Victory sets up NWC 1st-place showdown with AE

By Cort Reynolds

LEIPSIC--The Bluffton High School football team used a 20-point third quarter to defeat Leipsic 34-14 in a Northwest Conference contest on a cool Friday night, September 30.

The Pirates stayed in a first-place tie with Allen East atop the NWC with their fourth consecutive win, improving to 4-0 in the league. Bluffton is now 5-2 overall. 

AE flattened Delphos Jefferson 62-6 Friday to improve to 6-1 and 4-0 in NWC play. The two local rivals meet next Friday in Bluffton with sole possession of first place in the league on the line.

Slumping Leipsic fell to 3-4 and 2-2 in the NWC with their second consecutive defeat. 

Bluffton's Landen Worcester scored the game's first touchdown on a 69-yard run. Kyle Basil's extra point kick put Bluffton in front, 7-0.

Leipsic took its first and only lead early in the second quarter. The Vikings scored on a two-yard run, then successfully made the two-point conversion to seize an 8-7 advantage.

Bluffton took the lead back and never relinquished it. Braeden Jordan hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Garret Bogart, and the Basil PAT made it 14-8 at intermission.

Griffin Stackhouse pulled in a 10-yard TD aerial from Bogart early in the decisive third period to extend the lead to 20-8. A two-point try failed, keeping the margin at 12.

The Vikings closed the gap on a seven-yard TD run, but the PAT boot missed to keep the Pirates ahead, 20-14.

Garret Bogart then hooked up with Gavin Bogart on a 20-yard scoring strike, and the Basil boot put the Pirates ahead 27-14.

Worcester next found paydirt late in the stanza with a two-yard TD run. The extra point capped a 20-point period and gave Bluffton the final margin of victory.

Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

1 2 3 4 F

Leip 0 8 6 0 14

Bluf 7 7 20 0 34

Notes and stats

Bluffton netted 443 yards on 53 plays (8.4 yards per snap). Meanwhile, Leipsic amassed 399 yards on 66 snaps (6.1 avg.).

The Pirates rushed for 268 total yards and passed for 175. The Vikings compiled 214 rushing yards and 185 aerially.

Garret Bogart completed eight of his 12 passes for 175 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He added 30 yards rushing on eight carries.

Worcester led the Pirates with 150 yards rushing on 20 carries. He scored two TDs. 

Stackhouse toted the pigskin three times for 45 yards, and caught one pass for a 10-yard TD. Landon Shutler added 17 yards on three runs.

Jordan snared three aerials for 60 yards aerials and one score. 

Hayden Dearth made one reception for 40 yards. Gavin Bogart caught one aerial for a 20-yard TD.

Quinn Eachus intercepted two passes, while Jordan added one pickoff and was in on eight tackles.

Worcester was in on 20 tackles, with seven solos and 13 assists. 

Kameron Coughlan helped on 13 stops, all assists. Carson Kruse was in on 14 tackles with 13 assists. 

Bluffton efficiently converted eight of 10 third down tries, and was 0-1 on fourth down. The Vikings made it on seven of 12 third down attempts, and went 1-4 on fourth down tries.

Leipsic amassed 22 first downs to 16 chain-movers by Bluffton. 

The Vikings committed three turnovers on a trio of interceptions, while the Pirates made two miscues. Bluffton threw one pick and fumbled the pigskin away once. 

The Pirates were penalized five times for 35 yards, while the Vikes were flagged once for 11 yards.

NWC 1st place showdown looms on Homecoming

Bluffton hosts Allen East for Homecoming in an NWC first-place showdown next Friday in week eight. Both teams enter the key critical contest on a four-game win streak.

Columbus Grove is alone in second in the NWC at 3-1. The Pirates host CG (5-2) in the regular season finale. Grove beat Bluffton 31-0 last season.

The Mustangs beat the Pirates 35-0 at Harrod in 2021. AE also won their 2020 meeting 46-22, and has won their last four meetings. Bluffton last beat the Mustangs in 2017 by a 28-14 count in Harrod.

The Pirates are 16th in the Div. V, Region 18 rankings. AE is fourth in the Div. VI, Region 26 computer ratings. The top 16 teams in each region make the post-season.