Aug 29, 2025 3 min read

BURGETTSTOWN – When Bentworth scored two touchdowns on its first three plays it looked like its offense would steal the show Friday night at Hill Memorial Stadium.

But it was the Blue Devils’ defense that would get the last word.

Burgettstown forced five turnovers and stopped Bentworth twice on fourth-down plays in the final five minutes to secure a 23-20 win Friday night.

Burgettstown was stuffed on fourth down on its own 38 with just over five minutes remaining, giving Bentworth a golden opportunity to steal the win.

But the Blue Devils’ defense stopped them on fourth down.

Bentworth got the ball back near its own 30 with 50 seconds remaining, but Colton County strip sacked Bentworth quarterback Ty Watson and Adam Baloga recovered to preserve a win.

After a 14-14 tie at the end of the first quarter, the Blue Devils forced three consecutive turnovers in the second quarter to seize momentum.

An interception by Lance Duran and a pair of fumble recoveries were the three turnovers forced by the Blue Devils in the second quarter.

The Blue Devils failed to capitalize on the first two turnovers, but the third time was the charm, although it took a strange sequence to get there.

County made 25-yard field goal but Bentworth committed a personal foul on the kick, so the Blue Devils elected to not take the points and have first and goal at the 4. Three plays later Brady Rightweiser scored on a one-yard run and the Blue Devils took the lead. Burgettstown attempted a 2-point conversion after Bentworth jumped offside on the extra-point, but the pass attempt failed making the score 20-14 at halftime.

County booted a 40-yard field goal to give the Blue Devils a 23-14 advantage at the 5:42 mark of the third quarter.

Bentworth made it interesting late when Ty Watson scored on a 2-yard run to cut the deficit to three points with just under seven minutes remaining.

It was a back and forth first quarter full of big plays

Burgettstown drove into Bentworth territory on the opening possession of the game, but Blue Devils quarterback Blake Neal threw a quick pass out to the left, but it short-hopped his receiver and the officials deemed it was a backwards pass. The ball was left to lay on the field and Bentworth pounced on it.

One play later, Ben Hays scored on a 50-yard run to make it 7-0 Bentworth.

Colton County responded for Burgettstown two minutes later with a 60-yard touchdown run and made the extra point to tie it at 7-7.

Hays struck again on Bentworth’s next possession, scoring on a 67-yard run. It was the second time in three offensive plays for the Bearcats that Hays scored a touchdown.

Neal threw an 18-yard strike to Bryce Speer over the middle of the field to tie it back up late in the first.