With all due respect to every other sport, it doesn’t really feel like the fall sports season begins until football begins. So, welcome to the first of my weekly recaps. If we haven’t met, I’m Aiden Penner, returning as the sports editor for the Bethel University Clarion.
My faithful sports reporter, CJ Wrzesien, graduated last year, so now I’m feeling like a safety trying to cover three routes at once, where those routes are all the wonderful sports here at Bethel.
I’ll do everything I can to give each sport the coverage it deserves, which is why I’m putting out these weekly recaps. And if somehow this isn’t enough sports content for you, give the Double Coverage podcast a listen where I talk about the week of Bethel sports with the voice of Royal Media, Tyler Gustafson.
It’s going to be a lot of fun, so welcome. Invite a friend, too.
Let’s jump in.
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Football (1-0, 0-0): Unexpected heroes come through in season-opening victory over Northwestern
There’s a good chance you’re a Royals fan if you’re reading this, which means there’s a good chance you already knew how this game was going to go. Bethel dominated the University of Northwestern Eagles 50-3. Still, it’s always fun for these two teams, separated by six miles of Snelling Avenue, to face off. Yet it’s somehow only the fourth time they’ve ever played each other, and the second since 1991.
The Royals outdid their offensive performance from last year’s matchup by one point, while allowing the same. If that sentence made any sense to you and you’re counting in your head, the Royals have outscored the University of Northwestern Eagles 99-6 in their last two matchups.
Some key players, names casual Bethel fans wouldn’t recognize immediately, made the difference. Royals football experienced lots of turnover over the off-season. Gagliardi Trophy finalist Matt Jung transferred to Wisconsin, and All-Americans Caden DeWall and Joey Kidder graduated, along with several other key All-MIAC players, including Bethel’s all-time receptions leader, Micah Niewald.
As a result, inexperience covered the field in this season-opener, especially at the wide receiver position. Probably the most notable contributor was junior receiver Tyler Terry. Sophomore Teagan Viebrock took a nasty spill on a questionable pass interference no-call during the last play of the Royals’ opening drive. He came up holding his left arm delicately, indicating a shoulder or wrist injury.
Terry took his place and got to work immediately. Following a long catch into the red zone on the next drive, Terry caught a screen pass in a wonky, three-linemen formation and followed his blockers 12 yards into the end zone. From there it was all Bethel, and Terry finished the contest with 15 catches, 177 yards and two scores. His 15 grabs are tied for the second-most in a single Royals game.
“[Northwestern was] playing a lot of off-coverage, so I had a lot of space to work with,” Terry said. “[Royals quarterback Cooper Drews] made a lot of good decisions with the ball, taking his access throws when they were there and handing the ball off when they weren’t.”
Freshman running back Taye Manns had his own phenomenal debut. Splitting carries with junior David Geebli, Manns took the ball 22 times for 114 yards and a score, where he leaped over a defender at the goal line. Perhaps more impressively, those 114 yards are all true yards; he never took a loss of yards, and seemingly never went down on first contact.
While it’s often hard to completely satisfy a head coach, Bethel head coach Mike McElroy expressed gratitude for the chance to finally play.
“It’s been a long camp,” McElroy said. “It feels good to game plan, to get reps. [We have] a lot of things to work out; we’re a young team, but proud of our guys.”
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Volleyball (4-6,0-0): Freshmen test themselves through tough non-conference play
11 of the 21 players on Gretchen Hunt’s volleyball team are true freshmen. This sounded promising before the season began, considering how impactful several of last year’s freshmen were.
I was worried for a while. Before Saturday, the Royals were 2-6. Other than some great assist numbers from freshman Sophia Rubio, who has taken over in the wake of Ellie Van Namen breaking her foot, I feared I’d set my expectations too high for this freshman class and the team as a whole.
However, Bethel came through for two more sweeps Saturday at the Augustana Invite in Illinois, easing my worries a bit.
In the game I watched, when the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire swept the Royals in Arden Hills, I saw brutal mis-timed jumps and gut-wrenching swings and misses out of the hitters. Maybe it’s the Grace Solberg effect, but I’m hoping to see these young Royals find a groove and put together more wins as conference play approaches.
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Men’s soccer (4-0-2, 0-0): Undefeated and looking for more?
I’m going to be honest with you right here. I haven’t been following soccer really at all this year. It wouldn’t be fair to give any opinions on this team, as a result, and I apologize to the team for not giving you the attention you certainly deserve.
But this team is UNDEFEATED through the first six games! That’s certainly significant, and I’m thrilled to find that out after the success they had last season. The Royals hosted their first playoff game in program history, where their season tragically ended. But that’s a great foundation upon which they’re continuing to build.
Junior Carter Sheard and senior Jordan Ross are tied for the team lead in points at eight, each with four goals on the season.
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Women’s soccer (0-4-1, 0-0): Just find the positive
In high school, my parents and coaches often told me that winning wasn’t what mattered, but having fun.I’m sure some of you also heard this in team huddles and on post-game car rides home. But let’s face it. Sports, especially now at this age, are more fun if you win.
Again, I haven’t kept a close eye on this team, but I know it sucks to lose.
But there’s still hope. Conference play begins Tuesday. The team’s record before that doesn’t even matter, if we’re honest. This non-conference crap was just practice, but now this team is ready.
Junior goalkeeper Abby Wright is filling huge shoes after Kate Green graduated, and the Royals aren’t getting much help from injuries either with junior Hannah Kvant’s ACL and junior Taylor Sievert’s hip keeping them out to start the season.
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Whew! If you made it this far in the column, I’m surprised and impressed. Maybe they’ll be this long every week, maybe they won’t. Ask my editors.
Also, I am a real person. If you see me and want to tell me I’m wrong about something or praise me for all the wisdom and knowledge I spew forth in these, feel free to do either.
Enjoy the week. Get an 85¢ Blizzard from Dairy Queen. Listen to Double Coverage.
Love y’all.
