By Cort Reynolds

KALIDA – The visiting Bluffton High School boys soccer team scored late to beat non-league rival Kalida 2-1 Thursday night, October 10, in their regular season finale.

Jackson Brauen broke up a 1-1 tie with a goal in the 70th minute to provide the game-winner. Ethan Blount assisted on the tie-breaking goal. 

The Pirate record improved to 9-8 overall after the road victory. Kalida dropped to 9-4-2 after the defeat.

Pirate Levi Antrim broke the ice early by scoring in the eighth minute to put Bluffton ahead 1-0. The score stayed that way into halftime.

In the second minute after intermission, Kalida tied it via an own goal. 

The game was knotted up for 29 minutes until Brauen tallied the winner.

Bluffton directed five of its 10 shots at the Wildcat keeper. The Wildcats got off seven shots, four of which were on goal.

Pirate keeper Emmitt Kidd made two saves, while Truett Diller also stopped two Kalida shots in goal.   

The Pirate junior varsity also beat Kalida by the same 2-1 score. Micah Lemley and Brady Shilling netted the Bluffton goals.

Number one seed Bluffton (8-7) will host the winner between six seed Huron (4-9-2) and fifth seed Ashland Crestview (6-7-2) in the Div. V Tiffin district quarterfinals Saturday, Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. 

Huron and Crestview tied 1-1 on Sept. 21.

The winner from that quarter of the draw will face the Old Fort (4-10-1)/Mansfield Christian (7-7-1) survivor in the semifinals Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. in Tiffin.