By JIM STEELE
pressbox1.com

MCKENZIE - No. 6-ranked Bethel College figured Concordia, an Alabama team that won just two games last year, would be one of the early-season sacrificial lambs.

After all, Bethel's Wildcat Stadium, opening its third season as the team's home, has been a graveyard for visitors over that span. Yes, BC had to forfeit its 2006 games, but except for a controversial call against St. Francis in the playoffs last year, Bethel has pretty much been pristine on the synthetic lawn.

Until Saturday. Concordia looked like the ranked team while Bethel looked small, slow, flat and out of synch. As a result the visiting Hornets captured a stunning 23-18 victory which sent the Wildcats scrambling for answers.

It was apparent from the get-go that Bethel was in for a long night. The Hornets needed only 3:31 of the first quarter to post its opening score. Ken Johnson found John Halman for a 33-yard TD pass with 11:29 remaining in the first quarter. For the game, Johnson torched Bethel's secondary, which was touted as one of the team's strong points going into the season, for 137 yards and two touchdowns, TD passes of 33 and 47 yards.

Secondary woes were just a small part of a bigger problem for the Wildcats. On defense, they struggled to get penetration. On offense, they were 2-10 on third down and didn't move the ball consistently. The aerial game was suspect. In addition, the Wildcats hamstrung themselves with seven inopportune penalties for 65 yards and struggled through poor execution and game management during the last drive, which parked the Wildcats in the shadow of the Hornets' goalposts.

Bethel football coach Dino Kaklis spelled it out succinctly after the game.

"Penalties and third down conversions killed us," Kaklis said. " We didn't execute an that's the bottom line. If you don't execute, you don't win."

As a result, the Wildcats suffered their first regular-season on-the-field loss at Wildcat Stadium.

Concordia was doing whatever it could to help Bethel out. The Hornets went for it on fourth-and-1 with 9:06 to play in the second quarter. Johnson's pass fell incomplete and the Wildcats took over and embarked on a 77-yard drive that ended in a 6-yard TD completion from BC quarterback Chad Lamping to veteran receiver Joevaris Carter with 3:15 to play in the half. Sean Fraser's PAT kick failed, but the game was tied at 6 thanks to the break.

In the fourth quarter, with Bethel trailing 23-16, the Hornets lined up to punt with punter Halman standing in the middle of the end zone. The punt snap sailed over his head and the wildcats no longer needed eight points to win. Six would suffice. BC trailed 23-18 with 3:40 to play and would receive the ball on the free kick. The safety and regaining possession were two huge breaks.

Wildcat returner Julian Tyler returned the ball to Concordia territory at the 49 and a rejuvenated BC bunch began what looked to be a game-winning march. Justin Woodard took the first play 12 yards to the Hornet 37, then Lamping found over the middle for a 13-yard completion to the 24. Bethel was in pretty good shape and had all three time outs. Concordia just had one to that point.

Then the Cat's sputtered. Two running plays netted 4 yards. On third down, Lamping fumbled the snap and had to fall on it. Not only was Bethel down to its final bullet, it had to burn a time out. That was doubly costly. Lamping had to throw it away on fourth down and Concordia took over with :39 to play on its own 12. With the wasted time out on offense, BC was powerless to stop the clock after third down. The Hornets watched time, and BC's home regular-season win streak, expire.

"How many drives of theirs did we keep alive with a stupid penalty?" asked Kaklis. "And you can't execute 70 plays and screw up on the 71st. We didn't execute the game plan."

Concordia scored with 3:15 to play in the second quarter on Johnson's 2-yard TD plunge. Halman added the PAT and the Hornets went into the dressing room leading 13-6. Bethel drove down to the Concordia 9 where the drive bogged down, allowing former soccer player, and Scotland import Fraser to notch the first three points of his career, a 26-yard field goal with 9:37 left in the third. Halman answered with a Concordia field goal five minutes later and the Hornets led 16-9.

Bethel battled back to knot the score at 16 when Lamping hit tight end Jeremy Akins in the left corner of the end zone. Fraser added the conversion. Concordia responded with a five-play, 72-yard scoring drive. On a fourth-and-5 play, Johnson led Halman on a perfect 47-yard scoring strike to start the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats were pretty much hot or cold on offense. Woodard had 13 carries for 104 yards while Camden product Josh Boyd carried 21 times for 102 yards. It's the 12th time since football has been reinstated in 1993 that Bethel has had two 100-plus-yard rushers. Between the 20s, BC was okay. Beyond the 20s was a different story. BC only mustered 270 total yards. Meanwhile, Concordia racked up 324 yards.

"We didn't sustain blocks very well, like we should," said Kaklis. "We have two backs who are very capable kids and they showed they could do things."

Johnson completed six of 12 passes for 137 yards, two TDS and an interception. Concordia's A.J. Ward carried 21 times for 126 yards.

Lexington product, Jonathan DeBerry, led the Wildcats with nine total tackles, two for loss, and an interception. Wade Vandergriff also had nine total stops.

The Wildcats have an open date before facing Division 3 contender Wisconsin-Eau Claire 7 p.m. September 6 at Wildcat Stadium.