CORRECTION: According to the OHSAA schedule HERE, Bluffton will play at Delphos Jefferson at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 14.

By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON – The Bluffton High School football team blasted visiting Defiance Ayersville 63-7 in the 2024 Pirate home opener on September 6 to end the non-conference portion of its schedule undefeated.

The Pirate gridders improved to 3-0 with the lopsided win, while the Pilots fell to 0-3 after the loss. Bluffton rolled up 443 total yards and gave up just 105 in a dominating effort. 

Bluffton raced to a 49-0 halftime lead and cruised to victory.

Pirate quarterback Tayte Giesige scored on a three-yard run to start the rout in the first period. Jackson Brauen booted the first of his nine point-after kicks for a 7-0 lead.

Giesige then threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Griffin Stackhouse to provide a 14-0 advantage.

A 17-yard run by Giesige extended the margin to 21-0 after one period of play.

Noah Bricker hauled in a 10-yard aerial from Giesige to start a 28-point second stanza.

Parker Lovell found paydirt on a 15-yard run, followed by a 37-yard interception return for six by Javen Crawfis.

Lovell tacked on an eight-yard scoring jaunt to finish the first half with the Pirates comfortably ahead 49-0 after Brauen’s seventh PAT kick.

Landen Worcester rumbled 59 yards to paydirt for the lone TD of the third quarter and a 56-0 margin.

The Pilots finally got on the board with a one-yard TD run in the fourth period. Bluffton answered as Robby Taylor authored a 65-yard scoring scamper to finish the scoring after Brauen’s ninth PAT.

Giesige completed eight of 14 passes for 167 yards and two TDs. He also ran five times for 41 yards and two touchdowns.

Worcester led a varied ground attack with 67 yards on just three carries and one score. Taylor had one run for 65 yards and a TD. Lovell netted 43 yards on four attempts with two TDs. 

Quinn Eachus caught two passes for 68 yards, including a 40-yarder. Stackhouse snared a couple aerials for 52 yards and one TD. Avery Sprunger caught two passes for 27 yards. Bricker grabbed two receptions for 26 yards and a TD.

Backup QB Lleyton Miller completed two of four passes for 35 yards.

Bricker added a sack, four tackles and one for loss. Gabe Meza was in on eight stops and had one sack. Crawfis came up with the game’s only turnover with a pick six.

Bluffton ran 38 plays for 443 yards, a 11.7 average per snap. Ayersville netted just 105 yards on 43 plays, an average gain of 2.4 yards per play.

The balanced Pirates ran for 241 yards and passed for 202. The defense allowed just seven passing yards on two completions. 

The Pirates committed two penalties for 20 yards while the Pilots had one flag for five yards. Ayersville was 2-9 on third down, while the Pirates were 2-3.

The Pirates have outscored their opposition 155-10 (51.7 ppg to 3.3 ppg) in three games this season.

Bluffton begins defense of its Northwest Conference co-championship at Delphos Jefferson next Saturday, Sept. 14 [corrected]. The Wildcats (1-2) lost to Paulding 27-2 Friday night. 

DJ beat North College Hill 33-0 in their opener, then lost 17-13 at Parkway in week two.

The Pirates have won 12 of their last 13 regular season games and have taken 15 of 17 overall. 

1 2 3 4 F

Blf 21 28 7 7 63

Ayer 0 0 0 7 7