MONMOUTH, Oregon --- The Western Oregon football returns for its home finale Saturday as the Wolves host Simon Fraser and will honor 11 seniors prior to the game (12:40 p.m.).

The 11 seniors will be honored in numerical order prior to the game - No. 4 Andrew Valladares, No. 5 Marquis Sampson, No. 6 Machiah Lee, No. 9 Jaylin Parnell, No. 11 Thomas Wright, No. 16 Joey Sinclair, No. 17 Logan Reese, No. 19 L.J. Lovelace, No. 23 Omari Dixon-Land, No. 24 Ryan Minniti and No. 69 Edward Taufa'asau.

THE WOLVES HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
Western Oregon looked primed to win its fourth game in a row Saturday as it jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas, but the Mustangs scored 26 unanswered points and the Wolves couldn't rally as they fell 26-21. Dixon-Land led the offense with 125 yards rushing and two scores while Parnell paced the defense with 14 tackles.

Parnell continues to be one of the most prolific tacklers in the nation as he ranks 17th in the country and first in the Lone Star Conference at 9.7 tackles per game (87 total) while he's first in the LSC and 22nd in the nation in sacks with 0.83 per game (7.5 total). Sinclair is fifth in the nation and second in the conference in interceptions with 0.7 per game (six total) while he's second on the team in tackles with 56. Minniti is third on the team with 52 tackles while Lee is fourth with 44.

As a unit, the defense is second conference and 20th in the nation against the run at 86.2 yards per game and is fourth in the conference in total defense, allowing 304.4 yards per game. 

Dixon-Land is now second in the Lone Star Conference and 21st in the nation with 857 yards on the ground and is third in the LSC with eight rushing touchdowns. Through the air, Gannon Winker has thrown for 1,970 yards, nine touchdowns and 14 interceptions on the season. Damon Hickok leads the team with 38 receptions and 596 receiving yards while Wright is second in yards receiving with 416 on 21 catches (in just six games) and Sampson is second on the team in receptions with 25 for 323 yards.

SIMON FRASER HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2022 STATISTICS
The Red Leafs lost their 10th game in a row overall last week, falling at home (Blaine, Washington, actually) to No. 2 Angelo State 24-0. SFU nearly defeated UT Permian Basin a few weeks ago, falling 31-24 in overtime in Odessa, Texas.

Justin Seiber has seen most of the snaps at quarterback, throwing for 1,219 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions on the season - completing 53.7 percent of his passes. Sam Davenport leads the team with 24 receptions to go along with 283 receiving yards and three touchdowns while Ethan Beselt leads the team in receiving yards (365) and touchdown receptions (4) on 19 catches in just four games - though he did not play last week against Angelo State. On the ground, Somto Anyadike leads the team with 200 yards rushing, though at just 2.6 yards per carry. As a team, SFU is averaging just 1.5 yards per carry on the season.

Defensively, the Dayton Ingenhaag leads the team with 48 tackles, Tank Brewster and Jeremiah Famor are tied for the team lead with two sacks apiece and Jerrell Cummings has a SFU-best two interceptions.

HISTORY VS. SIMON FRASER
The Wolves are 34-10 all-time against Simon Fraser, including winning the last 23 matchups. WOU hasn't lost to Simon Fraser since 2001 (the team's didn't play from 2002-2009, but played twice a year since 2010 until this season). The Wolves last season defeated SFU 42-3 at home on Oct. 30 and 24-7 on the road Sept. 25. 
  PARNELL (TACKLES), SINCLAIR (INTERCEPTIONS) CLIMBING ALL-TIME WOU RANKS
A pair of senior defensive players are climbing the all-time ranks in WOU history in linebacker Jaylin Parnell and safety Joey Sinclair. Parnell sits seventh on the WOU all-time tackles list with 279 while Sinclair and his 14 career interceptions (including six this year - tied for sixth on the WOU single-season list) is tied for fifth on the WOU all-time list.

Western Oregon All-Time Tackles List

346	Dave Morrill (1999-2002)
326	Bo Highburger (2015-18)
312	Chris Angel (1998-2001)
307	Caleb Singleton (2007-10)
290	Jeramy Williams (1992-95)
290	Tim Hundley (1970-73)
279	Jaylin Parnell (2018-22)
272	Steve Ott (1994-97)
262	Shawn Stanley (1991-94)
259	Tyler Johnson (2014-17)
258	Jay Banks (1999-2001)

Western Oregon All-Time Interceptions List

21	Jack Flitcraft (1969-72)
20	Bryce Peila (2009-12)
17	Jay Milton (1970-73)
16	Dave Sturgis (1965-68)
14	Joey Sinclair (2018-22)
14	Caleb Singleton (2007-10)
14	Curtis Anderson (2016-21)
11	Albert Meza (1998-2001)
11	Corey Sutton (1997-99)
11	Tim Hundley (1970-73)
10	Five players tied

DIXON-LAND BREAKS ALL-TIME RUSHING RECORD AT WESTERN
Senior running back Omari Dixon-Land has been the leading rusher for the Wolves in each of the past three seasons and he's now he's become the top rusher in program history. With 94 yards against Angelo State on Oct. 1, he passed Bill Volk's total of 3,172 on the all-time list and now has 3,479 career rushing yards. His 635 rushing attempts is now first on the all-time list (Volk had the most with 613) and his 28 rushing touchdowns has him tied for fourth (the record is 37 rushing touchdowns held by Volk).

Western Oregon All-Time Rushing List (2,000 yards or more)

3,604	Omari Dixon-Land (2018-Current)
3,172	Bill Volk (1992-95)
2,846	Jason Taroli (1997-2001)
2,557	Doug Trice (1970-73)
2,530	Mark Ross (1975-78)
2,516	Greg Shewbert (1974-77)
2,357	Bob Pennel (1959-62)
2,259	Ben Kuenzi (2006-09)
2,119	Eliot Vinzant (2005-06)
2,103	Doug Lulay (1975-78)

COACH FERGUSON APPROACHING CENTURY MARK IN WINS
WOU head football coach Arne Ferguson has been a staple in the Western Oregon football program since his playing days from 1985-88 where he was an All-CFA choice three times. Now entering his 17th season as head coach (he was an assistant coach from 1989 until head coach save one season in 1992), he's approaching a career milestone only one other Western Oregon coach has reached - the 100 career wins at Western Oregon. Ferguson enters this week with 98 victories with only the legendary Bill McArthur - who coached 36 seasons at Western - ahead of him at 180 victories.

Western Oregon All-Time Coaching Wins List (30 wins or more)

180	Bill McArthur (1947-54, 1956-82, 1991)
98	Arne Ferguson (2005-current)
41	Larry Wolfe (1928-34)
34	Duke Iverson (1985-87, 2001-04)
31	Al Cox (1935-42)

MINNITI, COSSETTE NAMED LSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - OCT. 17 RELEASE
For the second week in a row, the Western Oregon football team took two of the three Lone Star Conference Player of the Week honors with Ryan Minniti earning Defensive Player of the Week and Danny Cossette named the Special Teams Player of the Week for the second week in a row.

Minniti - a senior safety - was all over the field in the Wolves' 27-13 win over West Texas A&M as he tied for the team lead with 10 tackles, led the team with three pass breakups and added an interception and a quarterback hurry while holding the Buffs to their lowest scoring output of the season. Cossette was efficient in WOU's win, going 2-for-2 on field goals (including a game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter), 3-for-3 on extra points and kicking three of his six kickoffs for touchbacks.

PARNELL, COSSETTE NAMED LSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK - OCT. 10 RELEASE
Western Oregon's Jaylin Parnell and Danny Cossette were both honored for their performances against Central Washington on Oct. 8 as Parnell was named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week and Cossette was selected as the LSC Special Teams Player of the Week.

In a 16-14 win over Central Washington, Parnell led a Wolves defense that allowed just 280 yards thanks to a team-high 13 tackles and a forced fumble. Cossette made the play of the game - if not the season - with WOU up 16-14 over Central Washington with nine seconds left. After his extra point was blocked, CWU recovered the ball and attempted to return it for a two-point conversion. Cossette raced down field and made the tackle inside the five-yard line to save the game for the Wolves. He also connected on a season-best 48-yard field goal.
 

FB | IT'S WILD UP IN WASHINGTON!

WOU kicker Danny Cossette races down the field after his extra point was blocked and makes a game-saving tackle just before Central Washington tied the game (would've been two points to tie it for CWU).

Wolves win, 16-14 ... WHAT A GAME! pic.twitter.com/KlNfFSNHOw

— Western Oregon Wolves Athletics (@WOU_Wolves) October 9, 2022