NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — Bethel defeated Saint Mary 35-24 on Saturday at Thresher Stadium. A 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter moved the Threshers from a 21-21 tie to a 28-21 lead. Bethel rushed for 245 yards, threw three touchdown passes, and forced three turnovers with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Alexander Nathan- Marsh's interception and 57-yard return helped Bethel turn the first takeaway of the game into the first points of the first quarter, with
Brady Norman finding
Kenyon McMillan for a 6-yard touchdown before
Raymond Escobedo's extra point made it 7-0. Saint Mary answered with two touchdowns, the second following a Threshers fumble, and the first quarter's scoring left Bethel down 14-7. Bethel moved back into Saint Mary territory on its next drive with gains of 10 and 16 yards by
Darick Dubose and 11 by
Xavier Craven before a sack at the Saint Mary 28.
In the second quarter, the Threshers scored on their first two possessions, with Dubose running in a 17-yard touchdown and Norman later finding McMillan for a 7-yard score that put Bethel ahead 21-14. Between those drives, the defense stopped Saint Mary on fourth-and-1 near midfield. Saint Mary answered with a touchdown pass later in the quarter, and halftime arrived tied 21-21.
A 12-play drive broke a 21-21 tie in the third quarter, with Norman scoring from 1 yard out and Escobedo adding the extra point for a 28-21 lead. After Saint Mary drove to the Bethel 2, the Threshers forced three straight stops and held Saint Mary to a 21-yard field goal. Norman responded on Bethel's next snap with a 59-yard touchdown pass to McMillan, and the Threshers finished the third quarter ahead 35-24.
Bethel kept Saint Mary scoreless in the fourth quarter, with
Joshua Santos forcing a fumble that
Odean Gilmore recovered at the Bethel 5 and
Will Smiley adding an interception. Craven helped the Threshers move the ball after both takeaways, including runs of 11 and 16 yards from deep in their own end and an 18-yard carry after Smiley's interception. Bethel stopped Saint Mary's final possession on downs and ran out the clock to finish a 35-24 win.
McMillan caught five passes for 90 yards and three touchdowns while adding 13 rushing yards. Norman completed 11 of 17 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. Craven rushed for 115 yards on 14 carries. Santos led Bethel with 10 tackles and forced a fumble.
Up next, the Bethel football team travels to Sterling, Kan., to face the Warriors at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.
Game Notes:
- Craven - Achieved a career-high 115 rushing yards.
- Smiley - Recorded first interception of the season.
- Team - Collected at least 1 fumble recovery in 3 consecutive games.
- Nathan-Marsh - Recorded first interception of the season.
- Santos - Registered 10 tackles, surpassing their season average of 6.0.
- McMillan - Achieved a season-high and career-high of 3 receiving touchdowns.
- McMillan - Accumulated 90 receiving yards, doubling his season average.
