 Ethan Collins

#2 Clayton Mosher

#0 Donovan Shelton

#16 Xander Stokes

#3 Markell Stephens-Peppers

#5 Devin Bacchus

Players Mentioned

#94 Isaac Abeo

#24 Neil Campbell

#8 Jacquez Carter

#22 Jameson Chesser

#17 Ethan Collins

#2 Clayton Mosher

#0 Donovan Shelton

#16 Xander Stokes

#3 Markell Stephens-Peppers

#5 Devin Bacchus