Bluffton’s boys basketball team opens the 2017-18 campaign Friday evening with a home contest against Leipsic. The Pirates will look to continue their momentum after making the District Tournament the past two seasons. BHS finished with a 13-12 record last year including a 4-4 mark in NWC play.
Three returning letter winners return for Bluffton in seniors Kaleb Jefferson and Dakota Bricker along with sophomore Luke Denecker. Bricker and Jefferson bring toughness that the youthful team will rely upon. Coach Todd Boblitt relayed, “Our team will blend experience with youth.”
Denecker continues to rehab after a knee injury ended his freshman campaign. The sharpshooter earned First Team Northwest Conference honors last year and looks to return to full strength as soon as possible.
Pirates looking to contribute include seniors Cole Fruchey and Jared Piercefield, junior Mason Ault and sophomore Mason Soper.
The Pirates will be undersized in most contests as Ault tops out the roster at 6’2”. Coach Boblitt knows this will be a focus point saying, “We will need to be an aggressive rebounding team to make up for our lack of size.”
In addition to the rugged NWC slate, the Pirates will be tested out of conference. Leipsic and Bath visit newly renovated Pirate gymnasium for the first two games of the season. Bluffton dropped overtime contests to these teams last year. The Pirates host WBL foes Ottawa-Glandorf and Wapakoneta in the first two games of 2018. Two new teams dot the schedule as Bluffton will travel to Patrick Henry in January and host Monclova Christian (Toledo) in February. The annual McDonald’s Holiday Tournament is set for December 29 and 30.
Boblitt enters his 12th season as Head Coach at Bluffton. He has an overall record at the school of 117-131 and this his 19th year of coaching in total. Assistants coaches are Bob Kindred, Mason Roth, Alex Hanna (Junior Varsity) and Chris Ackerman (Freshman).
