Hardway’s Late Pick-Six Lifts Cumberland Past Bethel, 21-14

Box Score

Bethel (TN) BETHEL 2-8 , 0-5

Cumberland (TN) CU 7-4 , 2-3

Bethel (TN) BETHEL

2-8 , 0-5

Final

Nov. 14, 2026

Cumberland (TN) CU

7-4 , 2-3

Score By Quarters
Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	F
BETHEL Bethel (TN)	7	7	0	0	14
CU Cumberland (TN)	0	0	7	14	21

Game Recap: Football | 11/14/2026 4:52:00 PM

Hardway’s Late Pick-Six Lifts Cumberland Past Bethel, 21-14

Team Statistics

Team Statistics
Game Stats	BETHEL	CU
Total Yards	199	346
Pass Yards	175	257
Rushing Yards	24	89
Penalty Yards	9-94	12-167
1st Downs	18	19
3rd Downs	3-15	3-12
4th Downs	0-0	2-4
TOP	30:27	29:22

Scoring Summary
Scoring Play	Visiting Team Score	Home Team Score
1st Quarter
07:06 - BETHEL - Zion Bryan 46 yd pass from Silas Teat (Eli Burciaga kick) 4 plays, 70 yards, TOP 1:44	7	0
2nd Quarter
06:41 - BETHEL - Micah Jones 35 yd pass from Silas Teat (Eli Burciaga kick) 12 plays, 84 yards, TOP 6:04	14	0
3rd Quarter
06:40 - CU - Isaiah O'Neal 12 yd pass from Jake Parker (Jack Kantner kick) 11 plays, 89 yards, TOP 5:24	14	7
4th Quarter
01:56 - CU - Jordan Cason 3 yd fumble recovery (Jack Kantner kick)	14	14
00:54 - CU - Peyton Hardway 35 yd interception (Jack Kantner kick)	14	21

Total Yards

BETHEL

199

346

Turnovers

BETHEL

First Downs

BETHEL

Total Possession

BETHEL

30:27

29:22

Game Leaders

Receiving Yards

109

Passing Yards

#12

Jake Parker

257

Rushing Yards

#12

Tackles

LEBANON, Tenn.--Lance Mathews set a school record with five sacks, and Peyton Hardway returned an interception 35 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 54 seconds remaining as Cumberland erased a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Bethel, 21-14, on Senior Day at Nokes-Lasater Field Saturday.

The Phoenix finished the season 7-4 overall and 2-3 in Mid-South Conference play, securing their third consecutive seven-win season. Cumberland scored 21 unanswered points while holding the Wildcats scoreless over the final two quarters.

Cumberland finished with 346 yards of total offense, throwing for 257 yards and rushing for 89. The Phoenix picked up 19 first downs and converted twice on fourth down, overcoming three turnovers and 12 penalties for 167 yards.

Jake Parker completed 17-of-34 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown while adding 51 rushing yards on 10 carries. Jarrius Rogers hauled in seven receptions for 109 yards, and Isaiah O'Neal caught five passes for 74 yards and a score. Jordan Cason carried 15 times for 46 yards and accounted for the tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Mathews delivered a record-setting performance in his final home game, recording 10 tackles, a school-record five sacks and six tackles for loss. His sacks accounted for 44 lost yards as Cumberland piled up nine sacks for 59 yards. Eli Denton, Josh Jones and Woodens PierreLouis added seven tackles apiece.

Hardway finished with six tackles, two tackles for loss, a blocked punt and the decisive interception return. Marec Square and Cannon Johnson also intercepted passes, with all three Cumberland interceptions coming in the final three minutes.

Bethel totaled 199 yards of offense, managing just 24 rushing yards on 34 attempts while throwing for 175 yards. The Wildcats converted 3-of-15 third-down opportunities and committed nine penalties for 94 yards.

Silas Teat completed 15-of-31 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Micah Jones led the Wildcats with eight receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Zion Bryan caught a 46-yard touchdown pass. Terris Smith paced the ground game with 54 yards on 12 carries. Durrell Miller led Bethel defensively with seven tackles and an interception.

The Wildcats struck first midway through the opening quarter when Teat connected with Bryan for a 46-yard touchdown. Eli Burciaga's extra point gave Bethel a 7-0 advantage with 7:06 remaining.

Bethel recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff but came away empty after a missed 40-yard field goal. The Wildcats extended their lead in the second quarter, finishing an 84-yard drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Teat to Jones at the 6:41 mark.

Cumberland threatened before halftime, moving from its own 29-yard line to the Bethel five. The Wildcats forced an incompletion on fourth down with 37 seconds remaining, preserving a 14-0 lead at the break.

The Phoenix broke through on their first possession of the second half, marching 89 yards to cut the deficit in half. O'Neal caught a 21-yard pass early in the drive, and Cason added runs of eight and 13 yards before Parker found O'Neal for a 12-yard touchdown with 6:40 remaining in the third quarter.

Cumberland continued to create opportunities in the fourth but initially struggled to finish. A 50-yard completion to Rogers and a 23-yard fourth-down catch by Ladarius Smith moved the Phoenix inside the Bethel 10 before a fumble ended the threat. Cumberland later missed a 24-yard field goal, and a blocked punt by Hardway set up another possession that ended on downs.

The defense delivered again with less than three minutes remaining. Square intercepted Teat and returned the ball 37 yards to the Bethel 19, giving Cumberland another chance with 2:48 to play.

Parker scrambled 16 yards to the three, and Cason followed with a two-yard carry. On the next snap, Parker fumbled near the goal line, but Cason recovered at the three and carried the ball into the end zone. Jack Kantner's extra point tied the game at 14-14 with 1:56 remaining.

Mathews sacked Teat for an 11-yard loss on Bethel's next possession before Hardway stepped in front of a third-down pass and raced 35 yards for the winning touchdown. Kantner added his third extra point to put Cumberland ahead, 21-14, with 54 seconds left.

Mathews registered his school-record fifth sack on the Wildcats' final possession, and Johnson sealed the victory by intercepting Jaylan Brown and returning the ball 12 yards with 11 seconds remaining. The Phoenix took a knee to complete the comeback and close their third straight seven-win campaign.

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