Mike McElroy described it as “one of the most emotionally-charged five minutes of my life.”

Bethel led Susquehanna by four in the final minute of the NCAA Division-III quarterfinal in Pennsylvania last December when Susquehanna lined up for a 4th and goal attempt from the 1 yard line.

A stop would send the Royals to the semifinals. Josh Ehrlich ran the ball and was stood up at the goalline. Was he in? If so, it was by the smallest of margins. But the official deemed Ehrlich did enough to cross the plane and put Susquehanna in front with 40 seconds to play.

Bethel quarterback Cooper Drews preps to take a snap during the Royals’ 55-9 victory over Concordia-Moorhead in Moorhead on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Bennett Moger / Bethel University)

That left Bethel firmly on the ropes. But three Cooper Drews completions in short order on the Royals’ final possession put Bethel on the opposing 31 yard line.

The Royals had a shot. McElroy recalled the chatter on the headset: Joey Kidder was getting 1 on 1 coverage on the outside. Bethel decided to go his direction.

Drews found Kidder in the end zone near the front pylon to rally the Royals to a miraculous victory.

“Holy smokes, we did it,” McElroy thought to himself.

Not so fast.

“Oh my goodness, there’s a flag,” he realized.

Bethel was called for holding. The touchdown was negated. Royals players who rushed the field in celebration were escorted off. Initially, officials ruled the game was over. Eventually, after a lengthy discussion the Royals were given one final down. It was unsuccessful.

Bethel went from appearing to have clinched a national semifinal bid in one moment to eliminated the next.

“Obviously, ended up being on the wrong side of that whole deal. Super unfortunate,” Drews said. “I think it was really sad for our guys, because that’s how we end our season? That’s how we go out? … It definitely stings. After that, I was kind of in disbelief for a little bit.”

A year later, here the fourth-ranked Royals (12-0) are again – back in the quarterfinals, this time as an undefeated team with a date with top-ranked North Central (12-0) at noon Saturday in Naperville, Illinois on deck.

“Being back in the elite eight, same round last year as that whole situation, it definitely brings that stuff back up,” Drews said.

But did it ever really go away? Perhaps the pain does. The lessons don’t.

Drews recalled the best thing the coaches said to the players in the aftermath. The holding call would be the play they remembered. But there were many other players that could’ve been made to avoid that situation altogether.

The challenge moving forward was deciphering how the Royals could reach a point where it wouldn’t come down to an official’s single decision? As a quarterback, Drews feels he’s developed an understanding of the moments that win or lose games, and when they’re in the balance.

“We had chances to take that game and put it out of reach (last year),” he said, “and we just didn’t do that.”

Drews is a better player for it. The same is true for the entire program. That was the message in the immediate aftermath of last year’s heartbreak.

“I said it to our guys afterwards, we talk all the time about how tough stuff grows us, and now we get to actually practice it,” McElroy said. “So I think it’s been fun for our guys of, ‘Alright, we talk about this stuff, now are we going to do it?’ I think it grew us as a program of, ‘Yeah, that was hard, and life is not fair.’”

But no one cares. No one feels sorry for you. Folks building you up while you’re receiving accolades may not be found when the results don’t go your way.

It’s why while Bethel’s program is centered on joy, it’s not joy derived from results. If your circumstances affect your mood, McElroy noted the team will be “fragile.”

“Joy is not dictated by my circumstances or playing time or how many catches I had. It’s got to be deeper than that. Otherwise you will ride the rollercoaster and you will be pretty fragile,” he said. “Just really proud of our guys who’ve really embraced this idea that we’re going to choose to be joyful guys who are rooted in something deeper than our stats and our outcomes. Yeah, we want to be really good and we want to compete at a high level.

“But, man, if you let the scoreboard tell you how you feel, you’re not going to last very long in this profession or as an athlete.”

Tough things happen. McElroy noted that’s true in all phases of life. It only gets harder as people become husbands and fathers.

“How do you respond when you kind of get punched in the face?” he asked.

The way his team responded: Like champions.

Bethel’s defense was entirely reshuffled last offseason via graduation and the transfer of star safety Matt Jung to Wisconsin. The standout receiving core largely graduated. At the season’s outset, McElroy said the Royals roster featured six guys who started more than two games the year prior.

“I remember the first lift we had in the offseason period, and it was like, ‘Gosh, this is weird. Where is everyone?’” Drews said. “All these different faces and younger guys, I was like, ‘Gosh, we are young.’”

But they didn’t mean the Royals wouldn’t be good. As McElroy often tells his players: “We don’t rebuild, we reload.” But less from talent acquisition than talent development. McElroy defined cultivation as taking “something fragile with potential and putting it into an environment where it can flourish.”

That’s taking place on a daily basis in Arden Hills. This season alone, McElroy has watched players – particularly on the defensive side of the ball – spread their wings and fly to new heights ahead of even the schedule he had built into his mind.

It’s a result of what the coach called “A long obedience in the same direction.”

“We are going to slowly build this thing in the correct way with guys who are going to be diligent and really care about the type of player they’re becoming and the type of man they’re becoming,” McElroy said. “I think what that does, you see the fruit of it now. … Really proud of the guys. They’ve stayed in. They’ve chosen this place. They’ve chosen us.”

Guys grow and develop as players and people. That’s what McElroy and his staff encourage – creating a bond with people so strong you’re willing to lay down your wants and desires for the betterment of the whole.

That – win or lose – is choosing joy.

Which, from Drews, stems from his love of the game and those with whom he shares it on a daily basis. That’s been cultivated within a Bethel football team he described as “the most loving and vulnerable group of guys I’ve been around.”

“You don’t think of football in a loving, vulnerable way. But this program really brings that out of you and calls you to be like that,” he said. “Those factors allow us to be really close to each other, and that allows us to push each other, hold each other accountable.

“And then you get the results on the field from that. But it all spurs off the culture of this place.”

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STEWARTVILLE, Minn. — A student is critically injured and a man is dead after a shooting in the parking lot of Stewartville High School on Friday morning.

Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said the shooting happened around 5 a.m. Friday, as the school’s wrestling team was preparing to go to a wrestling meet. According to the team’s schedule, the tournament was in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

“We don’t know anything that led up to this at all, at this point,” Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said during an 11 a.m. press conference Friday.

The names and ages of those involved have not been released as of Friday morning.

“One of the teammates was walking in the parking lot when a gunshot was heard by others,” Torgerson said. “The victim was located on the ground in the parking lot by coaching staff. As other staff and students were looking around at that moment to see what had happened, they heard a second shot.”

Torgerson said the student was taken to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys for immediate surgery. He remained in critical, but stable condition.

The adult male was found with a rifle in his hand and an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff’s office has been in communication with both families involved. Torgerson said both are cooperating with law enforcement.

While around 40 wrestlers and coaches were on the scene at the time, none reported seeing the shooting.

Torgerson said coaches who heard the gunshots responded quickly to render aid to the student.

The students at the scene were held until they could be reunited with their families, which Torgerson said had been completed by 11 a.m.

The sheriff said his agency will continue to lead the investigation, but the department has been in contact with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

This incident has impacted far more than just the families involved,” Torgerson said.

Classes and other school activities were canceled for Stewartville Public Schools on Friday.

Superintendent Belinda Selfors said the closure was intended to give law enforcement full access to the school and site. She also expressed her appreciation for the work of the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, noting it is a “difficult day” for the Stewartville community. She encouraged people to avoid speculating why this happened.

Torgerson, who lives in Stewartville, said it’s understandable that people will talk and support each other during such a challenging time, but he added that speculation can be harmful as the investigation continues.

“The worst thing people can do is just start speculation on this or that, or relationships and this sort of thing,” he said. “That is not going to help anybody, ever.”

He said investigators have talked to all the students and others who were on the scene Friday morning, but much of the evidence remains to be examined.

“All the basic investigative things that need to happen will continue to happen, and if there is some more information in regard to the case, we will certainly let you all know.”

Selfors said she and others from the district remain focused on the safety and well-being of the students. Care and support teams were available Friday, and will be available to students and staff over the weekend and when school resumes on Monday.

“We are here to support our students, our staff and our communities in any way that we can,” Selfors said.

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The fantasy football playoffs have arrived, and while star receiver Justin Jefferson is just as disappointed with his lack of production this season as the people who drafted him, he couldn’t care less about those internet championships on the line over the next few weeks.

No matter how many people slide into his direct message to voice their discontent.

“It’s very hard not to see it, because we’re in the day and age of social media,” Jefferson said with a wry smile earlier this week at TCO Performance Center. “That’s definitely not my favorite conversation.”

The Vikings’ offensive struggles this season have had a residual effect on the production of their skill position players within the fantasy football realm. That has resulted in many of them having to navigate a large amount of hate on social media.

“They want to comment on all of my pictures,” Jefferson said. “They want to be in DMs and all of that stuff.”

It’s nearly impossible for Jefferson to ignore the hateful rhetoric that comes across his page. He’s the face of the franchise with 1.9 million followers on Instagram and the various brand deals that require his online presence. He can’t completely divorce himself from the platform.

The same goes for veteran running back Aaron Jones. He has 1 million followers on Instagram and enjoys engaging with fans on social media whenever he can. He doesn’t even mind some of the banter he encounters in response to fantasy football.

“I like it,” Jones said. “It can be fun. I think the problem is a lot of people get lost in it. That’s where it can get messed up.”

The logistics of fantasy football are rather straight forward for those that might not be familiar with the concept.

A fantasy football “owner” builds a team by drafting skill position players, then sets a starting lineup on a weekly basis that goes up against other teams in their league. The scoring system is also fairly intuitive as skilled position players earn points based on production. The goal is to score as may points as possible.

Fantasy football has been a net positive for the league in the aggregate.

More than a decade ago, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about fantasy football, noting the impact it has had on growing the game. He added the existence of fantasy football inherently creates more interest for a longer period of time.

Even if the Vikings are destroying the Commanders like they were last week, for example, many fans are going to stay tuned in until the very end because of fantasy football implications.

There were nearly 30 million people playing fantasy football across the United States in 2022, according to an article from USA Today, and that number has steadily increased since then.

That it’s been good for business isn’t lost on tight end T.J. Hockenson. He referenced how there are more eyes on the NFL than ever before. There’s an argument to be made that the positives of fantasy football outweigh the negatives.

“It can get a little bit out of hand,” Hockenson said. “We’re humans and some people don’t look at us like that.”

As he reflected on some of the hate he’s dealt with on social media, Jones emphasized there’s a line that gets crossed far too often from fantasy football owners. They say whatever they want while hiding behind a keyboard.

“I’m sitting here like, ‘Where’s the respect?’” Jones said. “We don’t come to them at their job and criticize. I know that’s part of being in the NFL and that’s what comes with it. It doesn’t make it any easier to deal with when it’s actually happening.”

The comments occasionally gets so out of pocket that Jones feels the need to respond.

“I try not to stoop to their level,” Jones said. “I can’t help myself.”

He also consistently has to remind himself to keep everything in perspective.

“They aren’t at this level,” Jones said. “They can’t do what we do.”

As for how running back Jordan Mason has handled it, he keeps a low enough profile that he’s managed to block it out as much as possible.

“My friends do all that fantasy football stuff,” Mason said. “They know not to talk to me about all that.”

Though he made it clear he doesn’t condone the hate being spread on social media, right tackle Brian O’Neill offered a different perspective, while also acknowledging that he doesn’t have to deal with the backlash of fantasy football by nature of his position.

“At the core of it, we’re in a revenue sharing model. So the more people that care about the NFL and the more people that can interact with the game in ways like that, the better the league does, and, in turn, the better we all do,” O’Neill said. “I know it’s easy for me to say that being immune to all that stuff. Would guys want a lower salary cap if people didn’t care as much? I’d guess probably not.”

He’s seen the impact of fantasy football on a personal level.

“My wife had a bunch of friends in town,” O’Neill said. “They play fantasy football. And before they started playing fantasy football, they weren’t fans of the NFL. It helps get more eyes on us. A rising tide lifts all boats.”

As the fantasy football playoffs begin, the numbers speak for themselves when looking specifically at the Vikings. No skill position player on the roster is currently in the Top 20 of scoring at their position.

Jones is ranked as the No. 47 running back with 82.6 points, Mason is the No. 33 running back with 114.5 points, Jefferson is the No. 25 receiver with 157.4 points and Hockenson is the No. 22 tight end with 101 points.

Not that any of them are thinking about fantasy football or the hate on social media as the Vikings prepare for their primetime game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium.

“I kind of look at it as motivation,” Jefferson said. “Just seeing the comments that they leave and seeing the opinions that they have. That’s something that motivates me. To go out there and shut them up.”

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Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega, the longest serving member of the county board, informed supporters on Friday that he would not run for re-election next November, ending his 31-year career in county politics.

His decision comes about three weeks after Rebecca Noecker, the president of the St. Paul City Council, informed key contacts that she planned to run for his District 5 seat on the county board, and three days after she made her campaign announcement official.

Noecker on Friday said she was grateful for Ortega’s years of service. “Thirty years is remarkable,” she said.

Ortega, who is currently the board chair, became the first person of color elected to the county board in 1994. He has frequently served as either board chair or chair of the county’s regional rail authority, which played key roles in advocating for a second daily Amtrak train to Chicago, the renovation of the downtown St. Paul Union Depot transit hub and the launch of Metro Transit’s Green Line light rail service.

He had said last month he planned to seek re-election despite facing a challenge from Noecker, but he would wait to make his decision official between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He’s since had time to reflect on his options.

“It is with mixed feelings that I share that I will not be seeking reelection next year,” wrote Ortega to key contacts on Friday. “This was not an easy decision for me because we are working on so many important, exciting things this year and I would love to see them through. But I’m lucky to be healthy and I am excited to spend time with my mother, my kids and my grandkids – four generations of Ortegas – as well as family and friends around the world. And I know time is precious.”

Ortega said the county, which launched its own Housing and Redevelopment Authority levy in 2023, has funded construction of more than 2,000 housing units and invested more than $50 million in affordable housing in just two years.

“With your help, we built the Union Depot, the Green Line, and the Gold Line transit ways,” he wrote. “We built the Roseville Library, the busiest in the state, to the highest environmental standards possible.”

With Ortega’s urging, the county in 2013 purchased the 427-acre Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, the former grounds of a military munitions factory, for the future Rice Creek Commons development in Arden Hills, which is still largely in its planning stages. The Micro Control Company broke ground there in April for a new headquarters within a 40-acre parcel on the north end of the site.

In 2015, the county began clearing the former county jail property and the neighboring West Publishing offices along Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul to make room for the future RiversEdge development, which has yet to get off the ground.

Ortega said he looked forward to seeing both projects someday “bring jobs, opportunity and vitality to Ramsey County and to expand the tax base.”

Had he stayed in the running for re-election, Ortega would have likely faced tough questions about a long-planned streetcar or bus rapid transit system along West Seventh Street, which the county abandoned last year following years of debate over the proper transit mode and alignment.

The county instead redirected some $730 million in planned funding from its half-cent sales tax to other road and transit projects, most of them disconnected from the corridor, leaving the long-awaited reconstruction of West Seventh Street further in doubt.

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