By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - Visiting Pandora-Gilboa scored four unanswered touchdowns over the middle two quarters to register a 27-9 win over Bluffton at Harmon Field Friday night.
The Pirates fell to 1-1 with the loss, while P-G improved to 1-1 with the non-league win.
The Rockets rolled up 443 yards in offense to just 149 yards by Bluffton. P-G quarterback Silas Schmenk tossed three long touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the Rockets to victory.
After a scoreless first period, Bluffton went ahead 2-0 on a safety after blocking a punt with 9:33 left in the first half.
But P-G came right back to take the lead on a 67-yard touchdown pass from Schmenk to Bryce Basinger. The extra point kick by Elam Suter gave the Rockets a 7-2 lead with 6:50 to go in the half.
P-G then delivered a big blow just before intermission when Schmenk hit Sam Burkholder for a 60-yard TD aerial with only four seconds to go.
The Suter PAT kick put the Rockets on top 14-2 at halftime.
P-G continued its offensive attack after the break when Schmenk scored on a seven-yard TD scamper just 2:30 into the second half. Another Suter point after boot extended the lead to 21-2.
Schmenk completed his third long TD pass when he hooked up with Walker Macke for a 63-yard score with 36 ticks to go in the third period.
The extra point kick was no good to keep the deficit to 27-2.
The Bluffton offense recorded its lone score when Tucker Neff tallied on a 10-yard run with 7:28 remaining. Kyle Koontz's PAT kick cut the lead to 27-9.
Neither squad was able to score the rest of the way.
Schmenk's three TD passes averaged 63.3 yards in length. He completed nine of 20 passes for 287 yards with two interceptions.
Burkholder rushed 19 times for 80 yards, and Schmenk added 57 yards on 10 tries. P-G amassed 156 yards rushing on 31 carries (5.0 average).
Nate Schaadt rushed 20 times for 53 yards to lead the Pirate ground game. Neff netted 48 yards on 14 runs, and Tyson Shutler added 37 yards on six rushes. Bluffton netted 145 yards rushing on 47 tries (3.1 avg.).
P-G out-gained Bluffton through the air, 287-4. The visitors rolled up 17 first downs to nine by the Pirates.
1 2 3 4 F
Bluf 0 2 0 7 9
P-G 0 14 13 0 27
Bluffton (1-1) visits Defiance Ayersville for its third and final non-conference game Friday, Sept. 13.
The Pilots are 0-2 after losing 36-24 at Waynesfield in the opener, and falling 33-26 at North Baltimore Friday night.
The Pirates will be playing their first road game, while Ayersville hosts its first home game of 2019.
