Josh Ehrlich capped a 14-play, 91-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal with 38 seconds remaining and Susquehanna earned a 24-21 victory over Bethel, which had a potential winning touchdown wiped out by a penalty Saturday in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals in Selinsgrove, Pa.
Bethel has winning touchdown wiped out by penalty in 24-21 loss at Susquehanna in Division III quarterfinals
A 30-yard touchdown catch by Joey Kidder as time expired was negated by a holding penalty on the Royals.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 14, 2024 at 11:36PM
Bethel (11-3) thought it scored a walk-off touchdown when Joey Kidder caught a 30-yard pass from Cooper Drews as time expired, but Royals offensive lineman Tristen Cantu was called for holding, wiping out the score. Bethel’s final play was a series of laterals that went backwards before the River Hawks made a tackle to end the game.
Susquehanna (12-1), which defeated St. John’s 41-38 on a field goal as time expired last week to reach the quarterfinals, will play North Central (Ill.) — a 27-3 winner over Springfield — in the semifinals.
Bethel took a 21-14 lead on Cooper Drews’ 16-yard TD pass to Micah Niewald on the first play of the fourth quarter. The River Hawks got within 21-17 on a 35-yard field goal by Dominic Bourgeois with 8:30 to play.
On the game’s final score, the River Hawks were stuffed twice for no gain before Ehrlich barely was able to run it in on fourth-and-goal.
Drews passed for 248 yards and a touchdown. Niewald had 16 receptions for 154 yards. Nate Farm intercepted two passes for the Royals, who also had six sacks.
Ehrlich passed for 215 yards and a TD and Rahshan La Monds rushed for 125 yards for the River Hawks.
This was an Army-Navy game unlike any before it. The teams had combined for 19 victories this season before their annual clash, a record for the rivalry.
