History in the making: Bethel football team heads to playoff quarterfinals

The No. 3 Bethel football team will face No. 1 North Central in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals at noon on Saturday, December 13, in Naperville, Illinois. The Royals aim to write another chapter in what is already one of the best seasons in program history. 

Head Coach Mike McElroy is excited for the challenge of playing the defending champions in a matchup of DIII’s last two undefeated teams. “They are the benchmark of DIII football,” McElroy says. “They care deeply about being good, have poured a ton of resources into football, and are really well coached. It will be a great challenge for us.”

A historic season

The 2025 season saw the Bethel Royals complete the third undefeated regular season in program history. In 10 regular-season wins, the Royals outscored opponents 509-65 as a balanced offense, a dominant defense, and strong special teams play produced record performances. Bethel's deep defensive unit finished the fall near the top of Division III in scoring and rushing defense. Along the way, Bethel collected defining wins over regionally ranked opponents, a signature 17-10 victory over No. 4 Saint John’s, and shutouts that showcased the team’s depth. The team also landed numerous honors: 18 All-Conference selections, multiple national weekly awards, and many more. 

The team won its seventh MIAC title in program history and the second in the last three years. This season also marks Bethel’s fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Division III Championship tournament and 13th overall.

Playoffs 

After a first-round bye, the Royals improved to 11-0 with a 51-26 win over Coe in the second round of the playoffs. Quarterback Cooper Drew accounted for six touchdowns—three rushing and three passing, as he ran for 73 yards and passed for 250. After notching 1,489 receiving yards—the most in college football—during the regular season, wide receiver Albert Rundell caught six passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Royals' third-round game against the UW-Platteville Pioneers proved to be one of the toughest games of the season, as Bethel came from behind to win 35-24. After fumbling the ball on the first play from scrimmage, the Royals fell behind 10-0 for the first time all season. 

But McElroy was proud of how his team bounced back and played a physical game. All season, he’s talked about 2 Timothy 4:5 with his team, urging them to keep their heads, endure hardship, and do the work to respond to adversity. “We have a confident group,” he says. “I think it starts with how we practice and train. The discipline of doing your job over and over again and executing at a high level won out.”

The Royals began their comeback when Drews threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to running back Taye Manns. Then Bethel’s defense came up big when Will Bathel intercepted a pass near the goal line, stopping a Platteville drive. It sparked a 14-play, 98-yard drive that led to a Tyler Terry touchdown reception and the Royals' first lead at 14-10. 

Bethel continued to seize momentum in the second half when Tyler Drury recovered a Pioneer fumble on the half’s opening kickoff. On the next play, running back David Geebli ran for a 31-yard touchdown to make it 21-10. In the third quarter, Manns ran for a four-yard touchdown, widening Bethel's cushion to 28-10. Though both teams eclipsed 400 yards of offense, Bethel’s defense held on to secure the win, with big days from Jackson Braun and Devin Williams, who both recorded a career-high 11 tackles and forced fumbles. On offense, Geebli had a career outing, rushing for 169 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries—an average of eight yards per carry. Drews threw for 185 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 35 yards.

McElroy was proud of the team effort, with key plays from many different players. “In big games, guys have to make plays,” he says. “We had a lot of guys step up in moments that mattered.”

Building his own legacy

Looking back over this season, McElroy and Bethel Director of Athletics Greg Peterson both noted that the team started with relatively few returning starters. “The team is actually really young,” Peterson says. “There are several new starters on both offense and defense that have really performed at a high level.” McElroy credited the success to the hard work of his players. “I'm so proud of how our guys have responded,” McElroy adds. He also credited his coaching staff for their tremendous work in preparing the team. “There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes,” he says. “We have one of the most talented staffs in the country. They work tirelessly to prepare our guys and care for their hearts.”

While crediting his staff, McElroy continues to put his own stamp on Bethel’s football program. In his first season as head coach, McElroy led the Royals to an 11-3 record and the quarterfinals of the DIII playoffs. He’s built on that in his second season, leading the Royals back to the quarterfinals and being named both MIAC Coach of the Year and AFCA Region Five Coach of the Year. 

McElroy took over as head coach after the retirement of Steve Johnson, whose influence and leadership helped shape Bethel football for more than three decades. Peterson praised McElroy—often called Coach Mac—for the way he’s taken over for Hall of Fame coach. “He has put his own thumbprint on the program without veering away from the foundational principles that Coach J instilled in the program,” Peterson says. “Coach Mac has incredibly high expectations and blends those expectations with caring deeply about them individually. The players buy into this, which leads to playing at a high level.”

Peterson also praised McElroy as an intentional leader behind the scenes. “Coach Mac and his staff are incredibly intentional about everything they do—scheduling, how they practice, how they recruit,” he says. “Everything is thought out, and it creates an efficiency that is rare in college football programs.”

While he’s proud to build on Coach J’s legacy, McElroy is also following the advice he got from Johnson after being named head coach in January 2024—he’s only trying to be himself. “I think Coach J’s fingerprints are all over this place,” McElroy says. “I am just trying to coach these guys the way I would want to be coached and led—trying to thread the needle between not taking yourself too seriously and caring deeply about being good at your job.”

After a season of milestones and success, McElroy says his favorite memory from the season is getting to see his team at their practices. “I love being at practice with them and seeing how they work and interact with each other on a daily basis,” McElroy says. “They take great joy in the process of who they are becoming. It's been awesome to watch the growth that goes on and nobody else sees.” He calls it a testament to the team’s character and care for one another. He also points to the depth of their relationships and the way that has shaped their growth. “There is a cool way they love each other,” he says. He describes it as a sacrificial love built on the idea of Agape. “When we have a high capacity for love, and we hold each other accountable to what we say we want to be, there is a cool opportunity to grow,” he says. 

McElroy, an avid reader who keeps a library of books to share with his team, referenced Dorothy Sayers' famous "Why Work?" when describing the team’s values and drive. In the essay, Sayers argues that good work, done with skill and integrity, honors God and creation, and piety alone can't excuse shoddy craftsmanship, making all honest, well-done labor a sacred act. ”We’ve tried to embody that here the best we can,” McElroy says. “If we are to claim Christianity, our job is to produce good work. I am so proud of our guys in the product they have produced this fall and how that marks us and Bethel.”

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