The 2025 NAIA Football Championship Series quarterfinals deliver an all-Kansas showdown between the undefeated No. 4 seed Friends University Falcons (12-0) and the battle-tested No. 5 seed Benedictine College Ravens (11-1). Hosted at Adair-Austin Stadium, this intrastate rivalry renews a heated series, pitting Friends’ explosive run game against Benedictine’s comeback grit. The Falcons, making their first quarterfinal appearance, aim to extend their perfect season, while the Ravens seek revenge after an early loss and a playoff heart-stopper. The winner punches a ticket to the semifinals in a game brimming with Sunflower State pride. Here’s the full breakdown.
Venue and Game Details
Location: Adair-Austin Stadium, 2100 W. University St., Wichita, Kansas 67213. This 3,000-seat on-campus gem, with its turf field and passionate local crowd, creates a fortress-like vibe for Friends’ playoff debut at home.
Kickoff: 1:00 PM CT. Stream live on the Friends Athletics Network, with stats on NAIA.tv and local radio coverage.
Weather Forecast
Wichita’s early December forecast calls for crisp fall-into-winter conditions: partly cloudy skies with a high near 48°F and lows around 32°F overnight. Expect light south-southeast winds at 5-10 mph and just a 10% chance of scattered showers—dry enough for solid footing but cool enough to test endurance. Based on regional trends, visibility will be strong, though layers will be key for fans and players alike. No snow in sight, favoring a clean, high-energy contest.
Injury Report
NAIA programs keep injury details close, and no significant updates emerged post-second round. Both teams report full participation in practices this week.
Friends Falcons: Healthy across the board after their 53-36 win over William Penn. RB K’Vonte Baker (minor shoulder ding in October) and QB Cade O’Boyle (ankle from Week 9) are fully cleared and led the second-round explosion. Depth remains a strength, with no depth chart changes.
Benedictine Ravens: Clean slate following the 21-17 thriller vs. Campbellsville. DB Isaac Lopez (hand wrap from first round) practiced fully, and the offensive line—key to late surges—reports no holds. Coach Rocky Houghtlin confirmed all hands on deck.
This sets up a no-excuses clash, with both rosters at peak availability.
Key Player Matchups
An all-Kansas affair means familiar foes, but these battles could swing the tide: Friends’ ground dominance vs. Benedictine’s opportunistic secondary.
| Matchup | Friends Player | Benedictine Player | Breakdown |
| QB vs. Secondary | Cade O’Boyle (QB, 1,200 pass yds, 12 TD; dual-threat) | Isaac Lopez (DB, 4 INTs, 55 tackles) | O’Boyle’s mobility (200+ rush yds) probes Lopez’s ball skills; Ravens allow 180 pass yds/game. Edge: Falcons’ RPO wrinkle. |
| RB vs. Front Seven | K’Vonte Baker (RB, 1,450 rush yds, 18 TD) | Jaxon Finch (LB, 78 tackles, 3 sacks) | Baker’s burst (6.2 ypc) tests Finch’s run stops; Friends average 482 rush yds/game. Edge: Falcons’ volume attack. |
| WR vs. CB | E’derian Sykes (WR, 550 rec yds, 6 TD) | Ben Myers (CB, 3 INTs) | Sykes’ YAC ability (12.5 ypc) vs. Myers’ press coverage; Benedictine ranks top-10 in pass D. Edge: Toss-up on routes. |
| DE vs. LT | DJ Pearson (DE, 8 sacks, 12 TFL) | (Unnamed LT protecting QB) | Pearson’s edge rush disrupts; Ravens O-line yields 10 sacks season-long. Edge: Falcons’ pressure. |
Style clash: Friends’ run-heavy smashmouth vs. Benedictine’s balanced, turnover-hunting scheme.
Recent Team Forms
Friends rolls on perfection with offensive fireworks, while Benedictine builds via resilience, including a 10-win streak.
Friends Falcons
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Nov 29 | vs. No. 13 William Penn (playoff) | W | 53-36 | Baker 2 TDs, 150+ yds; O’Boyle 3 total scores in 533-yd outing. |
| Nov 22 | at McPherson | W | 56-14 | Sykes 120 rec yds; D holds foe under 200 yds. |
| Nov 15 | vs. Ottawa | W | 48-21 | Ground game 300+ yds; Pearson 2 sacks. |
| Nov 8 | at Kansas Wesleyan | W | 42-10 | O’Boyle 200 rush yds; shutout 2H. |
| Nov 1 | vs. Southwestern | W | 49-7 | Baker 3 TDs; 500+ total yds. |
Falcons lead NAIA in rushing (481.9 ypg) and scoring (57.5 ppg), with D allowing 226 ypg.
Benedictine Ravens
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Nov 29 | vs. No. 12 Campbellsville (playoff) | W | 21-17 | Lopez game-sealing INT; late FG drive in comeback. |
| Nov 22 | vs. Missouri Valley (playoff) | W | 35-14 | Myers 2 INTs; balanced 300+ yds. |
| Nov 15 | at Baker | W | 38-24 | Finch 12 tackles; O 400 yds. |
| Nov 8 | vs. Graceland | W | 45-10 | QB 3 TD passes; D forces 3 TOs. |
| Nov 1 | vs. Peru State | W | 52-3 | Run game erupts; shutout dominance. |
Ravens average 51.2 ppg in streak, D yielding 16.8 ppg. Only loss: Sept. 6 at Grand View (24-27).
Conference vs. Conference
Friends Falcons: Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC, 5-0). Undefeated champs with a +41.2 differential, earning the auto-bid via dominant schedule; four KCAC teams in preseason Top 25.
Benedictine Ravens: Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC, 6-0). Repeat titans, outscoring foes by 34.4 ppg for the No. 5 seed; HAAC owns 8-3 playoff edge vs. KCAC since 2020.
Sunflower rivalry amps the stakes—KCAC’s speed vs. HAAC’s physicality—in a conference clash mirroring Kansas hoops intensity.
Team Records
| Team | Overall | Conference | Home | Away | Neutral | Streak | PF/PA | YPG Allowed |
| Friends Falcons | 12-0 | 5-0 | 7-0 | 5-0 | 0-0 | W12 | 57.5 / 12.4 | 226.1 |
| Benedictine Ravens | 11-1 | 6-0 | 7-0 | 4-1 | 0-0 | W10 | 51.2 / 16.8 | 340.2 |
Friends’ rush dominance (533.5 ypg) edges Benedictine’s balance (408.7 ypg), but Ravens’ D shines in turnovers (18 forced).
Series History
This marks the 15th meeting, with Benedictine holding a slim 8-6 edge all-time. Recent tilts favor the Ravens: 38-35 win in 2023 (Atchison), but Friends snapped a three-game skid with a 28-24 upset in 2021. No playoff history; average score 32-25. Benedictine’s road woes (4-1 away) vs. Friends’ home fortress (7-0) adds spice—Ravens 4-2 in last six road games vs. KCAC foes.
Betting Trends and Historical Results
Betting Trends: 2025 NAIA playoffs see home teams 6-0 SU (100%), 5-1 ATS; higher seeds 7-1 SU in quarters. Overs cash 65% (avg. total 68 pts), but cold snaps trend under. Underdogs cover 55% in intrastate tilts.
Historical Betting Results: Friends 3-0 ATS at home in playoffs (small sample); HAAC teams 5-3 ATS vs. KCAC since 2022. Series games hit over 70% (10-4), with favorites covering 60%. Quarterfinals ATS: 8-4 to homes.
GAME ODDS
Friends (KS) Falcons – 4.5
Benedictine (KS) Ravens 69.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 5, 2025
