Late INT Seals Senior Day Loss

By Jayson Ameer Rasheed

The Bethany College football team nearly overcame five turnovers. Still, the potential game-tying score was intercepted in the endzone with 46 seconds remaining as the Bison fell to Thiel College, 30-23, Saturday at Don Ault Field in Bison Stadium in the season finale for both teams.  

After Amarion Williams came up with the fourth down sack with a little over five minutes remaining, the Bison took over 68 yards to paydirt. Bethany slowly matriculated down the field and got some help with an unnecessary roughness penalty with the Bison in prime scoring position. But a loss on a run, a run for no gain, and an incomplete pass had Bethany facing a 4th and 12 from the 19. And the prayer to the end zone went unanswered.

 
In a game that featured seven turnovers, miscues set up the first two scores of the game.

 
A sack fumble and subsequent return on Bethany's first drive put the Tomcats in premium scoring position at the three, and Thiel capitalized two plays later. It was a Thiel fumble returned 25 yards by sophomore Cory Ardrey that gave BC the 7-6 lead.  

Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived as TC took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards to help Thiel regain the lead. The visitors tacked on two more touchdowns to take the 24-7 lead as the Tomcats missed all four PAT attempts.  

A 30-yard field goal by Liam Gallagher trimmed the deficit going into halftime.  

Thiel pushed its lead to 20 points following another touchdown with 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.  

Freshman running Richard Buchannon capped a 10-play, 56-yard drive with his first career touchdown run, and then freshman Brett Phillips connected with Gerrell Leeper for a 74-yard touchdown to bring Bethany to within seven with most of the fourth quarter remaining. However, the Bison only got the ball one more time, and it ended with the aforementioned interception in the end zone.  

Phillips finished the game with 218 yards on 23-of-33 passing with a touchdown and interception. Leeper hauled in eight passes for a career-high 97 yards.  

Junior T.J. Owensby gained a season-high 53 yards on nine rushes.  

Defensively, junior Sonny Fox – the league's leading tackler – recorded nine tackles, one for loss, an interception, and a forced fumble. Sophomore Levi Kelly added nine tackles, while Williams finished with seven tackles and two sacks.  

Bethany finished the season with a record of 1-9.