ROME, Ga. (11.14.09) - It was a strange week for the Bethel football program as the NAIA overturned their own decision giving Lambuth University back the forfeited 3OT game played against Bethel this season. That effectively killed any chance of the Wildcats playing for the Mid-South Conference West Division Championship and hopes were that the new turn of events would not discourage the Wildcats in their final game of the year against #RV Shorter College. After struggling in the first minutes of the game, the ‘Cats righted the ship and Cordarius Mann scored with :34 seconds remaining for a 21-14 victory over the Hawks.
Shorter came out and scored in the first 1:11 of the game on three plays to take a 7-0 lead. Bethel drove to the Hawks 31-yard line and Sean Fraser attempted a 48-yard field goal that hit the cross bar just short. Shorter took the next drive and was set up first and goal at the one yard line when the Hawks' Dennis Stanley was stripped of the ball. Chancy DePriest scooped up the ball at the three yard line and raced 97-yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7-7 as time expired in the first quarter.
As the second quarter started, Bethel's defense was again opportunistic forcing and recovering a fumble. The ‘cats converted that turnover into points on an eight play drive ending with Mann scoring from 15-yards out and Bethel took the lead 14-7. Shorter again drove deep into Bethel territory and faced second and goal at the nine. Shorter's AJ Cooley lost the ball and Antonio Wardlow jumped on the loose ball with :43 seconds left in the half.
Bethel's opening drive of the second half stalled and Luke Roth pinned the Hawks deep at their own 1-yard line. Shorter then drove 99 yards on 25 plays using 13:37 of the clock ending in Dennis Stanley's two yard touchdown at the beginning of the fourth quarter to tie the score, 14-14; Shorter converted three fourth downs in the drive.
Bethel came back and had third and goal from the three yard line. Troy Watson's pass was intended for tight end Michael Thrasher, but was tipped in the air by Logan Hollis and intercepted by Seth Lindsay. Bethel's defense forced another fumble by Shorter's AJ Cooley and Byron Calahan recovered. Bethel was called for two illegal procedure penalties and faced third and 12. Jahron Reynolds made a spectacular grab of Watson's pass for a 25 yard gain. From there it was the Josh Boyd and Mann show. Mann scored on the 11th play of the drive with :34 ticks remaining to put Bethel up 21-14. Shorter threatened but their fourth down pass at the Bethel 20-yard line fell incomplete.
Offensively, Josh Boyd had 158 yards on 23 carries. Mann had nine runs for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Watson was 5 of 12 for 77 yards. Reynolds had two grabs for 53 yards.
Defensively, Wardlow had 11 stops and a fumble recovery. Steve Small and Marshall Varnum had nine tackles. James Barham had seven tackles and one for loss. Alex Hayes made seven stops. DePriest had six stops, two for loss and a fumble recovery for a 97-yard score.
Bethel ends the season with a 5-6 (4-2) mark; the ‘Cats lost their games by an average of just 8.3 points per game this season.
