WICHITA, Kan. — The No. 7-ranked Friends University Falcons are now 5-0 following a commanding 53-0 victory over the (RV) Evangel University Valor tonight (Sept. 27) at Adair-Austin Stadium. Friends dominated the ground game, amassing 474 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The home team secured three field goals, with the longest being 42 yards. The Falcons were also stifling defensively, limiting the Valor to just 124 yards on the night.

The first quarter opened with the Falcons gaining an early advantage courtesy of a defensive safety after a botched snap on a punt by the Valor at the 13:08 mark. Bosher extended Friends' lead to 5–0 with a successful 25-yard field goal at 6:00. Evangel's subsequent drive showed promise with a 39-yard completion from Potts to Dowdy, but a fumble forced by Andrew Arnold and recovered by Makhi Byrd halted their momentum. The Falcons capitalized on this turnover late in the quarter when Baker threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Michael Lopez, who made a terrific juke to finish off the scoring burst and make it 12–0.

In the second quarter, the Falcons capitalized on Evangel's mistakes to extend their lead. Baker opened the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run and Bosher further widened the margin with a 42-yard field goal with 3:17 left in the half. As the quarter wound down, Bosher added another field goal from 37 yards out with just 13 seconds left, bringing the score to 25-0 at the half. 

In the third quarter, Friends extended their lead over the Valor when Nick Cordova spearheaded the effort with a 4-yard touchdown run to conclude a methodical 11-play drive. Moments later, E'derian Sykes broke free for a 66-yard touchdown run, further distancing Friends from Evangel before the home team's momentum continued as Jud Cheatham added a 17-yard touchdown run following an interception by Brock Zerger. Bosher was perfect on extra points, adding to Friends' commanding lead.

The fourth quarter saw the Falcons extend their lead with a decisive 33-yard touchdown run by Lopez at the 11:10 mark. Evangel had a promising drive, but their momentum was halted when Reid Potts' pass was intercepted by Joshua Flash at the Falcon 16-yard line. Friends then put the finishing touches on the victory, highlighted by a 30-yard rush by Evan Cantu.

Up Next: The Falcons will play their final cross divisional game next Saturday (Oct. 4) at Ottawa University for a 6 pm kickoff in Ottawa, Kan.     

Friends Top Performers

Michael Lopez  
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- 67 rushing yards  
- 1 rushing touchdown  
- 72 receiving yards  
- 1 receiving touchdown  

E'derian Sykes  
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- 154 rushing yards  
- 1 rushing touchdown  

K'Vonte Baker  
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- 60 rushing yards  
- 1 rushing touchdown  
- 72 passing yards  
- 1 passing touchdown  

Truitt Bosher  
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- 3-for-3 on field goals (long of 42 yards)  
- 6-for-6 on PATs  

Brock Zerger  
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- 4 tackles  
- 1 interception  

Joshua Flash 
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- 1 interception  

Cooper Skrobecki  
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- team-high 8 tackles  
- 1.5 tackles for loss 

Evangel Top Performers

Draven VanGilde  
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- 9 tackles  

Corbin Norris  
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- 8 tackles  

Jaren Foster  
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- 8 tackles  

Reid Potts  
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- 12-for-22 passing for 111 yards