Keeping the upper hand: Bentworth ready to defend WPIAL and state titles
On top of a large hill that overlooks the Bentworth Middle School and the high school across the street, sits a grass field, a couple of soccer goals and a set of small bleachers.
To the passerby it might not seem like much, but it’s the grounds where WPIAL and state champions train.
It’s a patch that has proven to be the starting point to making it to FNB Stadium with the lights from the big city skyscrapers shining from across the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh.
The Bentworth boys soccer team has won the last three WPIAL titles and broke through last year to win the program’s first state title.
With nine of 11 starters returning from a team that beat Delco Christian, 1-0, in the Class A state championship, the Bearcats have their sights set on continuing their run of dominance.
“Obviously we have high expectations and pressure on us,” Bentworth junior Adam Moessner said. “Losing Ryan (Moessner) obviously hurts and Blake (Lusk) was our second-leading assister, but everybody coming back grew and got better this year. We have a few people that will step up to fill those roles.”
If Bentworth can go back-to-back in the state finals, then they’ll be the first Class A team to ever do it. Another milestone for the Bearcats to shoot for is a fourth consecutive WPIAL title, which hasn’t been accomplished since Peters Township did so from 1986-89.
“I asked them if anybody knew the last time someone won the WPIAL four years in a row and the room goes silent, because nobody knows the answer,” Bearcats coach Nick Malarbi said. “I said to them that should tell you how hard you have to work if you want to do it. I don’t care if you come in as a favorite, you have to know that other teams historically haven’t been able to do it. It’s rare. Someone wants to knock you off and anything can happen in the playoffs.
“These guys are hungry and we want to get back down to (FNB) Stadium (formerly Highmark Stadium). They allowed our seniors this year to go down there this year and some of them got senior pictures taken there. We’d like to make that an every-year occurrence. That’s their dream. To play down there. They love it.”
Bentworth could play at FNB Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, twice this year, because the state championships will be held there for the first time.
To do so they’ll have to overcome the graduation of the state’s leading goal scorer, Ryan Moessner, who is now playing at PennWest California.
It’s a big loss, but Malarbi pointed out that he returns another top scorer in the state, Ryan’s younger brother Adam Moessner.
Adam, a junior, will draw a lot more attention this fall, and he knows what to expect after seeing his older brother get man-marked game after game last season.
“Last year Ryan got a lot of the attention and it’s really hard to man-mark two people,” Adam said. “They’d mainly go to Ryan, but this year I know it’s going to be me, so I’m going to try and drag defenders around and make space for my teammates if it happens.”
Malarbi said his standout striker is more than capable of handling the extra attention.
“Adam is so strong and hits the ball very hard with both feet,” Malarbi said. “He ran track in the spring and it definitely seems like he got faster. I didn’t know he could gain that much speed in one year, but he has.”
The entire defense returns for the Bearcats, backed by goalkeeper Issac Vipperman. Billy Moyer and Dillan Colbert are midfielders that bring experience to the lineup. Garret Allen is another key returner for the Bentworth attack as well as Austin Hollier.
“I like where we’re at,” Colbert said. “I think we’re still going to be very strong both offensively and defensively.”
Bentworth was the lone boys soccer team that secured championships last year, but a few others won playoff games.
Peters Township was the top seed in Class 4A, but lost to Seneca Valley in the semifinals.
Canon-McMillan won a playoff game before falling to Seneca Valley in the quarterfinals.
Belle Vernon defeated Ringgold in a Class 3A play-in game before losing to Hampton in the first round.
Charleroi and McGuffey are returning playoff teams in Class 2A.
Beth-Center and Chartiers-Houston made the postseason in Class A. Bulldogs senior Parker Amos is one of the top players in the WPIAL.
One change to WPIAL soccer this year is there will not be overtime in the regular season. If the score is even at the end of regulation, then the game is a tie.