NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — For all the damage No. 12 Southern Nazarene has done through the air, SNU threw in a wrinkle in a 58-14 win over Bethel (Kan.) Saturday night.
The Crimson Storm (4-0) increased their best start in school history and did it with a pair of school records. For the second time this year, SNU broke the school record total yards with 650 and was just short of the school record for rushing yards in a single game with 377.
Derick Perkins led the way for the Storm with a career-high 150 yards and two touchdowns on 22 attempts. Brady Wardlaw also ran for 61 yards on eight attempts. Nine different players carried the ball for the Storm for 59 attempts.
Wardlaw also threw for 225 yards and four touchdowns on 19-for-30 passing. Jarod Martin led the way on the receiving end with two touchdowns and 90 yards on four catches. Shane Devers, Brennan DiChiara and Perkins all pulled in a touchdown reception as well.
The Storm threw for 273 yards and posted five touchdowns through the air.
SNU didn't waste any time getting out to a 14-0 lead. Jakeil Everhart scored the first touchdown on a 6-yard run to put the Storm up 7-0 just over two minutes in before the Threshers fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Bethel 12-yard line and SNU scored on the next play on a pass to Perkins as SNU led 14-0. Bethel got on the board in the first to make it 14-7, but that was one of only two touchdowns by the Threshers.
Perkins made it 21-7 on a 6-yard run before Wardlaw hit Martin on a 15-yard strike to give SNU a 28-7 lead. Perkins then scored his second touchdown of the half on a 53-yard scamper to make it 35-7 with 7:23 left in the half. Wardlaw and Martin connected again at the end of the first half as SNU took a 42-7 lead into the break.
Wardlaw hit Devers on a 10-yard touchdown pass early in the third to give SNU a 49-7 lead before Shawn Mingledorff put the final touches on the night with a 20-yard field goal to put SNU up 52-7.
The Crimson Storm will now get set for conference play as SNU starts the Central States Football League schedule by making a trip down to Waxahachie, Texas, for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Southwestern Assemblies of God.
