Football | 9/7/2025 1:02:00 PM
Box Score North Newton, Kan – Following their win over Avila to open up the season, the McPherson Bulldogs hit the field for their second matchup of 2025. They would face the Bethel Threshers of the Dr. Ted Kessinger Division. Bethel looked to bounce back after opening up their season with a loss to nationally ranked Southwestern a week prior.
The Basics
Location: Thresher Stadium
Score: MC 33, BC 7
Records: MC 2-0 (0-0 KCAC), BC 0-2 (0-0 KCAC)
How it Happened
For the second week in a row, the Bulldogs were the first to light up the scoreboard. On the first play from scrimmage,
Ryan Markarian would connect with
Jalil Brown on a 72-yard touchdown reception for the early 7-0 advantage on the road.
On the first play of the second quarter,
Santiago Salas would find the endzone after punching his way through defenders for the 14-0 lead. Following a forced three-and-out by the McPherson defense, the Bulldogs struck gold once more on their next drive. Markarian found his second score through the air connecting on a short pitch-and-catch to
Kaden Millinder to extend the lead to 21-0. The Bulldogs' defense gave their two additional points after forcing a safety midway through the second quarter, cushioning the lead at 23-0. The extra possession for McPherson would lead to three more points off the leg of
Jack Finder from 40 yards out, giving McPherson a 26-0 advantage.
Just when it looked like the Threshers were marching down the field on their next drive, Matthew Garcia Jr. picked up an interception near the McPherson goal line, keeping their large lead fully intact at 26-0 heading into the locker room for halftime.
After a stalemate third quarter, Bethel would find the endzone in the fourth quarter on a pass from Byron Reese to Josiah Buller, cutting the lead down to three possessions. The lead would be pushed back to four scores after
Avery Duncan recovered a fumble on Bethel's next offensive possession; this quickly led to
Jalil Brown making his way to the promise land on a 50-yard burst downfield to extend McPherson's lead to 33-7. This would be the final score of the night for either side, but the defense continued to find extra possessions by forcing turnovers.
Lester Amos III forced another fumble by the Threshers and recovered it himself; shortly after,
Malachi Mazzetti intercepted a pass to extinguish any possible threat of a late-game comeback. When the final whistle blew, McPherson left North Newton with the 33-7 victory.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will host their second game at McPherson Stadium this upcoming Saturday as they prepare to take on the Tabor Bluejays on September 13
th. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM at Paul Family Field.
