Junior Ryan Leopold (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) was recently named HCAC Special Teams Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 17, 2013. It was the third straight week the Beavers have had a player named Player of the Week. Senior Josh Runda (Lima/Bath) and sophomore Ryan Aelker (New Bavaria/Holgate) earned Heartland Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for their work against Franklin and Anderson, respectively
Leopold blocked two field goals in Bluffton's fourth straight win over the rival Yellow Jackets. He also played a crucial part in stuffing a fake field goal attempt by Defiance that resulted in a 14-yard loss on fourth down in the third quarter with the outcome hanging in the balance. On the line, Leopold also finished with six tackles, including a TFL for four yards. His blocks came on Defiance's first two possessions of the game.
The Beavers capped their 2013 campaign with a huge win at rival Defiance College on Saturday, Nov. 16, after Bluffton outscored the Yellow Jackets 14-3 in the second half en route to a 17-10 victory. The win moved the Beavers to 4-6 this season with a 4-4 mark in the HCAC thanks to a third straight win. It was also the first time since 1985-90 that Bluffton has fashioned four consecutive victories over its rival to the north.
The win capped a 2013 season and sent 17 seniors out with a victory in the annual "Hammer" game, a contest that those seniors have never tasted defeat in while at Bluffton. The Heartland Conference will announce its post-season All-HCAC awards on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
