BENTONVILLE -- Nunzio Campanelli would like to say the play Bergen Catholic called to score its final touchdown was done the way he had called it.
It was nowhere close, but it didn't matter. It still did what it was supposed to -- put enough distance between Bergen and Bentonville.
How They Scored
Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic 21, Bentonville 10
Bergen Catholic^7^14^0^0^—21
Bentonville^3^7^0^0^—^10
First Quarter
Bent — FG Moehring 40, 6:26
Berg — Feaster 94 interception return (Difilippo kick), 1:21.
Second Quarter
Bent — Keliiliki 10 run (Moehring kick), 8:04.
Berg — Russo 8 run (Difilippo kick), 2:28.
Berg — Gaarn fumble recovery in end zone (Difilippo kick), :17.
Corey Gaarn saw Emmanuel Appiah's fumble roll into the end zone and picked up the loose ball just before it rolled out of bounds, and the team from Oradell, N.J., posted a 21-10 victory in Bentonville's final nonconference game Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
"Obviously, you tell your guys that you have to play until the whistle blows," Campanelli said. "Corey just happened to be Johnny on the spot and hustled to the ball. He got to it within a foot of the sideline, so it was pretty tight."
Bergen Catholic (2-1) could have attempted a field goal when it faced fourth-and-5 from the Bentonville 18, but the Crusaders wanted to get a first down and get a little closer. Jarret Guarantano hit Appiah with a pass for more than enough than the first down, but Tyrone Mahone hit him as he dove toward the goal line and the ball squirted loose.
Had the ball rolled out of bounds, it would have been a touchback and Bentonville (0-3) would get the ball on its 20. Instead, Gaarn raced into the end zone and recovered the fumble for a Bergen Catholic touchdown with 17 seconds before halftime, and Joseph Difilippo's extra point gave the Crusaders a 21-10 lead with 17 seconds before halftime.
"We didn't play the play very well," Bentonville coach Barry Lunney said. "We weren't up on the ball and challenging the throw as aggressively as we should have been.
"I wish it could have rolled out of bounds, obviously. That's the way it's been for us the first game, then this one. We've been very close, but you have to make your own breaks. We haven't done that yet."
Extra Points
• Bentonville, which led 3-0 after Bennett Moehring's 40-yard field goal, had a chance to extend its lead when Jacob Clark recovered Gene Coleman's muffed punt at the Bergen Catholic 5. On the ensuing play, however, Kasey Ford's pass intended to Hekili Keliiliki was intercepted by Frank Feaster, who returned it 95 yards for a touchdown with 1:21 left in the first quarter.
• Bergen Catholic took the lead for good on Corey Russo's 8-yard touchdown run with 2:28 before halftime, capping a 13-play, 80-yard drive. The Crusaders did all the damage on the ground, with their only pass attempt on the drive falling incomplete.
• Derek Hembry had two interceptions, the first two for Bentonville's defense this season. He intercepted an Guarantano pass that was overthrown in the first quarter at the Tigers 40, then picked off another pass after it had been tipped at the Bentonville 47 with 7:47 left in the third quarter.
Up Next: Bentonville opens 7A-West Conference play next week at Fort Smith Southside, which returns to the league after a two-year hiatus. It will also be the home opener for the Rebels, who improved to 2-1 with a 42-14 victory over Lake Hamilton.
Sports on 09/20/2014