Hays leads Bentworth back into playoffs
AVELLA – Junior running back Ben Hays rushed for 214 yards on 23 carries, scored four touchdowns – three rushing and one receiving – and also threw a scoring pass, powering Bentworth to a 40-0 victory over Avella in a Class A Tri-County South Conference game Friday night that clinched a postseason berth for the Bearcats.
Bentworth (4-3, 6-4) finished in a tie for third place with Carmichaels and West Greene for the final playoff berth from the conference. The automatic qualifying spot goes to the Bearcats based on tiebreaker points.
It will be Bentworth’s first playoff appearance since 2015.
Hays, who became Bentworth’s single-season rushing leader in the game, scored on runs of eight, two and 36 and caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Tristan Hackinson.
In the third quarter, Hays threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Lucas Burt that made the score 33-0. The TD came one play after an injured Bentworth player left the field via helicopter and was transported to a local hospital.
Ty Watson had a short touchdown run in the fourth quarter that capped the scoring.
Avella finishes 2-5 in the conference and 3-7 overall.