Balanced Rockets defeat Bearcats, 40-34
Jefferson-Morgan used a balanced offense and a big third quarter to defeat visiting Bentworth, 40-34, in a high-scoring Tri-County South battle last Friday night.
Jonathan Wolfe rambled for 234 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries and Colt Fowler completed 8 of 13 passes for 216 yards and three TDs, all to Owen Maddich, to lead the way for the Rockets (2-2, 2-2). Fowler also ran for a TD and a two-point conversion.
“It was nice that we were able to have success both running and throwing the ball,” said J-M coach Aaron Giorgi, who commended Fowler after he was forced to step in as the team’s quarterback last week following Cole Jones’ injury.
“Colt is a more than capable quarterback, too, but we felt were better served with him at wide receiver and Cole at quarterback. Cole went down with a broken collar bone against Avella two weeks ago, and since then Colt’s maturity and his leadership has really grown.
“He deserves a lot of credit for that because he kind of got thrusted in there. He’s been playing well on both sides of the ball. He had two interceptions against Monessen last week.”
Both teams’ offenses were clicking in a first quarter that ended with the Bearcats (1-3, 1-3) ahead 14-12.
Bentworth got on the board first on Owen Petrisek’s 6-yard touchdown run, Jefferson-Morgan answered with Fowler’s 29-yard scoring pass to Maddich, then Bentworth’s Trent Cavanaugh scored on a 10-yard TD run. Fowler capped the wild opening frame with a 5-yard touchdown run.
Petrisek added a 2-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter but J-M pulled even, 20-20, 4:49 before halftime on a 38-yard Fowler-to-Maddich TD pass, followed by a two-point conversion run by Fowler.
“Owen has done a great job stepping up as our main receiver,” Giorgi said.
The Rockets took charge in third quarter with three touchdown drives to go up 40-20. Two were capped by Wolfe runs of 1 and 7 yards and the third ended with the third Fowler-to-Maddich hook-up, this one from 26 yards away.
Maddich finished with six receptions for 180 yards.
“Our offensive line came out in the third quarter ready to go and just took control of the game,” Giorgi said. “Jonathan Wolfe got his shoulders square and ran hard and low that entire quarter.”
The Bearcats fought back to within six in the fourth quarter on Cavanaugh touchdown runs of 6 yards with 10:38 left and 37 yards with 6:42 left, with Trevor Richardson adding both extra-point kicks.
Bentworth moved into J-M territory late in the game but the Rockets’ defense stiffened.
“Owen Maddich came up with a big tackle in the backfield on third down to force them into a fourth and long on their last drive,” Giorgi said.
The Bearcats’ final pass fell incomplete and J-M had its second straight win.
Dalton Heath had two receptions for 25 yards for Jefferson-Morgan.
“We’re a running team and our offensive line is playing well now after a slow start,” Giorgi said. “That’s our identity, but we can mix it up a little bit with the pass when we need to.”
The Rockets travel to California to face the unbeaten Trojans this Friday.