Fake field goal propels Bethel past Coyotes
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Darell Grames breaks a tackle on his 73-yard run at the end of the first quarter

Bethel used a fake field goal in the fourth quarter to score the only touchdown of the game as the no.20 ranked Threshers upset the no.10 ranked Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes 10-3 on Saturday afternoon at Thresher Stadium in North Newton.

Bethel struck first in the first half with 12:12 left in the first quarter as Michael Montez connected on a 34 yard field goal to put Bethel ahead 3-0. The field goal was a defensive win for KWU as the Threshers started the drive at the KWU-17, after a 68 yard return of the opening kickoff by Brandon Kaufman.

Wesleyan’s first drive was less than stellar as Justin Schropp was sacked twice forcing a Jarod Fronce punt.

Wesleyan had a great chance to score at the end of the first quarter, but were unable to find paydirt. After a 73-yard run by Darell Grames gave the Coyotes first and goal at the Bethel-4, the Coyotes got within a foot of the endzone, but three runs by DeChad Ward, Schropp and Grames were all shut down by the Bethel defense.

The Coyotes tied things up just before the half, as Anthony Padilla capped a 10 play, 42 yard drive with a 38 yard field goal with 40.9 seconds left in the half.

Bethel had only managed 21 yards of offense in the first half, including a minus-6 rushing, as the Coyotes had sacked Bret Clow five times in the half.

The next four drives by both teams yielded a minus-7 yards of total offense, before Bethel was able to sustain a drive thanks to a 61-yard run by Beau Cox. The Threshers could get no closer than the KWU-16, before missing a 33-yard field goal by Montez that was partially blocked.

On the ensuing drive, Wesleyan could get no further than its own 38, forcing a Fronce punt. Bethel took over on its own 21, and used a 14-yard Cox run, two 22-yard passes from Clow to Chad Hershberger and Andrew Baeza, and another 12-yard run by Cox to give the Threshers first and ten just outside the Coyotes’ 10-yard line.

After a Bethel penalty pushed them back to the KWU-20, Clow hit Darron Morgan at the Wesleyan five, and a Cox run on third down gave Bethel fourth and one at the KWU-2. The Threshers appeared to be going for a short field goal, but Clow took the snap and flipped it up to Montez, who went untouched into the endzone for a two yard score, and his kick gave Bethel a 10-3 lead with 11:10 left in the fourth.

Schropp scrambled for 15 yards on third and ten on the Coyotes’ next drive to keep the drive alive, but two plays later Schropp’s pass to Marcus Lowe was picked off at the Bethel-17 by Reed Hammond.

Bethel could only manage seven yards on the ensuing drive, giving the ball back to the Coyotes at the KWU-46 following a 30-yard punt by Garrett Whorton.

The Coyotes faced fourth and two at the Bethel-46, but Grames was stopped short of the first down, giving the ball back to Bethel with 1:54 left. Clow kept it for nine yards,a nd a Peivi Tauiliili dive up the middle gave the Threshers a first down, and three carries by Clow ended the game.

Grames led the Coyote rushing attack with 24 carries for 132 yards, while Ward added nine carries for 36 yards. Schropp was 0-for-5 passing with one interception. Jarod Fronce had six punts for a 38.2 average.

Bethel was led in rushing by Cox with 23 carries for 132 yards, while Tauiliili had three carries for six yards, and Montez had one carry for two yards as the only Thresher rushers with positive yardage. Clow, who was sacked six times, had 12 carries for a minus-27 yards. Clow was 8-for-14 passing for 97 yards as Hershberger led the receivers with three catches for 22 yards, and Whorton had two grabs for 27 yards.

The task doesn’t get any easier for the Coyotes as they head on the road for their final road game of the year next week at Sterling, facing a Warrior team that crushed Saint Mary 44-0 in Platte City, Mo., on Saturday.

-- KWU SI --