The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys will welcome the West Alabama Tigers Saturday to Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field.

Tech (1-2) comes into the weekend’s game having lost the home opener in a physical 47-32 battle against 10th-ranked Delta State last Saturday.

The Wonder Boys led 13-10 at the end of the first quarter and held a 32-27 lead early in the fourth.

However, the fast-paced Statesmen offense scored three touchdowns in a span of seven minutes in the fourth quarter snapping Tech’s eight-game winning streak in home openers.

“We had a great crowd tonight and I was pleased with everything – except the outcome of the game,” said Head Coach and Athletic Director Steve Mullins following the game.

The Wonder Boys hope to exceed the 5,725 fans that were in attendance at last week’s game when the Tigers come to town on Saturday.

Coach Mullins, who fell to 12-3 in home openers as Tech’s head coach, said he was proud of the way his team fought hard, but they needed to work on closing the game in the fourth quarter.

Freshman quarterback Preston Conder of Tyler, Texas, making his second career start under center, struggled at times but had a good night statistically, completing 20-of-35 passes for 226 yards and had two interceptions and two touchdowns.

“We have got to be more mature as an offense and grow up more. Tonight, we had all the chances we needed,” said senior receiver A.J. Whitmore of Nashville, who is a transfer from the University of Tulsa.

“We need to learn how to finish and complete a game.”

Whitmore had a break-out game returning a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown early and was an all-around playmaker finishing the night with 277 all-purpose yards.

The 93-yard kickoff return for a score was the first by a Wonder Boy since Frantz Simeon returned a kickoff 88 yards for a score against Incarnate Word in 2009 and is the longest kickoff return in the Great American Conference this season.

On the night, Tech’s special teams finished with a combined 243 return yards, as the Wonder Boys returned nine kickoffs for 220 yards and two punts for 23 yards.

The 220 kickoff return yards comes 15 yards shy of tying the school’s single-game mark of 235 yards set against Central Arkansas in 1915.

For the game, Tech’s offense gained a total of 262 yards, while Delta State’s offense gained 532 yards, including 419 passing yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

Tech remains at home on Saturday as West Alabama comes to town to face the Wonder Boys in non-conference action.

Student Services will be promoting Family Day in Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field with activities for family of all ages with kickoff set for 6 p.m.