With better defense, Bentworth should improve
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By Joe Smeltzer
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
Bentworth hasn’t made the WPIAL playoffs since 2015, four seasons before J.J. Knabb took over as the Bearcats’ head coach.
The team is 7-19 in the Knabb era thus far and coming off a 2-7 campaign that ended with consecutive losses by a combined score of 115-22.
Bentworth easily could have finished winless in 2021.
Both its wins came by a combined two points against schools -Frazier and Jefferson Morgan – that finished a combined 1-18.
But Knabb is optimistic coming into year 4.
“We have some talent back,” Knabb said. “We have some young guys that I have some high expectations for. We’ve been working real hard this summer.”
Bentworth’s roster number is up from last season, with 28 players on the team.
The bigger roster allows Bentworth to put players in their ideal positions.
For instance, junior Vitali Daniels is a player Knabb describes as a “perfect individual” to play quarterback.
Listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds, Daniels has solid size, and being a state qualifier in wrestling speaks well for his athleticism and competitiveness.
But because of Bentworth’s lower roster numbers last year, Daniels spent his sophomore season playing slot receiver and tight end.
Junior Ben Luketich played receiver last season, but the Bearcats plan on using him as a running back this year.
Daniels will lead an offense that Knabb feels has shown potential.
Knabb is also optimistic about the right side of his offensive line.
Right guard Abe House and right tackle Alex Rusilko were freshmen last season but started every game, and Knabb is excited to see what they can do after a baptism by fire in 2021.
Knabb is also excited about freshman Ben Hays, who will join Luketich in the backfield, and he hopes Bentworth will operate a more balanced offense this fall.
‘I don’t want to be like we were last year where (we were) 80 percent pass and 20 percent run,” Knabb said. “We have to find some sort of balance.”
Knabb emphasized Bentworth’s need to get better on the other side of the ball. The Bearcats allowed 47 points per game a year ago.
“Our defense has to improve,” he said. “Over the years, we’ve been able to score, but last year, I think there’s only one game we held our opponents to less than 30 points (he was right). So we have to step it up on defense.”
In Bentworth’s seven losses, it allowed 64, 50, 42, 56, 30, 50 and 65 points.
Even in one of its two wins, Bentworth gave up 48 points to Jefferson Morgan.
Over the summer, Knabb and the coaching staff have preached better tackling and increased physicality will help cure some of the defensive problems.
Knabb described last season as a “tale of blowouts.”
Only one of Bentworth’s seven losses came by single digits, and the other six came by the mercy-rule margin of 35 points or more.
If nothing else, Knabb hopes for his team to be competitive more often on Friday nights.
“This year, we want to be in every game at the end of the game,” he said.
Bentworth opens its season Friday with a nonconference game at Brownsville, then begins Class A Tri-County South Conference play three weeks later when it hosts Monessen.
For Knabb, the objective for this year is cut and dry.
“The goal is playoffs,” he said. “Bentworth has had a playoff drought. We really want to make the playoffs. That’s the goal for this year.”
Despite recent history, Knabb believes great things are possible.
If we believe in ourselves, it’s going to go really well,” Knabb said. “If we find an identity early in the season, there’s potential for some really good things to happen this year.”