WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College opens its 2026 Flag Football season Saturday at 1 p.m., hosting William Woods University at Richard L. Jantz Stadium in the Builders' home opener.
Southwestern finished 7-10 overall last season, including a 3-2 mark at home and a 6-6 record in conference play. The Builders averaged 193.8 yards of total offense per game, compiling 2,519 total yards with 24 passing touchdowns and five rushing scores.
Quarterback Kennedi Hayes returns after throwing for 2,022 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 311 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. Hayes accounted for 2,333 yards of total offense, averaging 179.5 yards per game.
Mary Jones led the receiving unit with 22 catches for 471 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 36.2 yards per game. Vivianna Solis added 30 receptions for 313 yards and three touchdowns. As a team, Southwestern averaged 161.7 passing yards per game and 11.5 yards per reception.
Defensively, the Builders forced 21 interceptions and allowed 24.8 rushing yards per game. Solis recorded five interceptions, while Jones returned two interceptions for touchdowns and 72 total yards. Southwestern totaled 340 tackles and 25 tackles for loss across 13 games.
William Woods enters the matchup after a 12-0 win over Southwestern on April 25 in Riverside, Missouri. In that contest, Southwestern held a 29:16 to 27:09 advantage in time of possession and limited the Owls to minus-3 rushing yards but was unable to capitalize offensively.
Hayes completed 15 of 26 passes for 126 yards in the earlier meeting, while the Builders totaled 139 yards of offense. William Woods broke a scoreless tie in the third quarter on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Makenzie Hicks to Olivia Perkins and added a 46-yard scoring strike from Hicks to Adeline Chilek in the fourth.
Southwestern will look to convert scoring opportunities after being held out of the end zone in the previous matchup. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Richard L. Jantz Stadium as the Builders open the season on their home field.
