Bentworth snaps J-M winning streak behind Hays’ 4 TDs
Ben Hays ran for 188 yards and four touchdowns sparking host Bentworth to a 35-13 victory over previously undefeated Jefferson-Morgan in a Class A Tri-County South Conference game Friday night.
The win dropped the Rockets (4-1, 7-1) one game behind first-place California (5-0, 7-1) into a second-place tie with the Bearcats (4-1, 6-2).
The loss snapped J-M’s regular-season winning streak at 18 games.
Jefferson-Morgan lost quarterback Triton Farabee to an injury suffered while he made a tackle with 2:11 left in the second quarter and Bentworth ahead 14-13. Farabee had to be taken from the field by ambulance.
The Rockets took a 7-0 lead when John Woodruff returned the opening kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown and Logan Yeck added the extra point.
The Bearcats tied it with 6:11 left in the quarter on a 2-yard run by Hays with Caden Hackinson tacking on the first of his five extra-point kicks on the night.
Jefferson-Morgan went back in front when Deakyn DeHoet raced into the corner of the end zone on a 23-yard touchdown run with 8:02 left in the first quarter. DeHoet was denied when he attempted to run in the two-point conversion, leaving the visitors ahead 13-7.
DeHoet, the area’s leading scorer, was held in check for the most part by the Bearcats defense as he took over quarterback duties with Farabee out. DeHoet had 12 carries for 70 yards and the TD and one reception for six yards.
Hays, the WPIAL’s leading rusher who also had an interception, put Bentworth ahead for good when he scored on a 39-yard run with 3:20 left in the half.
The Bearcats scored again after Farabee’s injury on Ty Watson’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Matt Behanna with 1:32 remaining before intermission and Bentworth took a 21-13 lead into the locker rooms.
Hays tacked on two more touchdown runs in the second half with a 10-yard run in the third quarter and a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter. The latter score ended a 94-yard drive and was set up by Alejandro Leichty’s 65-yard run.
Jefferson-Morgan closes the regular season with home games against fourth-place Avella and California. Bentworth has road games remaining at Mapletown and Avella.