Cover Photo Credit: Emerald Lemley

The Basics
Score: #9 Evangel 13, #7 Bethel (TN) 40
Records: Evangel (11-1); Bethel (11-1)
Box Score
 
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – A second-half comeback was not in the cards for the Evangel football team Saturday, as the 9^th-ranked Valor fell 40-13 at No. 7 Bethel (Tenn.) in the second round of the NAIA Football Championship Series.
 
Evangel posted just the fourth 11-1 season in school history as the loss ended the perfect season and snapped the second-longest winning streak in the NAIA. The Wildcats move on to the quarterfinal round as they improved to 11-1 overall.
 
Evangel's Jonah Edwards kicked a 26-yard field goal with 9:25 left in the third quarter to make it a one point game at 14-13. However, senior quarterback RJ Wakley was knocked out of the game on the drive and unable to return giving a shifting momentum back to the home team. Wakley continued his impressive final season going 13 of 24 for 145 yards with a touchdown before leaving the game.
 
Bethel proceeded to answer with a quick 6-play, 74-yard drive over the next two minutes. Martize Smith punched it in on a 36-yard run to push the Wildcat lead back to 21-13, the second touchdown of the day for Smith and Bethel would go on to score two more times and add a defensive score in the win.
  
A close back and forth battle through nearly three quarters saw, Edwards give Evangel an early, 3-0, lead on a 31-yard field at the 6:57 mark of the first quarter. The first of two field goals for Edwards on the day.
 
Bethel would strike quickly after a punt on its opening drive to take a 7-3 lead. The home team controlled the clock taking a 14-3 lead after a 1-yard run from Smith extended the Wildcat advantage.
 
Smith rushed for two touchdowns and 139 yards on 21 carries for Bethel. Joaquin Collazo led the Wildcats with 162 yards through the air and a pair of touchdowns as well.
 
Broc Lyle helped Evangel get into the end zone for its only touchdown of the game with 43 seconds left in the first half. Wakley helped drive the Valor after a Nate Swofford interception setup the drive.
 
Lyle led the Valor with six catches for 53 yards, while senior Dillon Hester added four catches for 58 yards.
 
Seniors Bradley Myers and Swofford led Evangel with 12 tackles each. Zach Myers added six tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks.
 
Bethel finished with 388 total yards of offense while Evangel tallied just 203 total yards. The Valor struggled on third down going 5 of 15 while the Wildcats were 75 percent going 9 of 12.
 
Evangel's 11 wins ties a school record for wins in a season. Seventh year head coach Chuck Hepola moved into second all-time in coaching wins as he holds a 53-31 record.
 
Wide receiver Dillon Hester finishes his career, third on the all-time list for receiving yards with 2,515 and his 25 touchdowns are fourth best. His 1,057 receiving yards rank fifth best in a single-season and his 13 touchdowns tie for second most.
 
Quarterback RJ Wakley finished his season with 2,906 passing yards, second-most in a single-season and his 29 touchdowns rank second. Over his career, Wakley finished with 4,575 passing yards, seventh most in Evangel history as were his 41 passing touchdowns.

 
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.