Records Could Fall Saturday as Wildcats Meet Campbellsville in Season Finale at Wildcat Stadium
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – Records are made to broken and when they are they become etched in the folklore of sports throughout the years and generations. Bethel's football achievements are no different.
Hopefully that will be the case at Wildcat Stadium Saturday afternoon as the Bethel Wildcats and the Tigers of Campbellsville will play their season finales of front of the Senior Day Crowd. Kick-off is slated for 1:30 p.m. with Senior Day Ceremonies scheduled at 1:01 p.m.
In the rich tradition of Bethel football only 12 Wildcats have rushed for 1,000 yards or more in a season. Bethel senior running back, De'Ontay Tate can become the 13th as he enters the game with 963 yards on the year. Only four Cat running backs have ever rushed for over 3, 000 yards in a career. Tate is fourth entering the game with 3, 292. One record that may never be broken is that of Adrain Smith who is the career leader at 5, 275. Terrance Bell is second at 3, 982 while Cordarious Mann is third at 3, 862.
Only two men prior to this season had ever thrown 20 or more touchdowns in a season. Sam Castronova threw 28 in 2018. Brent Dearmon had 25 in 2003 and 21 in 2004. Ironically, Dearmon was Castronova's coach in 2018 when Bethel went undefeated in the regular season for the first time in program history. Nolan Chowbay has 27 entering the game versus Campbellsville.
Chowbay shattered the single season record for passing yards earlier this year and enters the contest Saturday with 2, 983. Castronova had 2, 453 in 2, 018 while Dearmon had 2, 388 in 2003, Another Bethel legend, Ronnie Jankovich had 2, 225 in 2007. Bethel great, Wil Masoud had 2, 186 in 2012.
Before this season only one Wildcat has 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Isaiah Hookfin had 1,052 in 2003. Freshman James Dixon enters the game Saturday with 961. Dixon has 12 touchdown receptions on the year which is second most behind Hookfin's 15 in 2003.
Prior to this season only three Wildcats finished their career with 300 or more total tackles. Tyler Murray and Jeremy Beaulieu were tied at No. 1 with 325. Hunter Pingston finished his hall-of-fame career with 318. Bethel junior linebacker Jakobe Griffin began the year with 209. He surpassed the 300-career mark last week versus Thomas More and enters Saturday's match-up with 306. Griffin already holds the single season record with 126 tackles in 2019. He has 97 this season. Vonte Bates has 92 total tackles on the season. Freshman Brody Franks has 90 on the year.
Earlier this year, Devious Christmon moved to third on the all-time list for career interception with 12.
Come out and see the Cats close the season and possibly be a part of the history of Wildcat football.