ARCANUM – The Bethel Bees varsity football squad dominated the Arcanum Trojans from beginning to end in Friday night’s matchup with the Bees earning a 52-0 victory and dampening Arcanum’s Homecoming festivities.
Bethel took the opening kickoff and quickly drove down the field for its first score, a scamper by Travis Durst on third and goal from the 3. Quarterback Jacob Evans added a run for 2 points to make it 8-0.
Bethel forced a punt on the Trojans’ first offensive series then moved the ball to the Arcanum 25-yard line where Durst broke through defenders to run for his second touchdown of the night. Another Evans 2-point conversion gave Bethel a 16-0 lead with 3:54 remaining in the first quarter.
Trojan quarterback Evan Atchley’s pass into triple coverage on the next series led to an interception by the Bees’ Kendal James, who ran the ball back to the Bees’ 42.
Evans then led the Bees to the Arcanum 25 where momentum seemed to stall as the Bees faced a fourth and 15. However, James stung the Arcanum squad once more, taking the ball around the left side to add another touchdown. Evans’ pass attempt for 2 points was incomplete, leaving the Trojans down 22-0 at the 10:30 mark in the second quarter.
Two minutes later, with a first and 10 at their own 34-yard-line, the Bees’ Caleb South hauled in a pass and added another Bethel touchdown. A Jacob Ullmer run for 2 points was successful and put Bethel up 30-0.
With 1:41 remaining in the half, Evans and Ullmer combined for another rushing touchdown and conversion. Arcanum went to the locker room with a 38-0 halftime deficit.
The Trojans came out running in the third with successive runs by Austin Fourman giving Arcanum some traction and moving the ball down the field. However, Fourman’s fumble, recovered by the Bees at their own 12-yard-line, ended that Trojan scoring opportunity.
At their own 25, the Bees’ big-play ability once again manifested itself as Evans connected with James for a 75-yard strike. A successful Ben Lawson kick pushed the Bees’ lead over the Trojans to 45-0 with 6:38 remaining in the third.
An end-of-game drive to put points on the board ended in disaster for Arcanum as Atchley’s pass at the Bee 6-yard line on fourth and goal was intercepted and returned all the way for a Bethel touchdown. Lawson’s point after kick finished Bethel’s scoring for the night and the Bees, now 5-1, left Arcanum with a 52-0 victory.
Bethel next faces the 2-4 Buccaneers on Friday at Covington. Arcanum (1-5, 1-3 in conference) travels to take on the 4-2 (4-1 conference) Tri-County North Panthers on Friday.
