By Sam Brauen
It’s never easy to win in certain venues and Clymer Stadium in Columbus Grove is a prime example.
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Despite racking up yardage, first downs and generally outplaying the host Bulldogs for most of the game, Bluffton found themselves trailing late in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Mitchell Ault scrambled from the six yard line and completed a pass to Joel Siefker that allowed BHS to win the game by a 10-7 score.
The victory closed Bluffton’s regular season with a 7-3 record, the most wins in a season since the 2005 campaign that also went 7-3.
It wasn’t for lack of effort, but Bluffton could simply not get out of their own way in the first three quarters. The first four offensive drives ended in Bulldog territory, but not the end zone.
Penalties stalled out the first three promising drives and a lost fumble at the Grove ten yard line ended the fourth.
“We had to just keep fighting tonight. I am very proud of our seniors that displayed leadership traits we have worked hard to instill since last season,” Coach Kyle Cutnaw relayed.
Carrick Lancaster was able to connect on a 33 yard field goal late in the third quarter to get Bluffton on the board. Mitchell Ault handled a high snap on the play and Lancaster boomed the kick through the uprights for a much needed score.
The Pirate defense was an ever present force, holding Columbus Grove managed just 36 yards of first half offense on four possessions.
Three drives ended in punts and the other ended on an interception by Joel Siefker. While Grove started to move the ball in the second half, the Pirate ‘D’ did a great job containing quarterback Reid Stechschulte, running back Lachlan Clymer and wideout Baily Clement.
Grove advanced inside the ten yard line twice in the fourth quarter but the Pirate defense stymied both drives. The first drive ended with an incomplete pass while the second came to a halt by another Siefker interception, this time at the goal line.
With the Pirate offense stuttering, Grove got the ball back with six minutes left and trailing 3-0 and scored a go-ahead touchdown.
Stechschulte, who Cutnaw referred to as a special, talented player, broke loose from a tackle and raced 36 yards to the Pirate 25 yard line. Three plays later the junior bulled into the end zone for a 7-3 Bulldog lead with 4:44 left.
The Pirates set out on a dramatic final drive of the game. Mitchell Ault threw to Dakota Bricker for 11 yards then hit Kaleb Jefferson for 28 more yards on a slant pattern.
Two plays later, Sam Crisp made a grab on a quick pass over the middle, absorbed a heavy hit but picked up 15 yards to the Columbus Grove six yard line.
After two running plays were stuffed, Bluffton faced a third down and goal from the Bulldog five yard line with just over a minute to play and trailing 7-3.
Ault took the shotgun snap and was forced to scramble to his right. After evading a would be tackler, Ault threw a dart to Siefker in the back of the end zone. The senior made a diving grab for the only Pirate touchdown of the evening.
Lancaster tacked on the extra point for a 10-7 lead with 1:19 left in the ball game.
Columbus Grove advanced down field over the final minute and with five seconds left had the ball at the Bluffton six yard line.
The game was on the line. Stechschulte got a shotgun snap and rolled to his left. He lofted a ball toward the back of the end zone where there were two Bulldog players and two Pirate defenders. The ball bounced off a Bulldog receiver’s hands and fell incomplete as time expired.
While it was definitely a team win, senior Joel Siefker shined in his final football game as a Pirate. Siefker intercepted two passes, caught the game winning pass and defended on the final play of the game.
He said, “I made the plays we’ve been taught to make. Our line did a great job giving Mitch time to throw and it’s pretty surreal to catch the game winning ball tonight.”
Ault added, “We never thought about giving up. Even when we went down late we just wanted to prove to ourselves that we can win this thing and we went out and did our jobs. I am very proud to be on this team.”
Bluffton outgained Grove 357 to 264 in yardage, including a 21-9 advantage in first downs. Ault finished the game 20 of 29 passing for 268 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
Neither team had much success rushing the ball as both squads finished with 88 yards. Ault gained 32 yards, Bricker 29 and Jefferson 24. Bricker caught eight passes for 92 yards, Siefker four for 65 and Jefferson two for 44.
Defensively, Ault led the way with five tackles. Other stalwarts such as Blake Sampson and Brady Basinger seemed to be in the Grove backfield all night.
The Pirates had many tackles for loss by Sam Crisp (1.5), Basinger (1.5), Misha Groman (1.5) and Sampson (1.0). BHS won the turnover battle 2-1.
Bluffton was in ninth spot in the Division 6 Region 22 Computer Rankings heading into Week 10 action. The Pirates needed to win and then get some help to make it to the postseason. The teams that were catchable ahead of the Pirates all won in Week 10 and the Pirates end the season in ninth spot in the region.
BHS seniors
Playing their final game for Bluffton were seniors Mitchell Ault, Joe Schriner, Sam Crisp, Carrick Lancaster, Shawn Justus, Bret Rumer, Dylan Pletcher, Misha Groman, Kyle Swank, Blake Sampson, Zach Little and Joel Siefker.
This crew went 5-5 as freshman, 6-4, 3-7 and finished 7-3. It is safe to say these Pirates finished this game, and their career, as strong as possible.
