Cats Make Another Long Road Trip
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. –After a long bus ride to Belton, Texas last week, the Bethel football squad will take to the skies this week flying to West Palm Beach, Florida to battle the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, the Keiser Seahawks.
The Wildcats and the Hawks will kick off at 2 p.m. CST in the Keiser Multi-Purpose Field in West Palm.
Last Week:
The Cats are 0-1 after falling 30-23 last week to Mary Hardin Baylor.
Despite controlling time of possession and outgaining Mary Hardin-Baylor in first downs and total plays, Bethel University couldn't overcome costly turnovers and big plays in a tough road loss to the Crusaders on Saturday.
The Wildcats ran 83 offensive plays compared to just 56 for UMHB, held the ball for nearly nine more minutes (34:15–25:45), and picked up 25 first downs to the Crusaders' 15. But Bethel struggled to finish drives and gave the ball away three times on fumbles, helping swing momentum toward the home team.
Quarterback Destin Chance led the Bethel offense, completing 21 of 37 passes for 227 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His top target was Micah Jones, who hauled in four receptions for 71 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown strike. Jayden Pressey added six catches for 62 yards, while Ethan Bunch chipped in four grabs for 54.
On the ground, Jordan Cason carried 24 times for 63 yards, while Jarvis Stockton posted 46 yards on 10 attempts. Chance also scored once on a keeper near the goal line.
Defensively, Bethel forced two interceptions. Brylan Jordan returned one 45 yards for a touchdown, while Durrell Miller added another pick. Linebacker Darrien Lewis paced the defense with 11 total tackles, including two stops for loss. Sean Martin contributed six tackles and was credited with 14 yards in tackles for loss.
Special teams gave the Wildcats solid field position at times, as they recorded 107 kick return yards.
Still, the difference came in efficiency. The Crusaders averaged 6.5 yards per play to Bethel's 4.0, and their running game proved more effective with 144 yards on 31 carries. UMHB also converted six of 12 third downs compared to Bethel's 5 of 15.
The No. 2 ranked Keiser Seahawks opened the 2025 season with a 38-31 victory at No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon. The Seahawks jumped out to 14-0 first quarter and never looked back.
The Seahawks racked up 436 yards of total offense versus a team that allowed just 270.8 yards per game last season.
Matchup History:
It will be the fourth meeting ever between the two programs. Keiser has a 2-1 advantage in the series.
They first met in 2018 with Bethel winning 50-7 in McKenzie. It was the inaugural season of football for the Seahawks.
The programs met in the NAIA playoffs in McKenzie in 2022 with Keiser scoring twenty points in the fourth quarter to win 27-17.
They met up again in the postseason in 2023 with Keiser handing the Cats a 56-14 defeat. The game was played in West Palm Beach.
The Match-up: The RV (NAIA D1) Wildcats were 7-3 last year and failed to make the NAIA playoffs.
The Cats play in the tough Mid-South Conference.
Keiser was 12-1 last year and finished national runner-up after falling 35-7 to Grand View.
The Seahawks compete in the Sun Conference.
Bethel is 153-189 all -time in overall play in the modern-day era.
Stats:
https://kuseahawks.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Watch:
https://urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/3384
Tickets:
https://kuseahawks.com/sports/2020/7/30/hometown-ticketing
Coaches:
Bethel:
Coach Chris Springer is in his first season as Head Football Coach at Bethel University in
2024-25. He is in his ninth year on the Bethel football staff, having previously served as
Defensive Coordinator, Associate Head Coach, and Recruiting Coordinator. Over the course of his tenure, Springer has helped the Wildcats break multiple team and school defensive records, establishing Bethel as one of the premier defensive programs in the NAIA.
In 2024, the Wildcats finished 7-3 and led the Mid-South Conference in both total defense and scoring defense. Nationally, Bethel ranked 6th in scoring defense, allowing just 13.0 points per game, and 8th in total defense, giving up only 264.8 yards per game.
The 2023 season saw Bethel post an 11-2 record, advancing to the NAIA quarterfinals—the
deepest playoff run and tied most overall wins in program history. The Wildcats finished 3rd
nationally in scoring defense (12.6 points per game), 2nd in total defense (219 yards per game), and 2nd in defensive takeaways with 30 on the year.
In 2022, the Wildcats completed the best regular season in school history with an 11-0 record, winning the Mid-South Conference championship and earning a national playoff berth. Bethel's defense was dominant, finishing top 10 in multiple categories: scoring defense (12.3 points per game), pass defense (152.2 yards per game), defensive takeaways (25), interceptions (16), and third-down defense. Against top 10 opponents on the road, the defense allowed just 12.6 points per game.
Bethel's 2021 campaign ended with a 7-4 record, including wins over two top 8 ranked teams.
The Wildcats led the Mid-South Conference in total pass defense and pass efficiency defense, while finishing in the top 10 nationally in third-down defense and takeaways. In 2019, the Wildcats ranked 5th in the country in defensive takeaways with 27. In 2018, Bethel won the Mid-South Conference Bluegrass Division title with a 10-0 regular-season record. That season, the defense led the nation in takeaways (37), ranked 10th in pass efficiency defense, and 29th in both total and scoring defense.
Since joining the staff in 2017, Springer has engineered one of the most consistent and
opportunistic defenses in the NAIA. His first season saw the Wildcats finish 3rd in the nation in takeaways with 26, setting the tone for years of sustained excellence.
Springer has developed multiple All-Conference and All-American defensive players during his time at Bethel. He mentored Brandon Moore, an NAIA All-American and Cliff Harris Award finalist, who led the nation in passes defended. Springer also coached Devious Christmon, a first-team All-Conference performer who earned an NFL rookie mini-camp invitation with the Indianapolis Colts and graduated as one of the program's all-time leaders in interceptions.
Before Bethel, Springer coached at Georgia Military College in the spring of 2017. From
2014–2016, he was on staff at Western Kentucky University, serving as a defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach. During his time there, the Hilltoppers won two Conference USA championships and three consecutive bowl games. He began his coaching career in 2013 at Eastern New Mexico University, where he coached wide receivers and helped the program earn
its first winning season since 2004 and first Lone Star Conference title since 1991.
As a player, Springer was a four-year letterman and team captain as a defensive back at Bethel and Lindenwood University. He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Lindenwood in 2013 and a master's degree in sports recreation and administration from Western Kentucky University in 2017.
A native of Bartlett, Tennessee, Coach Springer lives in Lexington with his wife Megan and their daughters Chandler and Sydney.
Keiser:
Myles Russ enters his second season as head coach of the Keiser football program. He was named head coach of the Seahawks on January 29, 2024. Russ became the second coach in Keiser history after serving six seasons as the assistant head coach, running backs coach, and recruiting coordinator.
Did You Know?
The first two road games to open the season find the Wildcats logging almost 1, 700 miles.
Quarterback Destin Chance is the younger brother of Assistant Head Coach/ Offensive Coordinator Drew Chance.
Bethel University athletics extends a special thanks to its Golden Sponsors this year:
Nicky Joe Stafford Real Estate
West Tennessee Public Utility District
Smith and Smith Optometry
Trevathan's Electrical Services
Carroll Bank and Trust
Anchor Transportation
Centennial Bank
Carroll County Lumber Company
Hometown Health Care
Joe Mahan Ford of Paris
Hometown Health Clinic
PESPI MIDAMERICA/ DR. PEPPER
The Perkins Corporation
Tri-County Publishing
Next Week:
The Wildcats play their home opener at Walter Butler Stadium with action beginning at 1:30 as they host Florida International. Gates will open at 11:45 a.m. with the Cat Walk beginning at 11:40 a.m.
Watch for a Game Preview next week at www.bethelathletics.com