Avila uses second-half comeback to hand Bethel football first loss
Avila uses second-half comeback to hand Bethel football first loss
The Threshers drop to 6-1 and into a three-way tie atop the KCAC.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With just over a minute left in the first half of the Bethel (6-1) football team’s matchup with Avila (6-1) in Kansas City, Mo. at the Zarda Multisport Complex, the Threshers faced 2nd & 8 at their own 23-yard line with a 14-0 lead.
That’s when Bethel sophomore quarterback DJ Ciers dropped back to pass and was hit hard enough by an Eagles defender that the ball was jarred free. Avila recovered it in the end zone for its first points of the day and the Threshers were never able to regain their footing from that point forward.
”[Avila] did a good job sending pressure,” Bethel head coach A.B. Stokes said. “They threw in some wrinkles that gave us some fits.”
The 24th-ranked Eagles then followed that up with 14 third-quarter points and a backbreaker in the fourth to topple ninth-ranked Bethel, 28-14.
“Football is a game of momentum,” Stokes said. “We tried the best we could to battle and fight back through adversity. And at the end of the day, even in a loss, we’re grateful for the opportunity to come out here and compete.”
The Threshers jumped out in front by two touchdowns in the first 21 minutes of action, courtesy of a four-yard plunge by senior running back Chantz Scurry and a beautiful five-yard fade-ball throw from Ciers to sophomore wide receiver Trevon Madison in the back corner of the end zone.
Ciers would finish the day 14-of-19 with 98 yards passing, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Avila’s strip sack of Ciers to end the second quarter would be the home side’s response that would narrow Bethel’s lead to just seven, 14-7, when the two sides retreated to their respective locker rooms.
Then, in line with the momentum Stokes spoke of, the Eagles knotted things up early in the third quarter after receiving the second-half kickoff. A string of explosive plays — including passes of 34 and 29 yards from quarterback Eli Williams to wide receivers Kendal Wooley and Robert Brooks — set up an 11-yard strike from Williams to tight end Andrew Williams.
Eli Williams scored on a 39-yard scamper to cap the third-quarter scoring. With the Thresher offense committing two second-half turnovers (four total) and unable to respond, Avila put the final nail in the coffin: a 20-yard hookup from Williams to Wooley with just two minutes left in regulation.
When the clock hit all zeroes, the Eagles stormed the field as Bethel’s winning streak to open 2022 was snapped.
“Hats off to Avila for playing a great game,” Stokes said. “They got the win today, but it’s not gonna stop us from moving forward. … Now it’s all about watching film because it’s not the last time someone will play us like they did [defensively].
We just have to stay the course. There’s still a lot to play for this season. It’s a tough conference and it’s hard to get through unblemished.”
The Threshers drop to 6-1 and into a three-way tie atop the KCAC with Avila and Southwestern. They’ll be back in action on Oct. 22 against Sterling. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Thresher Stadium.