This past Friday night marked the beginning of the 2016 Bethel Bees High School football season. Week one of the season is when excitement runs high as everyone in town is happy for the return of football. Each team’s expectations and goals are available for accomplishing, and as the Bethel Bees charged onto the field to face the visiting Polar Bears of Northridge High School, the buzz and energy in the stadium was palpable.
Despite the entire area being blanketed by storms on Friday night which halted most games including this one, the Bees dominance continued to Saturday morning. Bethel dominated the Polar Bears for a 54-6 season opening win.
The Bees began the game in error when on the second play from scrimmage, backed up into their own territory, the hand off exchange was knocked loose by a host of Northridge defenders who were able to initiate quarterback Jacob Evans in the backfield. The ball bounced to the ground and amid the scrum the Polar Bears recovered the fumble. Certainly not how head coach Scott Clodfelter and the Bees faithful had hoped to start out the new season, but not to be discouraged for very long, the Bethel defense made two tackles for loss, backing up the Northridge offense and forcing them to go three and out on their opening drive.
Bethel’s offense, led by junior year quarterback Jacob Evans, wasted no time getting back on track during their second possession of the ball game. After first down runs by Evans and Ian Anderson, as well as a completed pass to Tyler Terry for a solid gain, it was Nate Rimkus who got the call and dashed 35 yards into the end zone for the first points of the year. Erica Turner kicked through the point after, and the Bees went on top 7-0. The Bethel defense looked to be in mid-season form on Northridge’s next possession when senior Cameron Brown came up with a great looking interception as he snatched the pass out of the air while in stride, and bolted down the field, only to be taken down by a touchdown saving tackle at the ten yard line. The take away set up quarterback Jacob Evans goal line touchdown run behind a fierce push from the Bees’ offensive line. Trouble with the snap on the extra point led to no attempt at the kick and the Bees led 13-0 with 6:21 remaining in the first quarter.
As the Bees were mounting an early lead, their defensive play stayed dominant as they forced another quick three and out on Northridge’s next possession. Then the Bethel offense, sensing the Polar Bears defense begin to wear, ran the ball methodically and effectively down the field, but after a false start penalty on third down moved them back, Evans dropped to pass and while eluding the defensive pressure, he found an open Tyler Terry for a first down conversion that would set up another goal line score for quarterback Jacob Evans. Erica Turner nailed the extra point, and the Bees took command, up 20-0 with still 1:03 left in the first quarter.
Then as the Bethel Bees were lighting up the scoreboard throughout the first quarter, the skies began to light up as well, and after multiple lighting delays, the game was postponed with 1.3 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
On Saturday, the Bees continued controlling the game, adding 28 more points in the second period and taking a commanding 48-0 lead at the half against Northridge. With the running clock in place, Bethel put them away in the second half and opened the season on the right foot last weekend.
The Bees return to action on Friday night, as they host Mississinawa Valley, 7:30 kickoff.
