Wichita’s Holy War in the NFL: Blake Bell, Ben Powers featured in Ravens-Chiefs game
Both sides of Wichita’s Catholic “Holy War” rivalry had something to cheer about in the Sunday Night Football match featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
Bishop Carroll was represented by Chiefs tight end Blake Bell, a 2010 graduate who hauled in a 20-yard reception from quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the second quarter, while Kapaun Mt. Carmel was featured on the Ravens’ offensive line in Ben Powers, a 2015 graduate who registered his first start of the 2021 season on Sunday night in the Ravens’ 36-35 victory.
Both Wichita natives went to college at Oklahoma, although their careers at OU never overlapped. Bell was a standout quarterback for the Sooners from 2010-14, while Powers was a consensus first team All-American in his senior year at OU in 2018.
Since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Bell has played for five different NFL teams. He was a Super Bowl LIV champion with the Chiefs in 2019 and after playing last season for the Dallas Cowboys, Bell returned to the Chiefs for this season.
Bell caught a three-yard pass in the opening week against the Cleveland Browns, while the 20-yard grab on Sunday night against the Ravens was his second catch of the season.
Meanwhile, Powers has blossomed into a starting guard for the Ravens in his third season with the organization since being drafted in the fourth round by Baltimore in the 2019 NFL Draft. Powers started the last seven games of last season, then notched his first start of this season on Sunday night.
This story was originally published September 19, 2021 at 9:36 PM.
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