HS Football: Bethel Wins On Senior Night In SPSL-South Defensive Battle Over Olympia

9/27/25

Bethel Bison 14, Olympia Bears 3

(Elk Plain, WA) The Bethel Bison and Olympia Bears met two times last year, once in the regular season, a 37-10 win for Olympia. The other was in a Kansas Tiebreaker for seeding in the SPSL-South, and Olympia beat Bethel for the three seed 13-0. Bethel was riding a four-game home win streak, and after back-to-back impressive offensive outbursts, was looking to light up the scoreboard on their senior night. Olympia is 11 points away from being undefeated after two single-digit non-league losses. The first SPSL division game is a key one to continue the journey of attempting to be division, league, and state champions.

Olympia won the toss and wanted the ball first, but the Bears were forced to punt. Bethel was pinned on their own four-yard line but moved the ball down the field with the help of three plays over 10 yards. The Bison tried a swing pass that was a backwards pass, and it hit the turf as a live ball, and Olympia’s Kam Kronmeyer dove on it for the Bears. In Bethel territory, the Bears picked up a first down but went for it on fourth down and couldn’t convert, turning the ball over. Bethel fumbled on the next play, as Noah Miller got the recovery for the Bears, and their offense was right back on the field. Olympia couldn’t move the ball and attempted a 42-yard field goal. Junior kicker Eli Frost impressively blasted it through the uprights to give the Bears a 3-0 lead with three minutes left in the opening quarter.

After three consecutive punts, the Olympia offense was on the move, but Lu Feo of Bethel came up with an interception. Six plays later, Olympia’s defense came up with a pick of their own, as sophomore defensive back Braden Barrett made a great read and stepped in front of the pass to get the Bears offense on the field again. Olympia got inside Bethel’s 20-yard line, but on third and one, a bad snap resulted in a fumble that Zak Fruean recovered for the Bison. Bethel’s big play came with Junior Uncangco’s 44-yard catch to flip the field for the Bison. However, the Olympia defense held their own again and forced a turnover on downs with a minute and a half left in the second quarter. Olympia punted and Bethel ran one play as time ran out on the first half, which saw Olympia out in front with a 3-0 lead.

Bethel began the second half with the ball and, after a pair of first downs, turned to their trusty running back, Ethan Schuppener, as he went 29 yards to the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. Bethel took a 7-3 lead just three and a half minutes into the second half for their first lead of the game. After the Bison defense forced a three-and-out, the Bears’ defense made another great play. Braden Barrett got his second interception of the game off a deflected pass, and the Bears were in business at the Bethel 26-yard line. After a sack on third down, Olympia was backed up and went for it on fourth and 18, but couldn’t make it as Bethel got the ball back. The Bison went down the field again and finished their drive with Ethan Schuppener’s second touchdown run of the quarter, going 14 yards to make it a 14-3 lead for Bethel.

Olympia got the ball back, and after a pair of first downs, the Bears fumbled the ball, and Angelis Bravo for Bethel recovered it early in the fourth quarter. After a punt, Olympia was backed up inside their own 10-yard line with six and a half minutes left in the game, and with the third-string quarterback in the game, went to the air but couldn’t get the first down and had to punt. Bethel ran out the remaining five and a half minutes to get the 14-3 victory on senior night.

Bethel improves to 3-1 on the season and is 1-0 in SPSL play. The Bison will play Spanaway Lake next week as the road team, with the teams sharing Art Crate Field as their home field.

Olympia drops to 1-3 this year and 0-1 in the SPSL-South. The Bears will host Bonney Lake next week.

Our Sumner Holiday Inn Express Game MVP went to Bethel’s Ethan Schuppener. Schuppener carried the load for the Bethel offense and scored the only two touchdowns of the game, and for the second game in three weeks, had a multi-touchdown second half to lead the Bison in a comeback victory.

Bethel had great nights from Junior Uncangco, who had another explosive play with the longest play of the game of a 44-yard catch. Angelis Bravo was spectacular defensively for the Bison, recovering a fumble and making play after play to limit the Olympia offense. Lu Feo was impactful at linebacker for the Bison, getting one interception and nearly had two or three more.

Olympia’s Braden Barrett had a pair of interceptions to lead the Olympia defense as the sophomore was flying around the field. Hunter Liberty was routinely making tackles, as was Austin Stull. Eli Frost’s field goal was impressive, as a 42-yard field goal is not an everyday sight in high school football.

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