Benton Community uses strong rush attack, stifling defense to upend Marion

VAN HORNE — Benton Community wanted to send a message and wasted little time delivering it.

The Bobcats’ intentions were clear from the game’s opening possession. They were going to play a physical brand of football that was absent in last year’s lopsided loss at Marion.

“We had a bad taste in our mouth from last season,” Benton’s Carson Bruns said. “This was a game we were really looking forward to play. We didn’t perform the best last year against them. We knew that, so we wanted to come out and make a statement.”

Benton rushed, rumbled and rambled for 265 yards and five touchdowns, dominating the line of scrimmage and handling Marion, 38-7, in a non-district prep football game Friday night at Bobcat Stadium.

“We were going to play a physical football game and hopefully do enough, take care of the ball and sustain drives to put us in position to be successful,” Benton Coach Jeff Zittergruen said. “The physicality piece was the biggest thing we pushed with the kids and they bought into it.”

Hard-nosed and a ground-and-pound style with a veteran line will have to be the Bobcats’ calling card.

“That is the team we’re going to have to be,” Zittergruen said. “We bring back four of our five guys up front. They’re all experienced with two or three years between them. We’re going to have to be a team that moves the ball on the ground and it’s been good to see the first couple weeks we were able to do that.”

The first drive of the game was a tone setter. The Bobcats drove 80 yards on 12 straight rushes, closing with a 3-yard TD run by Bruns and burning five minutes off the clock.

“We wanted to come out and run the football the first drive,” Zittergruen said. “If we break one, great, but if not, we really wanted to sustain that and move the football down the field. To see us come out and do that was a real good sign.”

Benton (2-0) feasted on a steady diet of runs, carrying the ball 52 times compared to throwing four passes. Bruns amassed a game-high 111 rushing yards, while teammate Owen Tjelmeland added 89.

Tjelmeland helped increase the lead with TD runs on consecutive short-field possessions thanks to the Bobcats’ defense.

Mayson Mitchell’s fumble recovery gave Benton the ball at Marion’s 34, resulting in Tjelmeland’s 2-yard run 10 plays later. After a fourth-down stop, Benton reclaimed the ball at the Wolves’ 46. Tjelmeland converted again with a 22-yard TD run, making it 21-0 with 3:47 left in the second quarter.

Caleb Gessner added a 23-yard field goal for a 24-0 halftime lead.

“I think our (offensive line) guys did a good job of picking up assignments,” Zittergruen said. “Carson and Owen running the football and getting positive yards and making plays when they needed.”

Bruns added a 1-yard TD plunge in the third and the Bobcats enacted a running clock when Blayke Heying scored on a 6-yard run on the first play of the fourth.

“It feels great,” Bruns said. “With the offensive line like that, I’ve got to give them all the credit. They make my job so easy. When they perform like that, that’s the outcome you’re going to get.”

Benton’s defense posted seven straight shutout quarters and didn’t surrender a point until five minutes remaining when Marion quarterback Kaleb Diers scored on a 1-yard QB sneak. The Bobcats didn’t even give up a first down through the first three quarters, allowing five in the fourth.

“We have a mental advantage, knowing our defense can shut them down like that,” Bruns said.

The Bobcats are garnering attention early, recording two dominant wins to start the year. They are just scratching the surface of their potential.

“This team is a lot better than anybody expected us to be,” Bruns said. “I think with the way that we’re going there is no telling how far we are going to go. I’m so grateful for the guys that we’ve got. We work hard and work together. I think we can go far.”

Marion (1-1) managed just 100 total yards of offense with Diers accounting for 46. The game was a learning experience, according to Wolves Coach Michael Joyner. Marion will try to correct and improve for next week’s home opener against Center Point-Urbana

“We’ll be OK,” Joyner said. “We’ll bounce back.”

Benton Community 38, Marion 7

AT VAN HORNE

MAR BC

First Downs 5 19

Rushes-yards 24-74 52-265

Passing yards 26 46

Comp-att-int 5-13-1 3-4-0

Total yards 100 311

Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-0

Punts-avg. 5-32.2 2-29.5

Penalties-yards 7-45 9-80

Marion 0 0 0 7 -- 7

Benton Community 7 17 7 7 -- 38

BC – Carson Burns 3 run (Caleb Gessner kick)

BC – Owen Tjelmeland 2 run (Gessner kick)

BC – Tjelmeland 22 run (Gessner kick)

BC – FG Gessner 23

BC – Bruns 1 run (Gessner kick)

BC – Blayke Heying 6 run (Gessner kick)

MAR – Kaleb Diers 1 run (Noah Fischer kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Marion: Jasper Hancox 4-23, Diers 10-20, Darius Rouson 2-17, Trey Franck 3-14, Adam Rose 3-3, Team 1-0, Matthew Danninger 1-(-3). Benton Community: Bruns 21-111, Tjelmeland 18-89, Heying 6-38, Easton Pfiffner 4-25, Brenden Heying 1-4, Team 2-(-2).

PASSING – Marion: Diers 5-12-1-26, Team 0-1-0-0. Benton Community: Tjelmeland 3-4-0-46.

RECEIVING – Marion: Kaiden Griffith 1-10, Daegon Michaels 1-7, Rouson 1-4, Rose 1-3, Hunter Horak 1-2. Benton Community: Pfiffner 2-37, Mayson Mitchell 1-9.