Bluffton University homecoming football ends with a win and a brawl
The last :90 of the game clock were run without play after a Manchester University player made a late hit and kicked a Bluffton player, resulting in a bench-clearing fight. RedditCFB posted a clip HERE on Twitter.
The Bluffton University football team delighted the Homecoming crowd with a 50-12 dismantling of Manchester University on a cold and rainy Saturday, Oct. 21. Sparty stayed winless at 0-7 and 0-4 in the Heartland Conference, while Bluffton picked up its first HCAC win and improved to 2-5 on the season.
Bluffton marched right down the field on its first touch before a fumble gave Manchester the ball at the visitor nine-yard line. The Spartans went 31 yards in nine plays but a punt sent the ball back to the home team midway through the first frame. A 31-yard scoring strike from Xavier Reyero (Corona, Cal.) to Niegel Payne (Detroit, Mich./River Rouge) capped an eight-play, 89-yard drive that used up just 3:03.
Back-to-back touchdown runs by Todd King (Springfield) made it 22-0 with 3:42 to play in the second quarter. Manchester sandwiched a couple late first-half touchdowns around a Reyero to Ethan Beringer (Findlay/Carey) connection, making it 29-12 at the break.
Reyero punched it in from one yard out for his first rushing touchdown as a Beaver late in quarter three and Salieu Koroma (Westerville/Central) tacked on a pair of exclamation points in the final stanza, scoring from 16 yards out and again from one yard out as the home team did not let the weather rain on its Homecoming parade.
King led Bluffton's stout rushing attack with 109 yards on 25 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Kainan Stoner (Belle Center/Benjamin Logan) needed just nine carries for 90 yards after piling up 295 a week ago. Koroma added 58 yards on 14 carries and he scored twice.
Reyero completed 18-of-31 for 232 yards and three total touchdowns. Payne was unstoppable, hauling in six catches for 124 yards and a TD. CJ Thompson (Indianapolis, Ind./Park Tudor) was instrumental in Bluffton moving the chains, catching seven balls for 74 yards. Beringer chipped in with three receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Dominic Barry (Brooklyn), Nolan Whobrey (Louisville, Ky./Meade County) and Devin Hogan (Warren, Mich./Fitzgerald) paced the Bluffton defense with five tackles apiece. The Beavers used interceptions by Whobrey, Hogan, Davon Hedwood (Westland, Mich./Thurston) and Jaydon McBreen (Portland, Ore./Westview) to stunt the Manchester passing game.
Bluffton's 547 total yards of offense put the good guys over 500 for the second straight game. The Beavers finished with 280 yards on the ground, compared to just 52 for the visitors. Bluffton moved the chains 16 more times than the Spartans (26-10), while chalking up a 10-minute advantage in time of possession. Coach Nardo's crew had the ball for 19 minutes in the second half thanks to limiting Manchester to one third-down conversion for the game.
A trip to Anderson University is next up on the docket for Bluffton. The Beavers are set for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Stories Posted This Week
Friday, November 13, 2026
- 55th annual Carol Sing at Riley Creek UMC, Dec. 6
- Next Generation 911 announced by Hancock County
- Christine Denecker appointed to Ohio Humanities Council
- Community Electric Aggregation notices are in the mail to Bluffton customers
- Nov. 13 Bluffton Schools athletics lineup
- Letter: What a fall for our Bluffton Pirates
Thursday, November 12, 2026
- Bluffton Middle School Honor Roll for 1st Quarter, 2026-2027
- Bluffton alumni to discuss lives and vocations in ministry
- Letter: Honoring 20 years of land preservation in West Central Ohio
- Prairie restoration research program on Nov. 20
- Bluffton Lions to hear presentation on humanitarian and disaster relief
- Separate the wheat from the chaff: Multi-ingredient botanicals for cholesterol
- Bluffton Council recap: $5,000 donated for Blaze lights installation
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
- Beavers sports roundup, November 2-8
- Veterans invited to Bluffton American Legion programs on Veterans Day
- James Raymond Harrod, Jr., 64, was a PGA professional
- Nathan Ulrey, 46, served in the Navy Seabees
- Letter: Thank you, Coach Richards
- Big Brothers Big Sisters launches 2026 year-end giving campaign
- Socktober drive collected 659 pairs for local distribution
- Jeanne Previte, 80, owned and operated Jeanne's Kitchen
- Bluffton Elementary Honor Roll for 1st Quarter 2026-2027
- Lego scarecrow earns GROB top honors from voters
- Former Blufftonite is lieutenant governor-elect of South Carolina
- University to stage costume drama that mixes emotion, humor and contemporary references
- Bluffton High School Honor Roll for 1st quarter of 2026-2027
- Nov. 13 chamber program on Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities
Monday, November 9, 2026
- Healing and life beyond incarceration explored at Forum
- Nov. 12 opportunity to learn Mahjong
- Door hanger craft class at Pandora library, November 17
- BPL after school movie, November 16
- Hailey's Wellness and Massage provide chair massages at Senior Center
- Bluffton area Women in Business Meeting November 19