Surprise, Ariz. – OUAZ Football closed out an undefeated home campaign in style Saturday night, defeating the Texas Wesleyan Rams 33-14 in Sooner Athletic Conference action at Spirit Field. The victory improved the Spirit to 7-2 overall and secured OUAZ's first 5-0 home record since 2023.
After falling behind 7-3 in the first quarter, the Spirit relied on a dominant defensive effort and the leg of Eric Cline to take control. Cline connected on field goals from 39, 28, and 24 yards through the first three quarters as OUAZ chipped away at the Rams' lead and eventually moved in front 9-7 entering the fourth quarter.
The game remained a defensive battle for much of the evening as the Spirit defense consistently pressured the Texas Wesleyan offense. OUAZ recorded six sacks and held the Rams to just 46 rushing yards and 267 total yards of offense.
With the game still hanging in the balance entering the final quarter, the Spirit erupted for 24 unanswered points.
Cline opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with his fourth field goal of the night, extending the OUAZ advantage to 12-7. Moments later, the defense forced a quick stop and the offense capitalized when Isaiah Dickerson punched in a five-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 19-7.
The momentum fully shifted in OUAZ's favor on the Rams' next possession. Facing a crucial fourth down, Brayden Faber stepped in front of a pass and raced 43 yards for a touchdown, giving the Spirit a commanding 26-7 advantage and igniting the home crowd.
OUAZ added one final touchdown drive late in the quarter. After Luke Giron connected with Kendric Smith for a 61-yard gain, Giron finished the drive himself with a 10-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring for the Spirit.
Giron led the offense with another impressive all-around performance. The quarterback completed 10-of-17 passes for 169 yards while adding 123 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. His 47-yard run late in the third quarter provided one of the night's biggest offensive sparks.
Dickerson paced the rushing attack with 82 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, while Dyontae Navarrete added 30 rushing yards. The Spirit finished with 257 rushing yards and 426 total offensive yards while controlling possession for more than 34 minutes.
AJ Williams led all Spirit receivers with five catches for 81 yards, while Kendric Smith hauled in two receptions for 74 yards, including the pivotal 61-yard grab that helped seal the victory.
The Spirit defense once again set the tone. Corey Floyd Jr. finished with seven tackles, a sack, and multiple quarterback pressures. Labarron Kennedy Jr. recorded three sacks, while DeAndre Jones, Alex Cordova, and Duke Cosner also contributed sacks as OUAZ piled up six on the evening.
Kenny White forced a first-quarter fumble that led to a Justice Sosnicki recovery, helping the Spirit weather an early deficit before taking control of the game in the second half.
Cline delivered one of the best special teams performances of the season, converting all four field goal attempts and all three extra points to account for 15 of OUAZ's 33 points.
The victory also completed a perfect 5-0 season at Spirit Field, marking the first time since 2023 that the Spirit have gone undefeated at home.
By the Numbers
- 7-2 overall record.
- First undefeated home season (5-0) since 2023.
- 426 total offensive yards.
- 257 rushing yards.
- 34:26 time of possession.
- Six sacks by the Spirit defense.
- Four made field goals by Eric Cline.
- Brayden Faber returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown.
- Luke Giron totaled 292 yards of offense and one rushing touchdown.
Up Next
The Spirit will travel to Louisiana next Saturday, Nov. 14, for a showdown with SAC foe Louisiana Christian. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in a game that could determine the Sooner Athletic Conference championship and the conference's automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament.
