Cats Host Saints on Homecoming -Game Notes
The No. 6 Bethel Wildcats return home Saturday playing host to the Thomas More Saints at 1 p.m. in Wildcat Stadium. It will be Homecoming for the Cats and their fans. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. The Cat Walk will begin at 11:20 a.m. in front of Crisp Arena.
Bethel is 7-0 overall and 4-0 in league play. The Cats are 4-0 in home action on the season. The Saints arrive in from Crestview Hills at 4-3 and 3-1 in MSC play. TMU is 3-1 in road action on the year.
The game will be the 485th game in program history. Bethel is 191-285-8 all-time. It will be the fifth of six home games the Cats will play this season. They have five road games.
The teams share one common opponent in Campbellsville. Bethel beat the Tigers in Campbellsville 39-31 while the Saints won there, 44-36.
Listen:
WEIO, 100.9 and at https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/v5/WEIO
Live video: https://bethelathletics.com/WildcatVision
Live stats: https://bethelathletics.com/sports/fball/2022-23/boxscores/20221022_hzpw.xml
Tickets & Fan Attendance:
Ticket/fan policy - all are welcomed.
Purchase tickets in advance at: https://bethelathletics.com/bethel-box-office
Tickets can also be purchased digitally at the gate. It will be a cashless gate.
Gates open at 11:30 a.m.
Last Meeting & Series:
It will be the fourth meeting between the two programs with Bethel holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. Thomas More won the last time they met with a 24-14 victory in McKenzie last November.
Last Week:
(Bethel)
The Wildcats ran their record to 7-0 with a 39-31 win at Campbellsville Saturday afternoon. The Cats moved to 4-0 in the MSC. Campbellsville dropped to 2-5 and 0-5.
The Cats got on the board first, scoring on a 13-yard Terrance Roberts run at the 12:18 mark. The run capped off a 74 -yard drive. The Wildcats led 7-0 after an Austin Abbott point after.
Bethel struck again with 7:24 remaining in the period. Joaquin Collazo hit Quashawn Ford from 31 yards out to give the Wildcats a 13-0 margin. Abbott's PAT made it 14-0. The Cats used seven plays in the 96-yard drive.
Bethel turned up the pressure again with another score at the 2:55 mark. Collazo hit Avont Burrus on a 13-yard pass play to make it 20-0. Abbott nailed the point after to up the Cat lead to 21-0. The score capped off a 73-yard drive.
Campbellsville's Luke Sheperson found Jager Gillis on a 29-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers on the scoreboard. A point after by Devin Neally at the 45 second mark made it 21-7 Bethel.
The Tigers scored again early in the second. Sheperson and Gillis teamed up again on a short pass to make 21-14.
Austin Abbott hit a 28-yard field goal to up the Cat margin to 24-14.
Ford finished off a 66-yard drive with a one-yard run and Bethel led 30-14. Abbott's point after was no good.
Campbellsville cut into the Bethel lead with a 33-yard field goal by Neally with just under two minutes left in the half. The teams went to the locker room at 30-17.
Bethel's Andrew Welch hit a 38-yard field goal late in the third quarter to give the Cats a 33-17 advantage. Those would be the only points scored in the quarter.
The Tigers scored an early touchdown in the fourth and went for two which was good and Bethel's lead was shaved to 33-25 with 13:03 left in the game.
On the ensuing drive, Bethel moved into CU territory but a 48-yard field attempt by Abbott was no good.
After the Bethel defense held, the Wildcat offense had another opportunity. Welch nailed a 21-yard field goal to up the Cat lead 36-25.
Welch added another field goal with under two minutes left to give Bethel the 39-25 lead.
CU scored in the waning seconds as the Cats won 39-31.
Bethel had a 589-376 margin in total yards. Bethel had a 337-281 advantage in passing and a 252-95 advantage in rushing yards.
Terrance Roberts had 22 carries for a career high 161 yards. Collazo was 21-of -35 for 337 yards and the two touchdowns. JD Dixon had four receptions for 96 yards.
Jakobe Griffin led the Cat defense with nine stops and an interception. Brandon Moore had eight total stops. Darian Burns had six tackles and picked off a Tiger pass. Vonte Bates had six total tackles. Devious Christmon had six stops and had his 14th career interception. He is second in career picks which is two behind all-time leader Hunter Pingston.
(TMU)
The Saints beat Cumberland University 24-16 last week on Homecoming in Crestview Hills.
Head Coaches:
Michael Jasper is in his fourth year as the Head Coach of the Wildcats.
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 and oversaw the strength and conditioning program.
In 2021, the Wildcats were 7-4 overall, 4-3 in the Mid-South Conference and 2-1 against opponents ranked in the top eight in the country. Coach Jasper's career record is 22-14 overall and 13 -12 in conference play.
Before joining the Bethel staff, Jasper served as Offensive and Defensive Line Assistant at Bishop Timon High School in Buffalo, N.Y.
Mike spent three years in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and 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 and was as an offensive and defensive lineman from 2008-2010. He was the first-ever Wildcat drafted to the NFL in 2011 with his selection 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 children Davis Reid, Millie Claire and Samuel David reside in McKenzie. Their rescue dog is named Caine.
Jasper is the 12th head coach in Bethel football history.
Chris Norwell is in his first season as the head football coach at Thomas More University and 13th overall on staff during the 2022-23 academic year.
The 2022 season is Norwell's first as head coach after serving seven as the defensive coordinator as well as the strength & conditioning coordinator and academic performance coordinator.
Did You Know?
The No. 6 ranking is the best the program has been ranked since 2018.
Bethel's Joaquin Collazo III is the Mid-South Conference Football Player of the Week for the second week in a row, conference officials announced on Monday.
MSC Football Offensive Player of the Week
Joaquin Collazo III – Bethel (Tenn.) – Jr. – Quarterback – Melbourne, Fla.
- Collazo threw for 337 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in Bethel's 39-31 win over Campbellsville
- He completed 21 of his 35 passes with a long of 38.
- Collazo also rushed 11 times for 50 yards with a long of 17.
- He earns weekly honors for the third time this season and in his career.
Bethel's Devious Christmon had six stops and had his 14th career interception last week versus Campbellsville. He is second in career picks which is two behind all-time leader Hunter Pingston.
The 2022 Football Media Guide is available now on the Bethel Athletic page. Keep up with the Cats this season with the on-line version at https://en.calameo.com/bethel-university/read/003316375f35c839aee6f
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 University honors three former athletic greats with inductions into the prestigious Bethel Athletic Saturday morning during Homecoming week. Alicia James (Women's Soccer), Leah Hensley Cripps (Softball), and Ricky Rosenjack (Men's Golf & Contributor) are the latest to be inducted.
It marks the 42nd class to be honored. Six teams and 107 individuals have been enshrined since 1980.
For more on the ceremonies, visit www.bethelathletics.com
Seventeen different states are represented on the Bethel squad.
Game Officials:
Referee – Jake Grombach
Umpire – Robby Young
Head Line Judge – Kevin Jackson
Line Judge – Danny Brown
Side Judge – Zachary Sanders
Field Judge – Nathan Anderson
Back Judge – Daniel Rogers
2022 Bethel University Football Staff
Head Coach - Michael Jasper (4th season)
Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator - Chris Springer (5th season)
Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator - Jay Bright (2nd season)
Offensive Assistant - Montgomery Allison (1st season)
Defensive Line Coach - Troy Brewer (1st season)
Director of Sports Performance - Brighton Hill (1st season)
Senior Defensive Analyst - Terrell Jackson (2nd season)
Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Linebackers Coach - Dustin Kincaid (3rd season)
Assistant Offensive Line Coach - Austin Kisrow (1st season)
Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach - Cody McCallister (4th season)
Pass Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach - Greg Meyer (1st season)
Half Backs/Tight Ends Coach - Bret Peterson (2nd season)
Assistant Special Teams/Assistant Wide Receivers Coach - Hunter Scott (1st season)
Running Backs Coach - Jake Sisk (1st season)
Assistant Defensive Line Coach - Jamel Warren (1st season)
Official Game Day Program can also be found on the Bethel football page at:
Next Week:
The Wildcats travel to Lindsey Wilson to battle the Blue Raiders. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CST.
Live stats:
https://naiastats.prestosports.com/sports/fball/2022-23/boxscores/20221029_lyez.xml
Live video:
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lwc/
Listen:
https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/v5/WEIO
Golden Boosters and sponsors for Bethel Athletics this year are:
West Tennessee Public Utilities
Smith & Smith Optometry
Copies Unlimited
Steven Morton & State Farm Insurance
Trevathan's Electrical Services
Maddox Insurance LLC
Block City Pizza
Carroll Bank & Trust
Nicky Jo Stafford Real Estate
Official Game Day Notes online at:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/fball/2022-23/2022_Football_Game_Notes_vs._Thomas_More.pdf