Aug 30, 2020 4 min read

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By Bill Hughes

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

The Bentworth football team has not made the WPIAL playoffs since 2015, and according to second-year head coach J.J. Knabb, his players are eager to end the streak.

“We had our first official offseason meeting in February, and I told the team that we had to set goals,” the former Peters Township and Ohio University standout said. “To a man, they said make the playoffs.”

Knabb is excited with where the team is despite missing more than three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and part of the reason why is his players know what the coaching staff is looking for from them.

“The players know what to expect and half of the battle last year was setting expectations and them having to learn what to do,” he said. “Even with the time off, we have nine returners on both sides of the ball and our limited time this summer has been three times what we put in last summer.

“We are getting 18 to 20 guys a day and that is double what we had last year.”

According to Knabb, the workouts are tougher, and the players have an all-in attitude.

“I will never be accused of running an easy program and the guys have bought in,” he said. “The stuff we do, I learned at Ohio and we go hard.”

During the down time that started in mid-March, Knabb put a major focus on technology with the team not being allowed to get together on the field.

“With all of the craziness going on, it has been a good summer,” said Knabb, who also teaches in the Bentworth district. “We have had team Zoom meetings, have a Google Classroom for the team and use Hudl.

“Having the ability to do the video chats and Google Classroom will streamline us moving forward.”

When conditioning was allowed to resume in mid-July, the players carried the weights outside from the weight room so there would be more space and more players could work out at the same time.

“They hauled the weights outside, lifted and then put everything back,” Knabb said. “This may be a long-term thing but we will have to see how it works under normal circumstances.”

Line play is always a key in football, and the Bearcats return their entire offensive line from a year ago.

“We aren’t the biggest or most beefy, but we are athletic up front, move well and are fairly dynamic,” Knabb said.

The five returners up front are senior center Nick Scarfo, senior right tackle Nathan Menzer, sophomore right guard Cam McGaw and a pair of juniors on the left side in guard Ethan Luketich and tackle Ethan Heinreich.

Two players are vying for the quarterback job. Regardless of who wins the starting job, the other will be on the field at wide receiver. The duo consists of junior Seth Adams and freshman Vitali Daniels.

A year ago, Owen Petrisek set a school record with 19 rushing touchdowns but did not get a lot of notoriety and Knabb quipped why.

“West Greene’s Ben Jackson set a state record with over 50 touchdowns and we were in the same conference,” Knabb said.

Petrisek and fellow senior running back Trent Cavanaugh are an inside-outside combo that should make Bentworth difficult to defend.

“Owen is elusive and more agile while Trent is a road grater and carries guys,” Knabb said.

Junior wide receiver Caleb Peternel is the other returning starter on offense.

Defensively, Cavanaugh leads the way at middle linebacker and already has recorded a school record 340 tackles.

Other returning starters on defense include Adams and Petrisek at linebacker, Peternel and sophomore Falon O’Regan at corner as well as Scarfo, junior Billy Leach, Menzer and Heinreich who will be on the defensive line.

Heinreich played linebacker last year but has moved while McGaw and Luketich also saw time last year on the line.

All but two of the returning players from a year ago lettered and the experience the team gained last year should help in the Tri-County South.

“You have to put California at the top,” Knabb said. “Year in and year out, they are the most consistent team, and although West Greene lost a lot the returning kids know how to win.

“Carmichaels is moving down (from Class AA) and has had success at times.”

The other teams in the conference are Avella, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown and Monessen.