Bethany College

SEWANEE, Tenn. - The Bethany College football team defeated Sewanee (Tenn.), The University of the South, by a final score of 40-37 in the 2026 season opener and a non-conference game as David Blake earned his first career win as the Bison's head coach at McGee Field at Harris Stadium.

Bethany (1-0) was rolling right out of the opening kickoff as the Bison marched down and scored on their first possession of the 2026 campaign. The Green and White continued to pour it on in the first half and took a 27-3 lead into the intermission. Although Sewanee (0-1) scored 21 straight points out of the half, Coach Blake's squad traded punches with the Tigers down the stretch and eventually battled a two-hour weather delay to start the newest era of Bethany football with a win. The victory was Bethany's first in a season opener since 2022 and will be the first of many for Coach Blake.

Bethany Leaders

• The Bethany offense centered around junior All-PAC quarterback Brett Phillips (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) as he threw for 209 yards on 16 completions while also picking up 151 yards and two touchdowns on the ground
• Freshman running back Anthony Stallworth (Farrell, Pa./Farrell Area) rushed for 169 yards and scored three touchdowns in his first game as a Bison
• Junior wide receiver Mykel Davis (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) had a team-best 76 receiving yards on just three catches, while junior wide receiver Jacob Burns (Charleston, W.Va./Herbert Hoover) caught for 56 yards with one touchdown
• Senior Academic All-PAC linebacker Cam Bailey (Huntington, W.Va./Spring Valley) led the way for the Green and White defense with seven tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack, and also put a stop to a Tiger red-zone push with an interception
• Sophomore defensive back Nickolas Rispa (Homestead, Fla./South Dade) and junior defensive back Nijah Brown (Vero Beach, Fla.) each added five tackles
• Sophomore defensive back Maurice Hubbard (Houston, Texas/Stafford) had a first-quarter pick in part of Bethany's four takeaways on the day
• Senior linebacker Xavier Curry (Meridian, Miss.) had four tackles and another Bison sack for seven yards
• Junior All-PAC kicker Caden Langley (Wellsburg, W.Va./Brooke) went 4-for-6 on point-after attempts

Sewanee Leaders

• Junior quarterback Cam Beasley threw for 146 yards with two touchdowns while also rushing for 34 yards
• Junior wide receiver Na'Zaiyah Holman had a game-high 97 receiving yards with two touchdown catches
• Senior linebackers Isaiah Copeland and Brody Sanderson led the Sewanee defense with 15 tackles and nine tackles, respectively

First Quarter (Bethany 20-3)

• 9:17 - Stallworth capped off the Green and White's 65-yard opening drive with a two-yard touchdown carry (Langley kick good)
• 2:01 - Stallworth punched in another touchdown to answer a Sewanee field goal (Langley kick good)
• 0:44 - Phillips took it in himself to make it a 20-point quarter for the Bison (Langley kick missed)

Second Quarter (Bethany 27-3)

• 1:52 - Bethany extended the lead with another Stallworth touchdown run (Langley kick good)

Fourth Quarter (Bethany 40-37)

• 12:04 - A keeper from Phillips gave the B-Men their first score of the half (Langley kick good)
• 6:21 - Phillips found Burns for 30 yards for a much-needed Bethany touchdown (Langley kick missed)

The Bison are back in action Saturday, September 12 as they travel to Berea, Ohio to take on Baldwin Wallace (Ohio) University in a non-conference game at 1:30 p.m. at George Finnie Stadium.