Texas State notebook: Together again, Cedar Park's Bell brothers making impact on Bobcats
SAN MARCOS — A bright spot for Texas State in its mostly dim season-opening loss last Saturday was the debut of two brothers from Cedar Park, Levi and Ben Bell. Both transferred in this offseason from Louisiana Tech, part of a 32-man recruiting class that included 29 transfers.
Levi, a redshirt junior, got the start at defensive tackle and tied for the team lead with 10 tackles, including three for a loss, and a sack. It was the first time that Levi, listed at 6 feet 1 and 270 pounds, played on the interior defensive line in his college career; he played middle linebacker in his first year at Louisiana Tech, then switched to defensive end last year.
It was also Bell's first action since he suffered a torn MCL in the Bulldogs' 39-37 loss to SMU three games into last season. He said he is “completely healed.” He still has two years left thanks to the COVID-19 eligibility freeze and a redshirt last year.
“I tried to come back (last year) and was reinjured,” Bell said. “That was my senior year, so I ended up (receiving a redshirt). So it was really nice to get out there and be able to play again (last week) because it’s been a minute.”
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Ben Bell, playing defensive end, made Conference USA's all-freshman team last year after leading the Bulldogs with 3½ sacks. The sophomore, listed at 6-2 and 225, didn't start the opener but saw plenty of action at outside linebacker, finishing with three tackles. He even helped his brother record his first sack as a Bobcat by jumping to block the path of Nevada quarterback Nate Cox in the fourth quarter.
“It actually prevented (Cox) from throwing so I could get him,” Levi Bell said. “(Ben) would have gotten an interception.”
While moving closer to their hometown of Cedar Park affected the pair’s decision to transfer, finding a program that wanted both players was paramount.
“I played with him when he was a senior in high school, and we’ve just always enjoyed playing with each other,” Ben said. “We’ve always been best friends since we’ve been little kids. Having this opportunity to play together has been real wild. You can’t really explain it. Not a lot of people can do that with their brother, and I’m just blessed that I am.
“We just help each other. Anytime I see something that he’s missing, I’ll try to coach him up on it. Even though we play completely different, we see things different, too. That helps each other grow.”
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The prospect of turning around a downtrodden program like Texas State was also appealing to the brothers.
“Seeing the need (Texas State) had and just seeing the history of losing, I really wanted Ben and me to come here and build a change,” Levi said. “If we went somewhere that is already established, you wouldn’t make as much of an impact. But if you go somewhere that really needed help, there’s more impact you can do. I want to be part of that impact.”
Volleyball: Texas State (4-2) went 1-2 in the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge in Hawaii last weekend, dropping the first two matches Friday in sweeps by Hawaii and UCLA. The Bobcats bounced back to beat West Virginia in their final match 3-1. They are hosting the Bobcat Invitational this weekend, starting with two matches Friday against Sam Houston State and Ole Miss.
Soccer: Texas State (5-0-1) is off to its best start in program history, winning its first five matches before a 2-2 tie at North Texas on Sunday. The Bobcats, who hosted Rice on Thursday night, will welcome No. 16 TCU on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Together again, Cedar Park's Bell brothers are impacting Texas State
