Bethel's Cooper Drews ranks among MIAC's all-time best passers in his final season

For Cooper Drews, it started in Princeton, Minnesota. Playing sports in a tight-knit place.

"Small town. Small community for sure," he remembered. "But just growing up playing football there, you play against your buddies, you play with your buddies. Those are some of the best times ever."

Bethel's starting quarterback since 2024, Drews did not pick the Royals at first. He began his college career at St. John's. Then transferred after his freshman year.

"I think it was down to us and them out of high school. So knew him well," said Bethel head coach Mike McElroy. "Then when we had some changes as far as Coach J leaving and new coordinator stuff just kind of opened it up. Like 'hey, what do you want, what do you want to be. Thought he was gonna be pretty good out of high school. I don't think we would have thought that he was gonna be setting all the records that he has now."

Bethel and St. John's are Minnesota's two elite D-3 football programs. They battle for the MIAC title every year. Drews has been on both sides of it.

"It's definitely unique for someone in my shoes. But it's fun. It's kinda cool to go there especially. You see a bunch of people that you know. I know the whole staff and everyone that's on their sidelines so it's definitely unique for me."

This year, the Johnnies won the regular season meeting, handily. The Royals have two losses. Unfamiliar territory based on their recent dominance.

"It's been hard," said McElroy. "I've asked a lot of guys who I look up to and trust 'how do you manage throughout this when there's disappointment and there's things that are outside of our control?' So what we can do is handle today really well."

It all comes back to their quarterback. Drews' third and final season is nearing an end.

"I try not to think about that," laughed McElroy. "I was telling a couple guys, I slept a lot better the last couple of years because you know who your quarterback is gonna be and you got a guy that's tested in there."

Drews will go down as one of the best passers in the conference's history.

"It's crazy how far I've come and how far my career has been," he said.

Drews now has 106 touchdowns in just three seasons. That's third best all-time in the MIAC. By the time it's over he'll be No. 2 all-time in completions, as well.

"Putting myself in my younger shoes. Like my freshman year, looking at my career now, I'd be amazed how far I've come. It's pretty cool. It speaks for itself I think."