From the Coyote Sports Network
Dee Kolzow and Mike Malone played football at Kansas Wesleyan University for Gene Bissell, the school’s longtime Hall of Fame coach and athletic director.
They were key figures during KWU’s successful run in the 1960s, and their devotion to the program and university hasn’t waned since they graduated.
Dave Wilson didn’t attend Wesleyan, but has had an up-close view of the Coyotes as a member of the chain gang for home games the past 32 seasons.
Success in football, though, was spotty for many seasons until Matt Drinkall was hired as head coach in 2014. After an initial 2-9 season, Wesleyan’s fortunes quickly improved and have soared to unprecedented heights this season.
The undefeated and No. 6-ranked Coyotes play No. 7 Benedictine at 1 p.m. Saturday, at Graves Family Sports Complex in a semifinal game of the NAIA Football Championship Series.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for students with an ID, youth up to age 17 and are on sale in the athletic office or online at kwu.edu/boxoffice and kwucoyotes.com.
Wesleyan defeated Langston two weeks ago for the school’s first playoff victory in the first playoff home game, and followed with a harrowing 43-40 quarterfinal victory over Dickinson State last Saturday at GFSC.
Another victory this Saturday would send the Coyotes into the NAIA championship game Dec. 15 in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“What’s happened out there this year, it’s like magic miracle,” said Malone, who was an all-KCAC offensive lineman from 1966-69 and is a retired Salina businessman.
“I always thought man, if Kansas Wesleyan could ever just get to the playoffs that would be great,” said Wilson, also a Salina businessman.
Kolzow, an all-KCAC running back from 1963-65 and again in 1968 after serving in the military, compares the 2018 Coyotes to Bissell’s best teams.
“They play so hard, they don’t let things bother them,” he said. “Penalties and stuff they just come back, they fall behind they just come out and play harder. They go against teams a lot bigger but mentally they just stay right at them. They don’t back down to anybody.
“Besides the wins and losses, I think they’ve done things the right way. So much of it reminds me of coach Bissell’s teams – the way they play for the school, the city, everything. They’re so impressive.”
All three credit Drinkall for KWU’s historic success this season that features 13 victories in 13 games and an abundance of individual, team and Kansas Conference records.
“In business it always seems to start at the top,” Wilson said. “What he has done has trickled down through the other coaches and he’s obviously surrounded himself with some really good coaches who know what they’re doing.
“Coach Drinkall’s also done a great job going out and finding kids that are not just athletes, but they’re good students. When you get smart kids that want to do good and are trying to do well in the classroom as well as on the football field you’re going to succeed.”
“It’s him and his coaching staff,” Malone said. “They have a tremendous, young coaching staff that are doing all the right things. They’ve brought in, what, a 120 football players and they’re staying and they want to play and they give their hearts to Drinkall, I believe.”
Kolzow, who coaches baseball at Salina Central High School, said Drinkall’s impact manifests itself in his players.
“They believe in each other so much,” he said. “When the offense hasn’t really done good the defense has really picked it up and vice versa. Special teams are solid, you don’t see them make turnovers, you don’t see them make the mistakes.
“They’re just such a well-coached team. You’ve got to give the players credit and you’ve got to give the coaches a lot of credit.”
Drinkall endeared himself to former Coyote players when he befriended Bissell upon arriving in Salina. He made the legendary coach a focal point of the program before Bissell passed away in January 2016.
“Coach Bissell was something special in a lot of ways and coach Drinkall came in and handle things so well with him,” Kolzow said. “He went up to see him when he was sick and I don’t know of anybody I have more respect for right now than coach Drinkall.
“I played for coach Bissell, but if I was a player these days coach Drinkall’s the guy I’d want to play for.”
Wilson has had a unique perspective standing on the opposing team’s sideline. He hears much of what’s said, but one exchange that stands out came during the Coyotes’ 83-0 rout of Friends this season.
“I think Drinkall had the third string in in the third quarter,” he said. “The guys weren’t throwing the ball, but the line was just opening holes and they scored again easily.
“Their coach (Dion Meneley) put his head down, looked up and looked over at the one of the chain crew and said ‘that was their backups and we can’t even stop them.’
“That tells me that they’re not just good this year, they got backups that are very good.”
Wilson will be on the chain gang and Kolzow and Malone will be in the stands cheering for the Coyotes on Saturday in what will be their toughest challenge to date.
Malone, though, says he has an idea of how the game will turn out.
“It’s all coming true,” he said. “I said two weeks ago they’re going down to the championship in Florida and I believe it with all my heart. We’ll find out for sure Saturday.”