KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas Wesleyan kicker freshman kicker AJ Woods made four field goals on four tries and finished a perfect 8-for-8 on point-after attempts in the Coyotes’ 76-6 win over Bethany (Kan.), Saturday at JRI Stadium in Salina.
Tuesday, he claimed the first PrestoSports-NAIA Football Special Teams Player of the Week award in the 2026 season.
Woods registered the first points at home for the Coyotes in 2026 with 7:52 left in the opening quarter, booting a 42-yard field goal that got things going on a 44-point first half for KWU, playing in the 116th edition of the KWU-Bethany game.
A two-sport student-athlete who also plays baseball for the Coyotes, he added two more first-half field goals in the second quarter – 25 and 30 yards – and by halftime, he was responsible for 14 of the Coyotes 44 points.
His final kick of the day came with 9:35 left in the game, an 18-yard field goal that put the Coyotes in front 68-6.
Now 1-1 in 2026, KWU travels to Avila on Saturday to continue the season, with kickoff on the Urban Edge Network slated for 1 p.m.
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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