Bethel Wildcats football is back and ready for the 2022 season

It’s once again football time for the Bethel Wildcats. After finishing the season last year with a 7-4 mark; the Cats hope to continue that momentum this fall. The 2022 schedule will as always be tough in what many believe is the toughest NAIA football league in the nation.

Six Mid-South Conference teams were mentioned in the NAIA Football First Down PlayBook Top 25 Postseason Poll this past fall.

Bethel will go toe-to-toe with four of them this season.

The Wildcats schedule consists of six home games and five road outings.

Schedule is as follows:

The Cats open the season at home against Arkansas Baptist on August 27.

Week two action sees Bethel on the road against the No. 9 Reinhardt Eagles in Waleska, Georgia.

In week three play, the Cats return home to battle Point University on the 10th.

After an open date, for week four the Wildcats return home on September 24th to face off against the UPIKE Bears.

The Cats go on the road the following week. They will be traveling to Georgetown on the first day of October to face the Tigers.

The Patriots of the University of the Cumberlands will be in McKenzie on October 8th. Bethel looks to defend home-field in a night game that looks to kickoff at 7pm.

On October 15, the Cats travel to Taylor County, Kentucky, to face the Tigers of Campbellsville.

Going into Homecoming week, the Cats will face Thomas More at 1 p.m.

Bethel goes back to the Commonwealth on the 29th. The Cats go onto face Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders.

The finale to the regular season will be a home game on November 5th. Faulkner will be in the house for Senior Day beginning at 1 p.m.

Bethel closes out the regular season on November 12 at Cumberland University.

The Wildcats will need to replace several program record setters. De’Ontay Tate finished with 1,098 rushing yards last year. He became just the 13th Wildcat to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He finished his career with 3,427 yards which is fourth all-time in Wildcat history. Tate had 13 rushing touchdowns on the season. Tate was a first team MSC All-Conference performer.

Quarterback Nolan Chowbay threw 30 touchdowns last year. He passed Sam Castronova who had 28 in 2018. Chowbay finished the year with 3,232 passing yards which is the most in a single season in Wildcat history. Chowbay was named to the MSC All-Conference second team.

Returning to Bethel are several key players such as: Wide receiver James Dixon. Dixon had an outstanding year last year breaking into the collegiate scene by taking home the Bluegrass Offensive Freshman of the Year. Dixon led the Bluegrass Division and ranked sixth in the NAIA with 1,116 receiving yards. He averaged 101.5 receiving yards per game with 14 touchdown receptions, which also led the Bluegrass last year.

Versatile and aggressive are certainly words used to describe defensive back Vonte Bates. Bates is back after an outstanding season. Bates had 99 total tackles on the season. Bates also had three interceptions and was named first team All-Conference.

Ball-hawk Devious Christmon is back after having five interceptions last year. He was a first team all-conference selection. Christmon moved to third on the all-time program list for career interceptions with 12.

With these returning players and momentum from last year propelling the Wildcats forward into 2022: Bethel looks to dominate the Bluegrass Division.

Coach Jasper enters his fourth year as head coach of the Wildcats. Coach Jasper’s career record is 15-14 overall and 9-12 in conference play.

The Cheap Seats w/Seabass

The Cheap Seats w/Seabass