In a pivotal NCAA Division-III football quarterfinal clash, Bethel saw its national semifinal aspirations dashed by a controversial replay decision. The Royals were defeated 35-21 by the defending champions, North Central, in a matchup held on Saturday in Naperville, Illinois.
As the first half was winding down, Bethel was poised for a potential game-tying touchdown. On a critical fourth-and-6 play from the North Central 14-yard line, quarterback Cooper Drews connected with Albert Rundell, who appeared to have made a first down. However, center Jaeger Ash controversially took the ball from Rundell and carried it into the end zone, only for the touchdown to be overturned after a lengthy video review. Instead of a touchdown, Bethel was awarded a first down at the 8-yard line with just 13.8 seconds remaining.
After a short completion to Rundell at the 1-yard line, Drews” keeper on the final play of the half was stopped short. “Those are huge plays,” remarked Bethel head coach Mike McElroy. “It was called a touchdown. It was taken off the board. It has to be indisputable video evidence. I don”t want to whine about some of that stuff, but we”ve got to be better as a division. We”re kind of half in on this stuff (replay). And then it has a huge impact on the game.” He added that the decision affected a significant part of the game and expressed frustration over what he felt was a turning point.
The second half saw North Central capitalize on the momentum. A 28-yard punt by Bethel set up a touchdown for the Cardinals on their first possession of the third quarter. Running back Donovan McNeal capped a 40-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, extending North Central”s lead to 21-7. Shortly after, Zeb Rashid scored on a 3-yard run, increasing the lead to 28-7.
McNeal found the end zone again early in the fourth quarter, pushing the score to 35-7. Bethel managed a pair of late touchdowns, including a 1-yard run from Drews and a 20-yard pass to Tyler Terry, but it was too little, too late for the Royals.
North Central”s head coach, Brad Spencer, praised his team”s ability to maintain momentum after halftime. “I thought this week we did a great job of holding on to it. We came out and won the third quarter in a big way which helped us put the game away,” he said.
This defeat marked Bethel”s second consecutive loss in the national quarterfinals, having fallen to Susquehanna 24-21 the previous season. North Central, with a record of 13-0, looks to achieve its sixth straight appearance in the title game, having previously won national championships in 2019 and 2022, while finishing as runner-up in 2021 and 2023.
Drews ended the game with 24 completions on 43 attempts for 260 yards, while Rundell had 10 receptions for 46 yards. North Central”s first-half lead was aided by a Bethel penalty that allowed the Cardinals to convert a fourth down, leading to a 33-yard touchdown run by McNeal just before halftime.
After an opening quarter where Bethel was outgained significantly, the Royals found their rhythm in the second quarter. Drews” 4-yard touchdown pass to Rundell tied the game at 7-7, keeping the Royals competitive despite the eventual defeat.
