The Howard Payne Yellow Jackets’ two-game win streak to start the 2025 football season and Coby Gipson coaching era ended Saturday afternoon with a 21-18 home loss to the previously winless Wayland Baptist Pioneers.
Trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half against Wayland Baptist (1-2), Howard Payne (2-1) got the ball back with 1:51 remaining and a chance to either win the game with a touchdown, or force overtime with a field goal, but failed to generate a first down on the final possession.
Howard Payne compiled 318 yards of total offense – 232 through the air and 86 on the ground – with one turnover and 14 penalties committed for 129 yards. Wayland mustered just 226 yards of total offense – 118 rushing and 108 passing – and did not turn over the ball.
Ngene Blessing rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown to pace HPU, while Glendon Casas-Willis passed for 127 yards and Kahliq Paulette added 83 yards through the air with a touchdown and an interception. Leading receivers were Ellis Myers with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown, Mateo Hernandez with three grabs for 84 yards, and Blessing with three receptions totaling 30 yards.
KD Bookman and Ryan Campbell led the Jackets with eight tackles apiece followed by seven from Justin Kay and six from Cade Rochinski.
Wayland took a 7-0 lead just 4:14 into the contest on an 8-yard Damon Ford run which followed an interception by Henry Donavan at the HPU 48.
Osvaldo Gomez booted a 23-yard field goal at 4:53 of the first quarter as the Yellow Jackets trimmed the deficit to 7-3.
The Pioneers capped the first-half scoring at 13:39 of the second period on a 14-yard pass from Kameron Curtis to Marcus Wright.
Wayland extended the advantage to 21-3 just 1:21 into the second half as Keamodre Horace scored on an 18-yard carry.
Howard Payne began its comeback with 2:25 left in the third quarter on a 12-yard scoring toss from Paulette to Myers.
Then, with 3:59 to go, Blessing scored on a 6-yard run, and Myers added the two-point reception, but Howard Payne came no closer.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at McMurry (0-3), which lost 52-46 at Huntingdon Saturday.
