Game Notes: Cats vs. Belhaven in Season Finale
Wildcat Football
Bethel University vs. Belhaven
11/16/13
Senior Day
1:30 p.m.
McKenzie, Tennessee
The Matchup: The Bethel Wildcats close out the 2013 season Saturday at home against rival Belhaven with kick-off slated for 1:30 p.m. Bethel enters the contest at 2 -8 while Belhaven is 2-8 . Bethel is 2-3 at home this season while the Blazers are 1-4 on the road. Bethel is coming off an off week while the Blazers are coming off a 38-34 loss at Pikeville. Both teams are 0-4 in league play this season.
Game Coverage: The Farm, 100.9 (WEIO) will broadcast the game for Bethel with Dave McCulley with the call. The contest will also be available at www.thefarmradio.com. Pre-game coverage begins at 1 p.m. with the Countdown to Kick-off Show. WLJT-TV will televise the game on a delayed basis. The game can be seen Saturday night at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Russell Barker and Robin Francis will call the action. Thanks to Darrell Connor and his staff for their support of Bethel athletics.
Wildcat Vision
The Bethel University Sports Information Department announced the office will begin webcasting select home athletic events starting this fall. Webcasting will involve several sports. WildcatVision will be hosted by and archived by BoxCast. The service will offer free standard definition viewing, with the option to upgrade to HD definition. Fans will be able to view from their mobile devices, desktop or laptop computer.
The broadcasts of football and basketball will begin with pregame analysis and incites from Dave McCulley and Stan Gerard. McCulley and Gerard are the radio broadcasters for Bethel Athletics. Derrick Hubble, Zach O'Kelley, Hamilton Hudson, Robert Foster and Kelby McCaleb will call the action. Shanta Emerson will assist in the production of the streaming. Davonte Dawkins, Alexus Moore, Hailey Golden, and Zach Fitzgerald will also be involved with the webcasting. The Webcasts will also conclude with postgame interviews with the coaches. The schedule will be posted to www.bethelathlectics.com and the Bethel Sports Information Department on Facebook.
Senior Day-2013
In pre-game ceremonies Coach Chris Elliott and his staff will honor the 2013 seniors. Kenny Barber, Dedrick Brooks, Pat Callahan, Joey Dienye, Wilson Emebunor, Jr., Levis Estes, Justin Hazelray, Juan Hernandez, Keenan Nance, Jose Paniagua, Thomas Petry, Jahron Reynolds, B.J. Robertson, Jocquel Skinner, Travis Smith, and Travonta Thomas will wear the Vegas Gold and Purple for the last time.
Last Meeting & Series: This is the 14th meeting between the two programs. Bethel leads the series 7-6. Bethel won last year in Jackson 21-17. The programs first met in 1998. The two teams have played every year since 2002. Bethel has won five of the last six meetings. The last time the Blazers defeated the Cats was in 2009 in Jackson by the score of 21-13.
Bethel Last Week: The Cats are coming off an off week.
Belhaven Last Week: The Blazers lost a heartbreaker at Pikeville 38-34.ports
TALE OF TAPE- Average per Game Stats
BU
PPG............................................23.3
Pts Allowed................................42.3
Rushing Yds/G...........................149.1
Rushing Yds/G Allowed............269.5
Passing Yds/G............................215.4
Passing Yds/G Allowed..............217.4
Total Offense/G..........................364.5
Total Offense/G Allowed...........486.9
Bethel
PPG............................................17.2
Pts Allowed.................................32.4
Rushing Yds/G...........................134.7
Rushing Yds/G Allowed.............228.0
Passing Yds/G............................130,3
Passing Yds/G Allowed..............169.0
Total Offense/G..........................265.0
Total Offense/G Allowed...........397.0
Trends:
Home -2 3
Away -0-5
Leading at Half -2-0
Trailing at Half -0-8
Scoring First -2-3
Opp. Scoring First -0-5
Games Decided by less than 10 Points -1-1
Rushing for 200 yards or more -1-1
Opp. Rushing 200 or more -2-6
Passing for 200 yards or more -1-1
Opp. Passing for or 200 yards or more – 0-2
Committing fewer turnovers –1-3
Opp. committing fewer turnovers- 0-5
Turnovers equal -1-0
Fewer penalty yards -1-5
More penalty yards -1-3
Leading in First Downs -2-1
Head Coaches:
Wildcats: Coach Chris Elliott is in his second season as head coach of the Wildcats (his tenth season overall at Bethel). He is the 10th head coach in Bethel football history. He is 11-12 overall as the head coach of the Wildcats.
Last season, Coach Elliott's team won the Mid-South Conference West Division with a perfect 6-0 record (9-4 overall) and made it to the second round of the NAIA Championship Series. The Wildcats had eight First-Team and five Honorable Mention All Mid-South Conference West Division selections, 19 Academic All-Conference selections, and six NAIA Scholar Athlete selections.
Coach Elliott was named 2012 NAIA Mid-South Conference West Division Coach of the Year and Bethel University's 2012 NAIA Coach of the Year. His squad finished No. 9 in the NAIA Football Coaches Top 25 Poll and the team entered the 2013 season ranked No. 9 in the nation.
Throughout his tenure with the Wildcats, Coach Elliott served as running backs coach (2013), assistant head coach and offensive coordinator (2011), assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach (2010), defensive coordinator (2007-2009), and defensive line coach (2004-2007). Coach Elliott was an assistant coach in the Victory Sports Network Senior All-Star Classic in 2007, and was on staff when Bethel played in the Polk County Classic in 2004. He has been on staff for all the program's conference championships (2005, 06, 07, 11, 12) and playoff appearances (2006, 07, 11, 12). He has coached two NAIA All-American athletes and three All-Conference Defensive Linemen. Coach Elliott received his Masters of Arts in Education degree from Bethel University in 2005.
Coach Elliott graduated from Saint Francis University (Loretto, PA) in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. While at SFU, he was a student assistant for the Red Flash Football Team (NCAA-FCS). Following graduation, Coach Elliott joined the football staff at his high school alma mater, Bishop Guilfoyle (Altoona, PA), as assistant coach and offensive coordinator. He had the honor to coach alongside his former coach and mentor, Tom Irwin, who is a Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Member, Blair County Sports Hall of Fame Member, and Bishop Guilfoyle Ring of Honor Member. Coach Elliott also served as a graduate assistant at Saint Francis University in 2000.
Chris is married to Lindsay Hailey from Nashville, TN. She is a 2002 graduate of Belmont University and received her master's degree from Tennessee Technological University in 2006. Lindsay is an Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education in Bethel University's College of Arts and Sciences. Chris and Lindsay make their home in McKenzie.
Blazer Coach: Coach Joseph Thrasher is in his fifth season as head coach of the Blazers. | |||
About the Programs:
Bethel University is a member of the NAIA and Mid-South Conference West Division. The school is located in McKenzie, Tenn. Bethel is a private, four-year university affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and has an enrollment of 5,987. The football program first started in 1900 but twice in the history was discontinued, the first being from 1942-45 while the latest was from 1953-92. The game marks the 392nd game played in Bethel football history. The Wildcats overall record is 138-245 -8. The Cats have been to the NAIA playoffs four times in the history of the program, most recently in 2012.
Belhaven University: Belhaven University, formerly Belhaven College, is a Christian liberal arts university dedicated to excellence in Christian higher education. Situated in the heart of one of Jackson's most beautiful historic neighborhoods, Belhaven offers a residential campus within minutes of fine dining, good shopping, and a thriving arts community.
This Week in the MSC:
# 15 Lindsey-Wilson @ # 14 Georgetown
Pikeville @ Kentucky Christian
# 1 Cumberlands (KY) @ Bluefield
Union @ Pikeville
# 23 Cumberland (TN) @ Aldesson-Broaddus College
# 10 Faulkner @ Kentucky Christian
Reinhardt @ Campbellsville
Did You Know?
Bethel's Travis Smith exceeded the 1,000 yard plateau against Cumberland University. He has 1,028 rushing yards this season. It is the eighth year in a row a Wildcat running back has rushed for 1,000 yards or more.
Bethel's Stoney Burns is No. 1 in the nation in interceptions (7)
Jahron Reynolds is No. 5 in K/O return yards per attempt at 31.4. Freshman Quincy Walden is # 3 at 32.8.
Robbie Phillips is No. 7 in punt yards per attempt (43.8)
Bethel is # 2 in the nation in kick-off returns per game at 27.7.
Bethel University honored a national championship team and three individuals with inductions into the prestigious Bethel Athletic Hall-of-Fame earlier this year at the 2013 Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall-of-Fame Inductions. The 2013 inductees are:
Kayla McSweeney Collins (BS '04) Women's Basketball
Glen McCadams (BS '69) Golf, Basketball, Baseball
Shorty Akers (Former Student- 58 Basketball) Contributor
2008 Men's National Championship Bethel Soccer Team
Prior to this year, seventy people had been enshrined into the hall. The 2008 soccer team is the first Bethel team to be inducted.
The Outstanding Alumni Award was presented to Walter Butler (BS, '85, MA, 08). The University Service Award was presented to Steve Perryman.
Bethel played two programs for the first time in school history this season. Lindenwood University-Belleville and Reinhardt University joined 108 other programs the Wildcats have met through the years.
The Mid-South Conference has five teams ranked in the Top 25. Cumberlands (KY) is No. 1 while Faulkner is No. 10, Georgetown is No.14. Lindsey Wilson is #15 and Cumberland University is # 23.
Jocquel Skinner's five interceptions last year and his three this year gives him 13 in his career which ranks him third on the all-time career list at Bethel. He follows Hunter Pingston (16) and Donald Lightfoot (11) on the Wildcat career interception list. Stoney Burns with his seven interceptions this year now has 12 career picks and is fourth on the all-time career list. He is # 1 in the nation with his seven picks.
Cordarious Mann's 1,061 rushing yards last season marked the seventh straight year the Wildcats have seen a running back finish with over 1,000 yards in a season. He had 3,862 yards in his career at Bethel which places him third in school history behind Terrance Bell (3,982) and Adrain Smith (5,275). He is third in most career rushing touchdowns with 40. He finished his career only behind Bell with (45) and Smith (66). A 69-yard run by Mann was the longest run from scrimmage for Bethel last season.
Bethel's Wil Masoud finished second in two career categories. He passed for 5,428 yards which is second only to Brent Dearmon (7,045). He was also second in passing touchdowns with 43. Dearmon had a whopping 77 career TD tosses.
Justin Brandy finished his career last year as the all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 18.
Bethel had nineteen All-Mid-South Conference All-Academic squad members last year.
Bethel is 33-45-1 all-time against the opponents they meet this year.
Did you know you can follow the entire athletic program at Bethel by visiting www.bethelathletics.com.
Seventeen states are represented on the Wildcat roster this year. 91 players on the varsity and junior varsity squads are home grown from the Volunteer state. The next state with the most players is Florida with 34 Floridians on the Wildcat squads. One player is from Spain.
Six Wildcat players were named NAIA All-Scholar Athletes last year. Wyatt Kemp, Jouan Cox, Skylar Haley, Josh Moore and Ethan Wright all earned those honors.
Coach Cliff Barna is still the all-time sacks leader at Bethel with 13.5. Joey Dienye is moving in on that mark with 13.
Bethel Defensive Coordinator Willie Fells Ranks No. 10 on the Purdue University career tackles list with 330.
Pass Game Coordinator Ron Jankovich is second on the Bethel all-time single season passing yardage list with 2,225 in 2007. He had 19 touchdowns that same season which still ranks him third all-time.
Cordarious Mann's 69-yard run was the longest of his career and the longest from scrimmage by a Wildcat since Adrain Smith's 77-yard run dating back to 2007.
Bethel Graduate Assistant Sean McCormick led the Wildcats in sacks in 2009. The former linebacker had five on the season.
For more information on Wildcat football and all of Bethel's athletic programs look for the Bethel University Information Department page on Facebook.