Baldwin City, Kan.—Spire Flag Football kicked off their 2026 season tonight on the campus of Baker University at Liston Stadium. The Spires were unable to overcome a fast start by the Wildcats and a field-position battle that tilted heavily toward the hosts as USM fell 0-52 to the No. 4 ranked BU Wildcats.

Baker struck quickly in the first quarter and never looked back, opening the scoring on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Llorente to Harris at the 9:13 mark. A second Llorente scoring toss, this time a 9-yarder to Romey with 4:50 left in the opening quarter, made it 13-0 after the successful point-after attempt and put Saint Mary in early catch-up mode. The Wildcats continued to stack points, scoring in every quarter and steadily extending the margin.

The Spire defense was on the field for long stretches but produced several stops to keep possessions alive and limit explosive plays. USM finished with 26 total tackles and generated pressure at times, highlighted by a sack from linebacker Eli Miranda. Miranda was active throughout the night, recording a team-high eight tackles while also contributing on offense with 21 rushing yards as Saint Mary worked to establish a ground game against a crowded Baker front.

The Wildcats added two more rushing touchdowns before halftime, including an 11-yard keeper from Llorente early in the second quarter that pushed the lead to 19-0. A late second-quarter drive ended with a 5-yard rushing score by Simmons off a lateral, sending Saint Mary into the break facing a 25-0 deficit. Despite the scoreline, the Spires continued to compete defensively, forcing Baker into multiple third-down situations and holding the Wildcats to just 13 first downs overall.

In the second half, the Wildcat's offense capitalized on short fields created by a stout defensive performance and a key turnover. After Llorente connected on a 35-yard touchdown pass to Phillips early in the third quarter to make it 32-0, Baker's Phillips intercepted a pass from Aiva Lavea and returned it deep into Saint Mary territory, setting up another quick scoring drive.

Offensively, USM was challenged by Baker's pressure and coverage, finishing 1-for-10 on third downs and 1-for-2 on fourth. Lavea completed 12 passes as the Spires tried to move the ball through the air, while the run game saw its best moments from Miranda, whose 10-yard-long gain was the team's longest rush of the night. Demi Hylton and Yaneila Romanlopez would gain 7 yards and 6 yards, respectively, on one attempt each. Saint Mary also managed nine first downs and avoided multiple-turnover mistakes, but negative yardage plays and sacks consistently put the offense behind the chains.

The young Spires squad will look to build on this opening night with a quick turnaround as they host Hesston College this Saturday, March 7^th at home in Berkel Memorial Stadium with game time set for 1:00 p.m.