By Cort Reynolds
Six Bluffton High School football players made second team all-league for Fall 2022 in voting recently conducted by the NWC league coaches.
Junior receiver Braeden Jordan was named second team all-conference. He caught 23 passes for 532 yards (3.1 avg.) and four touchdowns.
Pirate senior lineman Jacob Granger was voted second team all-league on offense.
Sophomore Landen Worcester and senior Kameron Coughlan were named to the second team all-league defense at linebacker. Senior Xavier Luginbihl was tabbed second team as well on the defensive line.
Pirate Quinn Eachus was named second team All-NWC at defensive back.
Junior quarterback Garret Bogart earned honorable mention all-conference, as did junior running back Gavin Bogart.
Garret Bogart completed 82 of 155 passes (52.9%) for 1,337 yards and 13 TDs with eight interceptions.
Bluffton junior Hayden Dearth was voted honorable mention All-NWC at receiver. Dearth caught 21 passes for 300 yards (14.3 avg.) with three TDs.
Junior Preston Culver was named honorable mention all-league on the defensive line.
Jordan and senior Landon Shutler made HM all-league at defensive back.
Allen East senior quarterback Jacob Hershberger was voted NWC Offensive Player of the Year after leading Allen East to the outright league title, their first since 1995.
Hershberger rushed 100 times for 930 yards (9.3 avg.) with 14 touchdowns in 10 games. In NWC action, he ran 75 times for 746 yards and 13 TDs.
He also completed 47 of 80 passes (58.8 percent) for 803 yards and five scores with just two pick-offs in league play. He led the NWC in QB rating at 158.69.
Mustang mentor Joel Billings was voted NWC Coach of the Year by his peers after leading AE to its first outright NWC title since 1995.
Linebacker Tadd Koch of runner-up Columbus Grove was named NWC Defensive Player of the Year.
AE won the NWC crown at 8-0, followed by Grove (7-1), Delphos Jefferson (5-2), Bluffton (4-3), Leipsic (3-4), Ada (2-5), Crestview (1-6) and Spencerville (0-7).
