Bethel football shuts out Sterling in season opener
The Threshers defeated Sterling 13-0 on Saturday where the Bethel defense held the Warriors to only 83 yards in the contest
STERLING — The Bethel football team started their season off with a dominate win against Sterling on Saturday on the road, winning the contest 13-0 while holding Sterling to just 83 yards in the contest.
Both teams struggled to find momentum in the first quarter, seeing neither team score. Quarterback DJ Ciers would finally put Bethel on the board in the second quarter, after ensuing a 71-yard drive of ten plays, with a one-yard touchdown run, proving himself as a weapon yet again this season. Freshman Matteo De Hoyos got the start as kicker on Saturday, giving the Threshers a 7-0 lead by making the point after attempt.
The Threshers got their second touchdown of the night from newcomer Torrie Curry, as he ran for a seven-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt would fail and neither team would score for the remainder of the game, giving Bethel an early season shut out, 13-0.
Bethel’s defense was the star of the show in the contest, holding the Warrior offense to a slim 83 yards on the night. The Thresher defense was led by senior Noah Miller, who stacked the stat sheet with nine tackles and a late-game interception to seal the deal.
“We put in a good game plan and our defense executed it to what I would call perfection,” Miller from Pond Creek, Okla. said. “Holding a team to under 100 total yards is a big accomplishment, I did my part of course, but it takes a team to do what we did. As for the interception, I was trying to make a statement.”
Another standout defensive player for the Threshers was senior Colton McCarty, who recorded eight tackles and a sack against the Warriors.
The Bethel offense looked a little different on Saturday, without their star wide receiver and 2023 KCAC First Team selection in Trevon Madison. The Thresher offense was instead led by senior running back Torriano Richardson, who was ineligible for most of last season, who racked up 143 yards over 22 carries.
“I was a bit on edge the entire week because I actually didn’t know I’d be playing until Friday night, but once I found out I was, I was just excited to be able to play with my guys,” Richardson from Detroit, Mich. said. “We hope to just keep getting better as a team and make a deep playoff push this year.”
Another important piece to the Bethel offense on Saturday was once again, like last season, found in the quarterback position in Ciers. He rushed for 33 yards while throwing for 111 yards on the night, and adding his first touchdown to his season stat sheet.
“The guys that stood out to me were: Colton McCarty, Noah Miller, and Torriano Richardson,” interim head coach Daylon Markham said. “Those 3 guys will be players that we can count on each and every week to do big things for us.”
Although the roster looks different this season, the Threshers are building their momentum for the long conference season ahead.
“We didn't turn on each other and we stayed positive through all the adversity that we faced during the game,” Markham said. The energy and effort was there and we ended up with the victory.”
Bethel will take on Saint Mary on Saturday at 6 p.m. in their first home game of the season in Thresher Stadium.