BUFFALO — Jamestown football coach Tom Langworthy was the team’s No. 1 philosopher by late Friday night.

“When you put your head down, grind and start to believe in something, anything can happen,” he said. “Tonight was a great life lesson for the guys.”

By any measure, the Red & Green aced its biggest “exam” of the season.

Chase Bonta rushed for 215 yards on 35 carries and scored two touchdowns, to go along with his 37-yard halfback option pass to Jada Foreman for another TD; Dominic Gonzalez added a decisive scoring burst; and Jamestown’s defense did the rest as it stunned No. 1 Bennett 28-16 in the Section VI AA semifinal at All High Stadium.

The win advances the fourth-seeded Red & Green (6-4) into the sectional championship game at 8 p.m. next Friday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park against No. 2 Lancaster, which routed No. 3 Orchard Park 41-9 in the other semifinal last night. The Tigers, meanwhile, end their season 7-2.

“Many times you look at the teams that go to the stadium and it’s a pretty linear path,” Langworthy said. “That wasn’t our path this year, but I think what young people can learn from this situation is that even though, after four weeks, it wasn’t looking so good for us, we continued to believe in each other, we worked hard, committed to playing better and getting better, and we did.”

Jamestown, which lost to Bennett at All High Stadium 27-23 on Sept. 27, never trailed, jumping out to a 13-0 lead at halftime, courtesy of Bonta’s 2-yard run and his option pass to Foreman. The Red & Green added to its lead on its first possession of the third quarter when Bonta scored another TD from 2 yards out and Jarron Cotter booted his second point-after kick to push the lead to 20-0. The drive was set up by a bad snap on Bennett’s punt attempt.

The Tigers finally got on the scoreboard, courtesy of a 40-yard TD pass from Jordan Freeman to Jack Eskridge in the third quarter and a successful two-point conversion by Shamier Land, and a 3-yard run and two-point conversion run by E’Ryan Lawrence early in the final period.

But with its lead cut to 20-16, Jamestown didn’t panic.

Taking over possession at its own 23, the Red & Green used 12 runs by Bonta that up Gonzalez’s 4-yard TD burst on fourth down. Gonzalez then connected with Ayden Samuelson on the two-point conversion pass to push Jamestown’s lead to 28-16 with just under five minutes remaining.

“We’re a physical team and we’re going to run the ball at you,” Langworthy said. “Chase fits that philosophy really well. That wears the defense down and sets up some play-action passes. We really drove the ball well when we needed it. … (Gonzalez’s touchdown run) really changed the dynamics of the game.”

The Red & Green defense did, too.

Cole Bloomquist and Luis Diaz led the way with 11 tackles apiece, while Carson Panebianco and Tommy Pratton both had seven. Gonzalez also intercepted a pass and Bonta recovered a fumble.

“(Assistant coaches) Steve Propheter and Richie Joly did a tremendous job with the (defensive) game plan and the players executed the game plan well,” Langworthy said. ” … We went into the game saying this was our game, we were the favorites and we had a better body of work in the last month than Bennett. We felt we could win this game and we should win this game.”

Now it’s on to the home of the Buffalo Bills next Friday against Lancaster, which defeated the Red & Green 20-13 on Oct. 11.

“The AA final is the Super Bowl of Western New York high school football,” Langworthy said. “We’re in that game next week.”

NOTES: Gonzalez completed 6 of 8 passes for 110 yards, with Samuelson collecting three receptions for 56 yards. … Just like the players and coaches did on Monday, they held a moment of silence after the game for Dawayne “Train” Vanderwork, a former Jamestown player (Class of 1992) and Jamestown Area Midget Football League coach, who passed away last Sunday.

Jamestown 0 13 7 8 — 28

Bennett 0 0 8 8 — 16

Jam–Bonta 2 run (kick fail)

Jam–Foreman 37 pass from Bonta (Cotter kick)

Jam–Bonta 2 run (Cotter kick)

Ben–Eckridge 40 pass from Freeman (Land run)

Ben–Lawrence 3 run (Lawrence run)

Jam–Gonzalez 4 run (Samuelson pass from Gonzalez)