The greatest basketball game I ever witnessed on the Pirates newer court was against Crestview on December 14, 2018. The Knights were undefeated and ranked high in Ohio. They were led by All-State center Javen Etzler and his younger brother Kalen who is now on basketball scholarship at Ohio State University. The Pirates had a young, talented team. Coach Todd Boblitt said of the team, "We were a really skilled group in 2018-2019. Our guys had good basketball IQ and were able to adapt to in game adjustments. This group was able to control and dictate tempo with their skill and IQ."
Coach Boblitt said their strategy was to focus on stopping Crestview's three best shooters and leave the other two alone. One of the Pirate starters, Baylor Garmatter, who was quick on his feet, was given the assignment on defense of keeping between the center and whoever had the ball for Crestview. The strategy worked and a packed gym watched a close, exciting game that came down to the last minute. The tall Etzler in desperation took two long jump shots that failed to connect and Bluffton won the game 43-41. The Pirate fans exploded in joy.
This is the second in a series of four columns about the four greatest Pirate men's basketball games I ever saw. In the first column, Ron Lora and Jim (Spike) Berry wrote about the game against State-Ranked Bellefontaine (Fourth in Class A) in which the Pirates prevailed in the old Bluffton High School gym. In this column Spike Berry writes about a second game in that same 1954-1955 year, the tournament game with Bluffton going against undefeated Willshire.
The Bluffion-Willshire Game
Spike Berry: Thirteen teams played in the Non County Tournament with three teams going to the District at the Celina Field House. The Bluffton Pirates made the trip as one of the three teams, the first trip for the Pirates since 1942. We played the game at the Celina Field House, and 69 years later the Celina team still plays there.
Two of the greatest Pirate basketball games I ever witnessed occurred in the year 1954-1955. Coach Joe Harris has passed, so I asked two of the starters on that team to share their memories of the games and the players involved. They are Ron Lora and Jim (Spike) Berry. Ron was the leading scorer on the team that year and Spike was the point guard and floor leader.
What a delightful book! "Remarkably Bright Creatures" (HarperCollins, 2022) by a debut author, Shelby Van Pelt. This book has been on the New York Times bestseller list numerous times since its publication and the author won a Reader's Choice Award for Best Debut Writer.
It remains one of the most read pop-fiction books and was the first unanimous selection by Ada Book Club members for 2025. I have to thank Jill Simmons for bringing this book to our attention.
First off, it has the most unique voice for a narrator and commentator on human behavior. Marcellus McSquid (inappropriately named on the plaque above his tank, as he is a Giant Pacific Octopus, not a squid.) opens the book with a commentary on his conditions and the visitors beyond his glass tank. He tells you of his intelligence (for example, his ability to read) and you need to be aware of this throughout the novel as his personal life is explained in too few commentaries.
PHOTOS of the Ream display. Click the gallery to enlarge and view at your own pace.
By Bill Herr
Thousands have seen the Ream Christmas display that originated on the Ream farm in 1938 and now is displayed each year at Christmastime on the Bluffton Presbyterian Church lawn. This story is about its founder, Harry Ream.
I first met Harry on October 22, 2001, when he had just become a resident at Richland Manor Nursing Home near Beaverdam. I was a volunteer there, meeting with men who were residents for a weekly meeting.
My wife and I had traveled each year to the Ream farm to see their Christmas display. We knew that Harry made the cut outs of the figures and that his wife Dorothy was an artist and painted them.
When I heard that Harry was to become a new resident at the nursing home, I was excited to meet him. When he came to our meeting room, I extended my right hand to Harry and was stunned to see that he didn't have his right hand. He smiled and put out his left hand. We shook hands and that began a friendship I will never forget.
