Pirates comeback from 20-point deficit on the road
By Bryan Kress
Finding themselves down 27-7 win the third quarter at Allen East, Bluffton put together two comebacks that may very well end up being the biggest moments of the season.
Bluffton put up 270 yards to Allen East’s 350 total, but the only real numbers that matter are the point totals 35-33.
The first quarter was quiet offensively as Allen East scored first with a 15-yard TD toss.
Mitchell Ault, getting his first start of the season hit Drake Luginbuhl on a 9-yard pass to even it up at 7 in the second quarter.
Allen East would score twice in the second with two touchdown runs to go up 20-7 before the half.
Another Allen East touchdown run would put the score at 27-7 before the Bluffton offense showed what they have been capable of doing all season.
Zach Wilson would run for a three yard score with only seconds left in the third to cut the lead to 27-14.
Wilson would punch another score in from four yards away with seven minutes left in the game, and only a minute later Ault hit Isaac Little for a 24-yard scoring go up 28-27.
Allen East would score once more but the Bluffton defense stuffed the two-point conversion to keep the score within five at 33-28.
With 70 yards to cover in two minutes, Mitchell Ault led the Bluffton offense down and on fourth down with only 13 yards to go hit Levi Kistler on a 26-yard pass to take the final lead at 35-33.
Ault played very well in his first start hitting on 14 passes on 20 attempts for 173 yards and three touchdowns. Isaac Little led the team with five catches for 81 yards. Zach Wilson led the team in rushing with 55 yards and two touchdowns.
Another key player in the game was kicker Matt Deter who hit on all of his PATs in a game that was won by only two points.
Bluffton (3-3) will travel to Spencerville (4-2) to try and keep their perfect road record.
Stories Posted This Week
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Friday, September 11, 2026
- Mennonite Home Communities provide backup phone numbers during outage
- Pirate volleyball wins in four vs. Elmwood
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- Pirate boys soccer nipped by Liberty-Benton
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- Sept. 12 Open Doors offers sneak peek at future Bluffton museum space
- Innovation Forum challenges leaders to think deeper about AI
- Invitation to Sept 15 Bluffton Lions program with Dr. William H. Kose
- Deer archery hunting begins Sept. 12 in Disease Surveillance Area
Thursday, September 10, 2026
- Women in Business program with Positive Nutrition
- It's time for Fall Storytime at the Bluffton Public Library
- Pirate girls golf win vs. Lima Central Catholic
- Pirate boys golf splits NWC tri
- Bluffton PTO is collecting Community Markets receipts
- Richland Twp. trustees hire mower and Zoning Inspector
- Schumacher Homestead plans a farm full of Fall Fest activities
- Hindsight is 20/20: Recent reports for RSV, flu, and COVID-19
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
- Darrell Lee Diller, 92, managed a farming business
- Bluffton alumni will discuss pathways to chaplaincy
- Beaverdam cleanup day is Sept. 12
- Pirate boys golf 3rd at NWC quad
- Pirate volleyball outlasts Arlington
- Pirate girls soccer blanks Crestview
- Pirate boys soccer tie vs. Kalida
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