Sports

By Cort Reynolds

Visiting Bluffton lost 35-0 to backyard county rival Allen East in a Northwest Conference clash Friday night, October 8, at Bill Goodwin Field in Harrod.

Bluffton fell to 4-4 and 1-4 in league play after suffering its third loss in a row.

AE improved to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the NWC with the decisive victory, their third in a row. 

Bluffton played without injured senior quarterback Nate Schaadt. Marek Donaldson took over the QB duties for the Pirates. 

By Cort Reynolds

Bluffton High School's Caitlyn Couch advanced to the quarterfinals of the girls tennis Div. II Northwest sectional tournament at UNOH Thursday, October 7.

Couch won a pair of tough three-set matches and was one victory short of qualifying for districts before falling in the round of eight.

Couch rallied to defeat Mya Garcia of Defiance in the first round of the singles flight 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Then in the round of 16, Couch gutted past Kayliann Howell of Celina 6-3, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1.

By Cort Reynolds

Playing at home, the Bluffton High School volleyball team took down Columbus Grove in a straight-sets Northwest Conference match Thursday evening, October 8.

The Lady Pirate record improved to 13-7 overall and 4-3 in the NWC with the 25-22, 25-19, 25-16 victory.

The Bulldogs fell to 7-10 overall and 2-4 in the NWC with the defeat.

Senior Kylie Stackhouse topped Bluffton with 16 kills and three blocks. She also served one ace. Freshman Ayla Grandey hammered 15 kills and added one block.

By Cort Reynolds

The visiting Bluffton boys soccer team played Ottawa Hills to a 1-1 draw in a non-conference match Thursday evening, October 7.

The ninth-ranked Pirates ran their record to 10-2-2 overall with the tie. 

OH is 6-0-4 after the draw.

Green Bear senior Walker Kight scored just 2:15 into the first half to take a 1-0 lead. But the Pirate defense stiffened and held them scoreless over the last 78 minutes.

The score stayed 1-0 to halftime and well into the second half when Bluffton netted the equalizer.

By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton golf team finished 10th out of 18 full teams in the Div. III golf districts at Stone Ridge Golf Club in Bowling Green Thursday.

Ottoville won the district team championship with a score of 317. Minster was second (322), followed by Ottawa Hills (329) and Kalida (331). 

Bluffton finished 10th (355), 24 shots off team qualification.

The top four teams and next four individuals not on a qualifying team made it to the Div. III state tourney at Ohio State October 15-16.

The Bluffton University men's soccer team netted a goal in each half en route to the 2-1 victory over Mount St. Joseph on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. Bluffton improved to 5-4 overall and 1-2 in the Heartland Conference, while the Lions slipped to 2-9 and 1-2 in the HCAC.

Both teams had plenty of chances in the opening period but the only score came when Elijah Zimmerman (Archbold) capitalized on an MSJ misfire in minute 32. His seventh tally of the season pushed Bluffton to a 1-0 lead at the break.

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