Sports are beautiful because they highlight the peak of human possibility. This week, that sentiment is ultra-true. 

I write this while watching J.J. McCarthy renew his young career with the best performance to date. Every time I check the NCAA Division III football playoff bracket, the chances of a Bethel national championship seem to grow. And early potential abounds in both basketball teams in this season – a refreshing sight on the men’s side, especially. 

Let’s explore all these possibilities. 

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Football (12-0, 9-0): Royals rally early to advance to quarterfinals

Sneaking peeks at the score of this game during the 2 p.m. Saturday Festival of Christmas performance epitomizes my life as both a sportswriter and college student. Still, I watched enough of the first half to understand how significant the Royals’ 35-24 win over the University of Wisconsin-Platteville was. 

During the first play of the game for Bethel, running back David Geebli took a handoff up the middle and fumbled, giving the Pioneers possession at Bethel’s 29-yard line. Almost immediately, Plateville punched the ball in for an early lead. 

This was an unfamiliar feeling for the undefeated Royals, who have trailed in just two games this season. And it was the first time they had trailed by more than a score, after the Pioneers added a field goal later in the first quarter to lead 10-0. 

But with Bethel head coach Mike McElroy, who rarely gets visibly fired up, leading by example, the Royals have too much poise to sit on their heels during a deficit. 

So rather than panic in a difficult moment, Bethel circled back to Geebli throughout the game, who led the team with 21 carries for 167 yards and a touchdown. 

“This guy is one of the hardest workers on the team,” quarterback Cooper Drews said about Geebli. “I got a lot of trust in ‘Geebs.’” 

After going down 10 in the first quarter, freshman running back Taye Manns scored in the final seconds of the period to begin a 28-0 stretch for the Royals – aided by a couple of timely takeaways – which put them in firm control for the rest of the game. 

This resilience is remarkable for a team that had not faced much strong competition before Saturday. Tyler and I often discuss on Double Coverage how difficult it is to gauge the Royals’ true championship odds, but I only feel more confident after this win. A championship is very real. 

But the biggest test remains. Bethel travels to Illinois Saturday to face the defending national champion – North Central University (Ill.). 

And yet, why not? Why can’t this team do the impossible? I certainly trust McElroy to lead these seemingly invincible Royals calmly into the storm, where a chaos of possibilities swirls. 

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Men’s basketball (3-3, 1-0): Pair of wins turns the tide

Allow me to introduce you to Jay Neubert. He’s a sophomore transfer from the University of Jamestown in North Dakota. And he has cemented himself as the early savior of the Bethel men’s basketball team. 

The Royals opened conference play Wednesday with a 74-67 win against Macalester, where Neubert scored a team-high 23 points in his first game for the Royals. He spent the initial portion of the season recovering from an unspecified lower leg injury. That issue now seems behind him as Neubert shot eight of 13 from the floor and four of seven from three. 

Then, the Royals went to St. Bonafacius to beat Crown College 89-87 in a thriller. After a tie at the end of both regulation and the first overtime, Neubert took the ball with the score still tied in the final seconds of the second overtime. He dribbled coast-to-coast, where he laid up a floater near the free-throw line for a buzzer-beating game-winner. Neubert finished that game with 20 points. 

With these wins, Bethel looks as hot as ever. Have we talked about resilience at all today? 

Plus, it’s not like Neubert is carrying the team; nor is the team relying on him. Junior Nick Burke led the team with a career-high 31 points in the Crown game. Junior Sam Gingras added 15 on six of 11 shooting in the Macalester game. The team is shooting 34.8% from three on the season. Head coach Gabe Miller is finding a rhythm for his team. 

Without much size, it was even more impressive to see the Royals win the battle in the paint against Crown, and seeing them shoot 35% from three was important. 

If Bethel can make these performances consistent, anything remains possible through conference play. 

The Royals next play Wednesday at Augsburg before a three-game, non-conference stretch until the new year.

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Women’s basketball (3-1, 2-0): Schmitz dominates in conference openers

Elly Schmitz. Sure, it was a slow start for the Bethel women’s basketball fifth-year forward. But we saw plenty of her ability and knew it was a matter of time until the Division II transfer broke out this season. The team needs her dominance to stay atop the MIAC. 

And break out she did. 

26 points and four steals in a 77-52 win at Macalester Wednesday. 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 66-45 win at St. Catherine Saturday. 

This team is here to stay. Gustavus is likely the only team that can compete with Bethel’s size this season, and the Royals still have the advantage, especially with their depth. 

Bethel has three solid players who can play the five, and all of them have shown they can excel. 

Junior Emily Erickson, the star of last week while Schmitz was warming up, scored a career-high 23 points against Macalester. 

Junior Cally Peterson added 15 in the St. Catherine game, while Erickson scored her own 12. 

Simply put, this Bethel women’s basketball team is an embarrassment of riches. The Royals knew this fact last year and took advantage of their depth. But this year, they retain most of that talent, which has only developed with experience. 

With an overpowering amount of size, the Royals can do anything they want as winter continues. Hopefully, this year they’ll see me positively cover them. 

Bethel plays its third conference game Wednesday against Augsburg before a non-conference stretch until 2026. 

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Men’s hockey (4-5-0, 2-2-0): Royals split weekend with St. John’s 

The Royals took a 2-0 lead in the first period Thursday at St. John’s, giving them the momentum they needed, along with 44 saves from senior goalie Austin Ryman, to earn a 3-2 win for Bethel’s sixth straight victory over the Johnnies. 

The extension of that streak was short-lived, however, as St. John’s took the series finale 6-4 Saturday in a back-and-forth contest. 

The Royals took a 2-1 lead after the first period, before St. John’s scored three in the second and two in the third. Bethel tied it at three in the second and got within one in the third, but six total goals by the Johnnies were too much to overcome. 

Ryman was back in the net Saturday, but struggled, allowing five goals and earning just 23 saves. 

The Royals continue to play Friday and Saturday in a home-and-home series against the Milwaukee School of Engineering. 

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Women’s hockey (3-3-2, 1-3-2): Overtimes become familiar in repetitive weekend

The Bethel women’s hockey team played eight total periods of hockey between Friday and Saturday: six regular periods and two overtimes, as well as a shootout in each matchup.

The Royals hosted the College of Saint Benedict Friday, drawing 1-1. The Bennies held a 1-0 lead for most of the game before senior Kallie Tibbetts netted a goal with less than five minutes to play. Both goaltenders turned shots away in the overtime period, before Saint Benedict won the shootout for the extra point in the standings. 

Saturday, both Bethel and Saint Benedict scored once in the first period and never after, forcing another overtime. Once again, neither team found the net, leading to another shootout. But this time, Bethel found redemption as junior Malia McKinnon scored the decider before a clutch save by goaltender Ashley Gustafson. 

Despite a less-than-impressive look for Bethel’s record, both matchups over the weekend demonstrate resilience by another team. The Royals are fairly young, and it’s encouraging to see them rally in tight games. 

Bethel next plays a non-conference series against Marian University Friday and Saturday. 

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I hope Bethel sports inspire you the way they inspire me. Certainly, if the football team can come back from a 10-0 deficit, you can pass that final exam that feels impossible. I’m sure if Jay Neubert can go from being in a boot to saving the Royals’ season, you can finish that paper you’ve been dreading. Human achievement is simply the best. 

Until next time, drive around looking at Christmas lights, listen to Tommee Profitt’s (live) Christmas album and don’t forget to get your sibling a gift. 

Love y’all.