URL: http://www.gazetteextra.com/20150828/benzing_leads_comets_past_chiefs

Benzing leads Comets past Chiefs

WALWORTH—Converted wide receiver and new Delavan-Darien quarterback Jake Benzing admits he prefers catching passes rather than throwing them.

He certainly could have fooled Big Foot after bullying the Chiefs secondary for most of the game during Delavan-Darien's 41-28 victory here Friday night.

Benzing fired four touchdown passes and ran for two more to help Delavan-Darien (2-0) knock off nonconference rival Big Foot for a second consecutive season.

“Our quarterbacks obviously run a lot in our offensive system, but it's starting to feel comfortable back there as a quarterback,” Benzing said. “But I like receiver more.”

Benzing will have to settle for being the face of the Comets offense after getting things rolling with a 33-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the game.

Big Foot, which has its fair share of quality skill-position players, responded with a Zak Greco 10-yard touchdown pass to Michael Petkoff to make it 7-6 Chiefs.

Benzing answered with a pair of touchdown passes. But the Chiefs countered with Jackson Enz's 48-yard halfback-option pass to Mike Heidenreich for one score and Greco's 15-yard pass to Ben Bauer for another.

With the game knotted at 21 late in the second quarter, Benzing finally got the upper hand with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Ben Ingersoll with five seconds left in the half to make it 27-21 Comets at halftime.

“Big Foot blitzed us a lot tonight, but Jake still had plenty of time to throw, which is credit to our line,” Delavan-Darien football coach Bret St. Arnauld said. “I'm very happy about the way we are playing on the line.”

The Comets opened their advantage to 34-21 midway through the third quarter on Benzing's 4-yard touchdown run.

After Greco's 35-yard touchdown pass to Enz to cut the deficit to 34-28 with six minutes left in the third, the Chiefs looked poised to make one of their trademark runs. Bauer intercepted a Benzing pass and returned it to the Comets' 44.

But the Comets defense held from there, and they later put the finishing touches on the victory when Benzing hit Ingersoll for a 59-yard touchdown pass.

“We had a fumble up the sideline in their territory in the first half, and then we threw an interception in their territory which costs us,” Big Foot coach Greg Enz said. “We made too many errors in decision-making and execution, which is a byproduct of our age. But age is cant be an excuse going forward.”

Delavan-Darien opens Southern Lakes Conference play at Elkhorn next Friday. Big Foot opens Rock Valley South play at home against Beloit Turner.