Box Score
BETHANY — Brady Wardlaw recorded 376 total yards with 139 on the ground and 237 through the air for Southern Nazarene in 69-27 loss to NCAA Division II Southwest Baptist (Mo.).
The Crimson Storm (3-2) totaled 439 yards on the night, but couldn't match the Bearcats (3-2) as they put up 755 total yards. SBU rushed for 331 and threw for 424. Quarterback Steven Gachette threw for all 424 yards on 38-for-44 passing. He also rushed 160 yards. Both Wardlaw and Gachette led their team in rushing and passing.
Jarod Martin caught the only two touchdowns thrown for SNU as he posted 95 yards receiving on four catches, including an 81-yard touchdown run. Josh Woods and David Balenseifen each caught four passes as Woods picked up 73 yards while Balenseifen had 44 yards. Derick Perkins also rushed for 74 yards on 18 carries.
SNU had no answer for Gachette or the Bearcats' starting tailback, Justin Duhaney, who ran for 111 yards on 21 carries. Gachette threw for three touchdowns and threw for three more while Duhaney notched a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Southwest Baptist scored on its first drive of the game and needed just five plays to go 67 yards to take a 7-0 lead early in first quarter. SNU looked to be answering with a drive on its next possession and Brady Wardlaw appeared to have picked up a first down and goal at the SBU seven, but a spot put SNU at fourth-and-one. Wardlaw tried a rush up the middle and was stuffed at the eight-yard line.
The Bearcats took a 14-0 lead to start the second quarter when Justin Duhaney capped a 12-play, 62-yard drive with a 3-yard rush. SNU answered on the ensuing drive and needed just five plays with that final play being a 55-yard scamper by Wardlaw. The junior dropped back to pass and then ran right up the middle and down the left sideline for the score.
SBU went up 21-7 when quarterback Steve Gachette rushed through the left side on a second-and-one for the touchdown. SBU rushed five times in the six-play, 73-yard drive that included a 43-yard run by Gachette.
The Bearcats went up 28-7 with 3:01 left in the half before Wardlaw broke lose on the next possession for a 34-yard run that set up a 7-yard rush by Derick Perkins to make it a 28-13 game with 1:44 left to play.
SBU fired right back with just 26 seconds left in the half with another touchdown to take a 35-13 lead at the half.
The Bearcats began to put the game out of reach on its first drive of the half after an SNU fumble on the kickoff led to another SBU touchdown to put the Bearcats up 42-13. SNU got within 15, at 42-27, with back-to-back touchdown drives to close out the third, but SBU scored on all four drives in the fourth to put the game on ice.
SNU will now get set to start CSFL play next Saturday when it hosts Southwest Assemblies of God at 2 p.m.
