Bearcats aiming to keep momentum going from last season
By DEAN DELLAMALVA JR.
MVI Sports
Last year’s Bentworth boys soccer team ended the regular season winning four of its last five games.
Amongst those wins was No. 150 for head coach Gary Amos in the final game of the year.
The hope is, with that final stretch, the Bearcats can keep the momentum going, start the 2021 season fast and get back to competing for the section title.
“Every year at Bentworth our goal is to win the section,” Amos said. “We want to qualify for the playoffs first, then hopefully we are in position to win the section at the end.”
The Bearcats (7-8, 6-6) lost just one graduated player from last year’s team and brought back a bevy of talented, experienced players. Junior goalkeeper Landon Urcho will anchor the back end for Bentworth.
“Urcho will start, but Christian Here will play (goalkeeper),” Amos said. “We have five players that may play some keeper though, we are very deep.”
While the roster will not be flush with seniors, it will have several players who have multiple years of varsity experience under their belt. There will also be an influx of first-year players looking to crack the lineup or play valuable minutes.
“We have a very experienced team, even though a lot of starters will be underclassmen,” Amos said. “There are many multiple-year starters and a few freshmen that will play right away and contribute.”
Two-time all section performer junior Jerzy Timlin returns as does junior Julian Hays who took home all section honors last year. Timlin (30 career goals) and Hays (16 goals last season) will be the pillars of the Bearcat offense.
Seniors Tucker McMurray (Midfielder) and Tanner Kinney (Defender) are both four-year starters for Bentworth. A pair of sophomore midfielders in John Scott and Ryan Colbert are “great playmakers,” according to Amos. Centerback Andrew Vipperman is a newcomer who is expected to contribute.
Seton-LaSalle is the defending Section 4-A champion and will be a strong threat to repeat. Brentwood and Chartiers-Houston will join Bentworth in trying to topple SLS. The key for the Bearcats will be taking care of their own business.
“To contend, we will need to beat every team we should,” Amos said. “Play one game at a time and don’t look ahead.”
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