Defense key as Bentworth gets win
ELLSWORTH – In what some felt was an elimination game in terms of a playoff spot in the Century Conference, Bentworth downed Charleroi in thrilling fashion Friday night, 16-12.
“The field conditions kind of dominated the game for the most part and I felt that Charleroi was well-prepared and well-coached,” Bentworth coach Ron Skiles said. “We are fortunate to come out on top.”
Dejected Charleroi coach Donnie Militzer paused momentarily before recapping the game through his eyes.
“I don’t know what it is, but we had to finish the game,” he said of having the lead and the ball late. “We have to make a first down and run out the clock.
“We put ourselves in the position to win.”
Rain played havoc on the field. It rained through the end of the pregame ceremonies.
Weather impacted play as the teams combined for 11 fumbles (two lost) while the quarterbacks had a hard time throwing as there were four interceptions.
Charleroi finished with 26 yards of offense on 42 plays, including minus-three passing, while Bentworth had 299 yards on 59 plays.
“We could not get anything going offensively,” Militzer said. “Defensively, we played well enough to win the game.”
Bentworth scored the only points of the first half in the second quarter.
The Bearcats started at their own five-yard line and thanks to a 37-yard run by Ben Petenel and a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Charleroi, Bentworth found itself in a third-and-nine at the Charleroi 24.
Quarterback Jake Hughes, who finished 10 of 26 for 180 yards and was limited because of a knee injury suffered last week, hit Petenel with a 24-yard touchdown pass with 8:07 to play in the first half and Bentworth took the lead into halftime.
Charleroi’s Emery Anden returned the second half kickoff 85 yards to make the score 7-6, but Sean Cole’s extra point was no good.
Bentworth extended its lead to 9-7 in the first half when Tristen Labishak tackled Charleroi quarterback Geno Pellegrini in the end zone for a safety.
The score held into the fourth quarter when Charleroi again made a big play on special teams.
A bad snap on a punt attempt by Levi Jordan sailed back towards the goal line, but instead of kicking the ball out of the end zone for a safety, Jordan dove on it at the one, giving Charleroi a first-and-goal.
On the next play, Pellegrini scored on a quarterback keeper with 7:45 to play, but Cole’s extra point was again no good and Charleroi led 12-9.
After Charleroi’s Dakota Romantino intercepted his second pass of the game with 2:44 to play when Peternel slipped on a route, Charleroi had a chance to run out the clock but could not do it.
Bentworth took over at its own 16 with 2:30 to play after a punt, and the Bearcats marched down the field.
Hughes scored on a quarterback keeper from one yard with 42 seconds to play and Bentworth led, 16-12.
Riley Nickeson intercepted Pellegrini on Charleroi’s next, and last, offensive play to seal Bentworth’s second conference win as it gears up for Washington next week.
“Washington is one of the top teams in the WPIAL but we will buckle up and see what happens,” Skiles said.