Expect balanced offense, young players in key spots for Bentworth with this season

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 25, 2022 | 10:15 PM

As Bentworth football coach JJ Knabb enters his fourth year with the Bearcats, he is faced with a team that may not have a lot of experience but has tremendous upside.

The Bearcats entered the preseason with 28 players on their roster, but only four are seniors.

“As a coaching staff, we noticed it last year that we had a very limited junior class,” Knabb said. “We knew this year coming into camp that we needed a lot of contributions from our sophomores and freshmen. I think three-quarters of our team are sophomores and freshmen.”

Even though they will start a lot of young players, some of them are already seasoned at the varsity level.

“I think we started six or seven freshmen last year on both sides of the ball,” Knabb said. “It was sink or swim for a lot of those kids. The only way to get playing experience is to play this game.

“In the offseason, we did some 7-on-7 camps, not because we are going to be a pass team, but because I wanted our guys to get more work in a game-like atmosphere. I think those kids grew a lot.”

Bentworth went 2-7 overall and finished tied for last in the Tri-County South with a 1-6 mark last season.

Of the eight seniors gone from last year’s squad, the two biggest graduation losses were the pass-catching combo of Seth Adams and Caleb Peternel. Adams accounted for 18 touchdowns, while Peternel amassed more than 1,000 all-purpose yards.

The offense in 2022 will be more balanced, perhaps even more geared toward the run, according to Knabb.

“We definitely need to be more balanced on offense this year,” he said. “We have to keep the defense on their toes and guessing. I think we are going to be a combination of 2×2 spread and your traditional I-formation. We want the ball in all of our skilled guys’ hands.”

Junior quarterback Vitali Daniels will take the wheel of the offense and will lead the Bearcats through the air and on the ground.

“Vitali is a tough-minded kid that shows a lot of grit,” Knabb said. “He is a wrestler and I think he leads by example on the field. He wants to fight for every yard and on every play. He sees the field and has a great arm. He is 6-1, 215 pounds and knows how to make plays in our offense.”

At running back, junior Ben Luketich will make the switch from wide receiver to tailback, while freshmen Ben Hayes will get some looks in the backfield. Sophomore Lucas Burt will line up at either the tight end or receiver spot and will lead a relatively young group.

The Bearcats have plenty of experience at the line of scrimmage, as the offensive line is solidified by senior center Cameron McGaw (6-2, 165), sophomore right guard Abe House (5-8, 187) and sophomore right tackle Alex Rusilko (6-4, 280).

“We have a lot of trust in our line and in those three guys, in particular,” Knabb said. “We have to win the point of attack and control things with our running game. McGaw is a three-year starter and has improved every year. I think Abe and Alex took big steps last year, and we are excited for them this season.”

Bentworth has had its struggles recently on defense and last year the unit had problems slowing anybody down.

According to Knabb, there’s a simple formula for fixing the defense.

“Tackling,” Knabb stated. “We had way too many missed tackles last season. In this conference where most teams are a run-first offense, you have to tackle and limit the damage. That’s our point of emphasis in camp. With our numbers, we as coaches have gone to more clinics and done a lot more research on the proper technique to tackle.”

The Bearcats already have three of their starting four on the defensive line in McGaw, House and Rusilko. Daniels and Burt will be stalwarts at linebackers, while sophomore Gavin Piasecki will lead a young secondary.

Joining Bentworth in the Tri-County South this season will be Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, Monessen and West Greene.

“I think Mapletown is the sleeper team,” Knabb said. “I think they have the best running back in Class A and they bring back a lot of experience with a great coaching staff. California and Beth-Center will once again be solid, too. Our goal is compete for that last playoff spot. We’ve got the talent to compete; we just have to be mature and grow as a team this season.”

Bentworth

Coach: JJ Knabb

2021 record: 2-7, 1-6 in Class A Tri-County South

All-time record: 229-342-7

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.26 at Brownsville, 7

9.2 Avella, 7

9.9 at Leechburg, 7

9.16 Monessen*, 7

9.23 at West Greene*, 7

9.30 Jefferson-Morgan*, 7

10.7 Beth-Center*, 7

10.14 at Mapletown*, 7

10.21 Carmichaels*, 7

10.28 at California*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Seth Adams*

107-229, 1,353 yards, 8 TDs

Rushing: Adams*

104-394, 8 TDs

Receiving: Caleb Peternel*

45-739, 4 TDs

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• The Bearcats have only made the playoffs three times since 2003, the last time in 2015.

• Bentworth has traditionally capitalized on its successful soccer program to find its primary kickers. Senior Landon Urcho and junior Anthony Puckey will look to handle most of the kicking duties in 2022.

• The Bearcats surrendered 47.1 points per game last season and gave up less than 30 points only once, in a 20-19 win over Frazier.