By Cort Reynolds
Photos by Rae Staton
BLUFFTON - Host Bluffton crushed Elmore Woodmore 9-0 in Div. III boys soccer sectional final action Saturday afternoon at Steinmetz Field.
The blowout victory improved the top-seeded Pirate boys record to 15-0-2 this season.
Jude Spallinger authored a hat trick as seven different Pirates scored in the lopsided win.
Spallinger started the scoring parade in the third minute, then made it 2-0 with another goal in the 14th minute. He found the back of the net for the third time in the 46th minute.
Simon Derstine extended the lead to 3-0 in the 16th minute, and Tayton Kleman made it 4-0 a minute later.
Ethan Oglesbee scored in the 38th minute to pad the lead to 5-0 at halftime.
Jonathan Schriner tallied in the 44th minute, followed later by goals from Nolan Hoffman (60th) and Conner Lee (78th).
Schriner and Luke Shephard each dished out two assists, while Derstine, Josh Mehaffie, Spallinger and Oglesbee each passed out one assist.
Bluffton fired 34 shots, 20 of which were on goal.
Woodmore could muster only one off-target shot against the smothering Pirate defense.
Bluffton keeper Nic Essinger did not have to make a single save, while Woodmore goalie Jesse Lattea made 11 stops.
The Pirates next play at Tiffin Columbian High School Wednesday, October 28 against the Ada/Mansfield Christian winner in the district semifinals at 5 p.m. Bluffton beat Ada 7-0 in late September.
Riverdale is the second seed in the district.
The district finals are slated for Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. in Tiffin.
