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Cats Host Saints on Homecoming
Cats Host Saints on Homecoming
Posted: Nov 04, 2021

Wildcats Host Saints on Homecoming

Homecoming & Wildcat Day

Game Notes

The Matchup

The Bethel Wildcats will attempt to bounce back following a tough loss to No. 1 Lindsey Wilson as they play host to another Bluegrass Division opponent Saturday facing Thomas More University on Homecoming. Kick-off is slated for 1:30 p.m. with gates opening at noon. The Wildcat Walk will begin in front of Crisp Arena at 11:50 a.m.

The Cats (6-3, 3-2) lost 41-30 at home to LWC Saturday. The Saints (4-4, 3-2) beat Cumberland 10-7 in Crestview Hills.

Bethel was picked to finish fourth in the MSC Blue Grass Division Preseason Poll. TMU was picked to finish sixth.

It will be the 476th game in program history with Bethel's record at 183 -284 -8.

Series:

It will be the 4th meeting between the two with the Wildcats holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. Bethel won back in the spring abbreviated season 49-7 in Crestview Hills.

The Wildcats have won two in a row in the series. Bethel is 1-1 in McKenzie versus TMU and 1-0 in Crestview Hills.

Live Stats: 

https://www.bethelathletics.com/sports/fball/2021-22/boxscores/20211030_mbmh.xml

Video: 

https://www.bethelathletics.com/WildcatStreaming

Tickets:

https://www.bethelathletics.com/bethel-box-office

Radio:

https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/v5/WEIO

For Complete Game Notes visit:

https://bethelathletics.com/sports/fball/Football_Game_Notes

Last Week:

(Bethel)

The No. 1 Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders invaded Wildcat Stadium Saturday and despite giving up a season high 30 points they left McKenzie with a 41-30 victory over the No. 22 Wildcats. Lindsey Wilson was yielding just 4.4 points per game before facing the Wildcats and had shutout three straight opponents. They had yielded just 31 points in their seven prior games.

Lindsey Wilson scored on their opening possession when Ian Saulter nailed a 35-yard attempt. The field goal was the only score of the first quarter.

Lindsey Wilson scored the first touchdown of the game on a Jalen Boyd one-yard rush at the 12:35 mark of the second stanza.

Bethel scored on their next possession, a 24-yard field goal from Luis Morales.

After a LWC interception, the Raiders struck when Cameron Dukes hit Noel Patterson on a 12-yard touchdown pass and the Blue Raiders led 17-3.

After the Wildcat offense faltered, the Blue Raiders moved the ball on a 46-yard drive and tacked on a 19-yard field goal by Saulter and went to the locker room with a 20-3 margin.

The Wildcat offense clicked on the first drive of the third quarter. Nolan Chowbay hit Avont Burns from 42 yards out and the Cats cut the LWC lead in half at 20-10.

A Bethel turnover proved to be costly when the Blue Raiders used a short field with Darius Clark rushing in from 19 yards out to give the Kentuckians a 27-10 lead. It was a 43-yard drive.

The Cats looked like they may bounce back but LWC intercepted a Nolan Chowbay pass and the score remained 27-10 after three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter, Chowbay teamed up with his favorite target on the season. He hit James Dixon from 19 yards out and tightened the game up at 27-17.

Dukes answered with a 60-yard strike to Joshua Lewis and LWC led 34-17.

Bethel showed grit as they scored on a Chowbay touchdown toss to Ray'Quan Wilson. The Cats trailed 34-24.

LWC's Jalen Boyd scored the last points on the night for his team. The one-yard effort gave the Raiders a 41-24 lead.

Bethel scored their final points of the game with less than a minute left. De'Ontay Tate took it in from six yards out. The two-point conversion attempt failed, and the game ended at 41-30

Bethel passed for 388 yards, but LWC picked off four Wildcat passes. Bethel could never establish a running game as they were held to a season low five yards on the ground. The Blue Raiders rolled up 421 yards of total offense and had 35 first downs.

Bethel's Vonte Bates had a career day on defense with 17 total tackles and an interception. Bethel's leading tackler on the season, Jakobe Griffin had 12 total stops.

Coach Michael Jasper was not happy with the outcome but was proud of his team and their effort. "Hats off to Coach Oliver and his guys, but I feel we are far better than what the score showed today. I am proud of the way our guys continued to fight despite all the adversity thrown at them. We just couldn't find a way to win the game. I am looking forward to seeing how we respond and how these young men answer the call next week against another great Mid-South Conference program."  

(TMU)

Thomas More defeated conference foe Cumberland University by a score of 10-3 on a rainy Saturday night. With the win the Saints improve to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in Mid-South Conference play.

  • Sophomore quarter back Blaine Espinosa (Cookeville, Tenn. / Cookeville) found junior wideout Roques Dowdy (Athens, Ga. / Oconee County) on a screen that went 35 yards for a touchdown, senior kicker Alexander Haley (Lebanon, Ohio / Lebanon) converted the extra point to make the score 7-0.

  • The score stayed idle in the second quarter.

  • Haley lined up a 26-yard field goal that found its way through the uprights to grow the score to 10-0.

  • Cumberland would make a 33-yard field goal to make the score 10-3 with 4:53 remaining in the game.
  • Senior linebacker Peyton Van Horn (Hebron, Ky, / Conner) grabbed the game clinching interception with a minute remaining in the game to give Thomas More a 10-3 win.

  

  • Senior Charles Gaines Jr. (Elsmere, Ky. / Lloyd Memorial) led the team in receiving with four catches for 55 yards.
  • Dowdy caught two passes for 48 yards with a touchdown.
  • Junior running back Maleek Jarrett (Hamilton, Ohio / Hamilton) was the leading rusher for the Saints with 70 yards rushing on 13 carries.
  • Senior running back Monalo Caldwell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Colerain) had 55 yards on the ground on 11 carries.
  • Van Horn collected 11 total tackles with eight solo and the game clinching interception.
  • Junior linebacker Del Thomas (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) and sophomore defensive lineman Tanner Lawerence (Melbourne, Ky. / Campbell County) had 11 tackles each.
  • Punter Elgin Phillips (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) carried an average of 38.6 yards per punt, downing three inside the 20.

Head Coaches:

Bethel's Michael Jasper is in his third year as head coach of the Wildcats. He is 17-15 in his career with the Cats. Before becoming the head coach Jasper served as the Assistant Head Coach and worked with the defensive line. Prior to that he held the titles of Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator, as well as overseeing the strength and conditioning program.

Jasper is the 12th head coach in Bethel football history.

The Wildcats were 3-4 last year and finished 3-2 in the MSC.

Before joining the Bethel staff, Jasper served as Offensive and Defensive Line Assistant at Bishop Timon High School in Buffalo, New York.

Mike spent three years in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, and the Carolina Panthers.

Coach Jasper played for the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2005 and was a starter on their 2006 Ohio Valley Conference Championship team. After redshirting at Middle Tennessee State University, Coach Jasper joined the Bethel University Wildcats as an Offensive and Defensive Lineman from 2008-2010 and was the first ever Wildcat drafted to the NFL in 2011 being selected by the Buffalo Bills.

He graduated from Bethel University with a Bachelor's Degree in University Studies. He and his wife Allison along with their daughter Davis Reid reside in McKenzie, Tennessee. Their rescue dog is named Caine.

TMU'S Trevor Stellman is entering his fourth season as the head football coach at Thomas More University during the 2020-21 academic year. He has an 11-10 career record as the head coach at Thomas More.

The 2020 season will be Stellman's 10th overall, including seventh as the offensive coordinator. In his first season (2018) as head coach he guided the Saints to a 7-3 record as an NCAA Division III independent. The 2019 season was Stellman's second and Thomas More's first as a member of the NAIA and the Mid-South Conference and team posted a 4-7 record, including a 2-5 mark in conference play. In his third season (2020-2021), the team had an overall and conference record of 2-5. 

In 2016, Thomas More's offense under the direction of Stellman set the school record for plays in a season (843) and most points in a quarter as it scored 35 points against Grove City College in the second quarter. The 2015 offense set the single season record for most points (583), touchdowns (80), total yards (6,019), pass completions (200) and passing yards (3,411). In 2014, the Saints were ranked No. 3 in total offense in all of Division III. 

Stellman is no stranger to Saints' football as he was a four-year letter winner for the Saints from 2005-2009 and led the Saints to two straight Presidents' Athletic Conference titles. He set numerous passing records at Thomas More as he has the most touchdown passes in a game (four) and season (26), second in career touchdown passes (50), and third in career passing yardage (5,328) and season passing yardage (2,032). 

Stellman graduated from Thomas More in 2010 and earned his Master in Business Administration from Thomas More in 2017. 

 

 Did You Know?

The 2021 Football Media Guide is now available on the Bethel Athletic page. Keep up with the Cats this season with the on-line version at bethelathletics.com. Go to Inside Athletics and click on media guides.

Find out all you need to know about this year's team and their opponents. Bio's Records, Stats, and current rankings are all available. Get all the information about YOUR Wildcats!!!!!!

Bethel's James Dixon was named MSC Offensive Player of the Week two weeks ago. Brandon Moore was named the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Earlier this season, Bethel's Vonte Bates was named the MSC Defensive Player of The Week for his efforts against Union. Nolan Chowbay was named MSC Offensive Player of the Week.

Bates was awarded the POW award again earlier this week.

  • Bates finished with 22 tackles in a loss to No. 1-ranked Lindsey Wilson on Saturday.
  • He recorded 12 solo tackles and 10 assisted tackles in the game, including sharing a tackle for a loss.
  • Bates added an interception to his day.
  • This season, Bates is averaging 8.4 tackles per game -- which ranks 31st in the NAIA.
  • Bates picks up the second MSC weekly honor of the season and of his career.

 

The Wildcats are in the Bluegrass Division with Georgetown, Campbellsville, Lindsey Wilson, Cumberlands (KY), Pikeville, Thomas More and Cumberland games being divisional affairs.

 Five Mid-South Conference Teams are ranked in the eighth regular season NAIA Football First Down PlayBook Top 25 Poll, the NAIA announced on Monday.

Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) sits atop the poll with 444 points and 18 of the 19 first-place votes. The Blue Raiders are 8-0 this season and 5-0 in Bluegrass Division play. Lindsey Wilson hosts Campbellsville (Ky.) on Saturday.

Reinhardt (Ga.) remained at No. 8. The Eagles earned 325 points in the poll and are 7-2 this season and 4-0 in the Appalachian Division. Reinhardt hosts Union on Saturday.

Keiser (Fla.) remained at No. 12 after earning 256 points in the poll. The Seahawks are 6-2 and 3-1 in the Sun Division. Keiser hosts St. Thomas (Fla.) on Saturday.

Georgetown (Ky.) moved up five spots to No. 16. The Tigers earned 173 points in the poll and are 6-2 this season and 3-2 in the Bluegrass Division. Georgetown hosts Cumberlands (Ky.) on Saturday.

Bethel (Tenn.) fell one spot to No. 23. The Wildcats earned 51 points in the poll. Bethel is 6-3 with a 3-2 record in the Bluegrass Division and host Thomas More on Saturday.

Faulkner (Ala), St. Thomas (Fla.), Southeastern (Fla.) and Cumberlands (Ky.) are all mentioned in the receiving votes section of the poll. Faulkner and St. Thomas each received 20 points in the poll while Southeastern earned seven and Cumberlands had three.

Northwestern (Iowa) sits in second with 426 points while Morningside (Iowa) is third with 411 points and the final first-place vote. Grand View (Iowa) and Baker (Kan.) round out the top 5 with 393 and 371 points, respectively.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences.

The next regular season poll is scheduled to come out on Monday, November 8.

With his 122 yards rushing Saturday, De'Ontay Tate has 3, 213 career rushing yards. He is 4th all-time in Bethel history. Adrain Smith is 1st with 5, 275, Terrance Bell is second with 3, 982 while Cordarious Mann is third with 3, 862.

After another earlier this season against UPIKE, Devious Christmon has five interceptions on the season. He is now 3rd all-time in Bethel history with 12 career interceptions. Hunter Pingston had 16. Joquel Skinner and Stoney Burns had 13 while Donald Lightfoot and Karrheem Darington finished their careers with 11.

Coach Michael Jasper spent three seasons in the NFL playing for the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers.

Eleven different states are represented on the Bethel squad. Next to Tennessee, Alabama has the most players on the roster.

The 41st class will honor three former great athletes, one contributor, and one team with induction into the hall on Saturday, November 6, at 9 a.m. The event will be held in the Vera Low Student Center. The 2020 class will also be honored that morning. With the combined classes, 104 individuals and six teams have now been enshrined into the Hall of Fame.

Tickets are $20. Registration is required.

Tickets:

https://bethelu.networkforgood.com/events/33950-hall-of-fame-and-alumni-awards-breakfast

Coach Jasper is in his third season as head coach. Several changes to the staff have been made with new personnel and duties.

2021 Bethel University Football Staff

Michael Jasper- Head Coach, Defensive Line

Chris Springer- Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, DB

Keith Williams-Offensive Coordinator, Offensive Line

Dustin Kincaid-Linebackers, Director of Football Operations

Cody McCallister-Co-Special Teams Coordinator, Safeties

Justin Brown-Co-Special Teams Coordinator, Wide Receivers

Brett Guminsky- Tight Ends, Halfbacks, Video Coordinator

Jay Bright- Quarterbacks, Pass Game Coordinator

Terrell Jackson- Senior Defensive Analyst, Linebackers

Bobby Mitchell- Graduate Assistant, Running Backs

Bret Petersen-Graduate Assistant

Manny Belluccia- Graduate Assistant

John Pasley- Student Assistant, Defensive Backs

Devon Patrick- Student Assistant

Giante Hicks- Student Assistant

Sean Allison-Student Assistant

Riley Benavides-Student Assistant

Ian Harris-Student Assistant

Next Week:

Bethel closes out the regular season next week at home versus Campbellsville at 1:30 p.m. It will be Senior Day with festivities taking place before the game.