TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • 115
VITALI DANIELS
BENTWORTH GAINS
CONFIDENCE IN NUMBERS
J.J. Knabb, a teacher at Bentworth
who doubles as the football
coach, took over lunch duty last
year so he could get the word out
about his team’s sparse roster.
If there were football players
camouflaged into the student body,
his goal was to find them.
“It gave me a chance to talk to
the kids every day,” Knabb said. “I
had to work the halls. There were
jokes about us using garbage cans
as bodies because we didn’t have
enough guys.”
It appears you can throw that
mental picture away.
Knabb, a second-year coach, said
he had 20 or more players out for
summer workouts, a slight but
promising uptick compared to the
“16 to 18” the Bearcats dressed for
games in 2019.
“It’s nice when you can line up
an offense and defense in practice,”
Knabb said. “We have a lot
of talent back. The kids’ No. 1 goal
is to get back to the playoffs. That’s
in their sight.”
An experienced line returns,
along with several skill players and
defensive playmakers.
Leading rusher Trent Cavanaugh
and top receiver Owen Petrisek,
both seniors, will be dually
valuable to the Bearcats’ success.
“They’re our two workhorses,”
Knabb said.
The power-running Cavanaugh
not only ran for 711 yards but he
also posted a team-high 130 tackles
from his middle linebacker spot.
He also caught 19 passes for 317
yards.
Petrisek set a single-season
school record with 19 touchdowns,
made 34 receptions and rushed for
472 yards.
Knabb called 1,700-yard passer
Shawn Dziak “irreplaceable” at
quarterback, but his graduation
leaves a void the coach hopes to
fill with either junior Seth Adams,
who saw brief time under
center last year, or freshman Vitali
Daniels.
“We’ll use them both in some
capacity,” the coach said.
The linemen back, all starters
last year, are senior right tackle
Nate Menzer (6-3, 210), freshman
right guard Cameron McGaw,
senior center Nick Scarfo, and
juniors Ethan Luketich at left
guard and Ethan Heinreich at left
tackle.
Scarfo, who has started for three
seasons, is the anchor piece.
“He’s hasn’t missed a snap in
three years,” Knabb said.
Defensively, Menzer and junior
nose guard Billy Leach are keys
up front, with Cavanaugh and Petrisek
at linebacker and Heinreich
at defensive end.
“We need to take advantage of
our physicality a little more,”
Knabb said. “I expect more maturity
from this group.”
by BILL BECKNER JR.
Coach: J.J. Knabb
2019 record: 2-8, 2-5 in
Class A Tri-County South
All-time record: 224-331-7
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 California* 7
9.18 at Monessen* 7
9.25 Carmichaels* 7
10.2 at Jefferson-Morgan* 7
10.9 West Greene* 7
10.15 Avella* 7
10.23 at Mapletown* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Shawn Dziak*
95-220, 1,701 yards, 16 TDs
Receiving Owen Petrisek
34-637 yards, 9 TDs
Rushing Trent Cavanaugh
112-711 yards, 6 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Bentworth finished 2-8 last
season after near-miss playoff
seasons the previous three
years (5-5, 4-6, 5-5).
• The Bearcats have not been
to the WPIAL playoffs since
2015.
• A porous defense allowed
49.9 points, including game
totals of 82, 62, 60 and
67, three of which came in
Tri-County South play.
• With indoor weight room
visits limited in the summer
because of covid-19 concerns,
Bentworth moved its weights
outside to the parking lot.
SETH ADAMS
BENTWORTH • TRI-COUNTY SOUTH