LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Ayden Bauwens caught three touchdown passes as the Midway University sprint football team delivered a record-breaking performance in an 81-27 road victory over Bellarmine at Holy Cross High School on Saturday afternoon.
Bauwens finished with a game-high nine receptions for 119 yards, averaging 13.2 yards per catch. His longest reception was a 19-yard touchdown on a streak route against one-on-one coverage.
Bauwens opened the scoring with an 18-yard touchdown reception on a slant over the middle just four and a half minutes into the contest. His second touchdown gave the Eagles a 17-10 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. He closed out his dominant first half with a 10-yard touchdown reception to extend Midway's advantage.
Midway's (4-0) offense scored a season-high 81 points in the victory. It marked the second consecutive game in which the Eagles scored at least 60 points and the third straight game in which they surpassed 50.
Christian Carter continued his impressive season, throwing for a season-high 436 yards on 26 completions, averaging 16.8 yards per completion. He also tossed a season-high five touchdown passes.
Carter contributed on the ground as well, rushing for 28 yards on a team-high nine carries, averaging 3.1 yards per attempt.
Bellarmine (0-4) kept the game close early in the contest. The Knights' special teams unit shifted momentum when Da'coldus Fields returned a kickoff 44 yards into Eagles territory.
Bellarmine capitalized on the field position as Jaime Jones connected with Aiden Bratcher for a 39-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 17.
Isaiah Mattingly hauled in two touchdown receptions for the Eagles. With under four minutes remaining in the first half, Carter connected with Mattingly for a 28-yard touchdown to give Midway a two-score advantage.
Defensively, Keegan Hill intercepted Jones early in the contest, giving him an interception in back-to-back games.
Chase Williams also extended his scoring streak to two consecutive games. Carter found Williams for a 21-yard touchdown reception to give the Eagles a 43-20 advantage early in the second half.
Trenton Leach led the defensive effort with a game-high 11 total tackles and two sacks.
Midway's offense continued to dominate after halftime, scoring 50 points in the second half alone.
Hayden Cockrell converted his lone field goal attempt of the afternoon, connecting from 39 yards to give the Eagles a 10-3 lead with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter. Cockrell also went 8-for-8 on extra-point attempts.
Zane Wickliffe led Midway's running backs with 49 rushing yards on five carries, averaging 9.8 yards per attempt. He also recorded a rushing touchdown, his third of the season.
With the victory, Midway improves to 4-0 on the season, while Bellarmine remains winless at 0-4.
BREAKING RECORDS
Saturday's victory saw Midway rewrite multiple program and Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL) records.
Carter's 436 passing yards established a new Midway single-game record, surpassing his previous mark of 332 yards set against Quincy on Sept. 27, 2025. The performance exceeded his previous record by 104 yards.
The Eagles also established a new MSFL and program record with 81 points, surpassing their previous mark of 78 set against Oakland City on Oct. 25, 2025.
Midway also broke its own MSFL single-game total offense record, surpassing the previous mark of 625 yards established against Oakland City last season.
On the defensive side, Leach tied the program's single-game tackles record with 11. His two sacks also helped lead the Eagles' defensive effort in the victory.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will return to Midway Turf Field on Saturday, Oct. 17, when they host Calumet College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
About Midway University Athletics
Midway University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and its 29 athletic teams are part of the River States Conference, Mid-South Conference, Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association and USA Archery. For more information about Midway University Athletics, please visit www.gomidwayeagles.com or contact Tyler Beck at 859-846-5366.
