By Cort Reynolds
HARROD - The Bluffton football team went to Goodwin Field and lost 42-7 to local rival Allen East in a surprisingly lopsided Northwest Conference contest Friday.
AE raced to a 28-0 halftime lead as Bryce Belcher ran for three touchdowns and passed for one score. Belcher ended up with four rushing TDs and two passing scores to lead AE to victory.
The Pirates fell to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the NWC after their third loss in a row. The Mustangs improved to 6-1 and 3-1 in league play with the win.
Belcher ran for a two-yard TD with 4:29 left in the first period to give AE an early lead. The two-point conversion run by Bradden Crumrine advanced their edge to 8-0.
WIth 1:10 left in the opening stanza, Belcher plunged into the end zone from a yard out to make it 14-0. The two-point pass failed to keep the margin at 14.
Then just 52 seconds into the second quarter, Belcher threw a 13-yard scoring strike to Crumrine. The two-point run by Cole Fletcher extended the AE lead to 22-0.
With only 12 seconds left in the first half, Belcher scored again on a three-yard run. His two-point conversion pass was incomplete to keep the score 28-0 at intermission.
Bluffton got on the scoreboard with 1:40 left in the third quarter when Tucker Neff found paydirt on a 14-yard TD run. Kyle Koontz booted the extra point, slicing the deficit to 28-7.
But just 44 seconds later Belcher scored his fourth TD on a 10-yard run. The extra point kick by Crumrine restored the margint o 28 at 35-7 with 56 seconds left in the third period.
AE closed the scoring with 8:27 remaining when Belcher connected with Crumrine on a seven-yard TD pass. Crumrine's second straight PAT kick provided the final margin of 42-7.
Notes and stats
Despite the lopsided score, the Mustangs only out-gained the Pirates 224-156 in total offense. AE ran 48 plays for an average gain of 4.7 yards per play. Bluffton got off 56 plays for an average gain of just 2.3 yards.
The hosts picked up 15 first downs while the Pirates compiled nine first downs.
Bluffton rushed for 113 yards on 45 carries (2.5 avg.). AE ran for just 67 yards on 24 tries (2.8). The Mustangs threw for 157 yards, while the Pirates mustered only 13 yards through the air.
Schaadt completed two of nine passes for 13 yards with one intereption. Tyson Shutler also was 0-2 passing.
AE QB Belcher completed 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards and two scores. He also rushed 17 times for 57 yards. Fletcher added 12 yards on three runs.
Neff led Bluffton with 71 yards ruhsing and one TD on 25 carries.
Schaadt rushed 16 times for 32 yards. Shutler added 11 yards on two runs, and he also caught two passes for 13 yards.
Crumrine pulled down five passes for 67 yards and two TDs. Fletcher snared three aerials for 61 yards.
Bluffton committed three turnovers compared to one miscue by the Mustangs. The Pirates possessed the ball for 28:23, while AE held it for only 19:37.
The Pirates converted on three of 15 third down tries, and Bluffton made good on two of four fourth down tries. The Pirates lost 40 yards on five penalties. AE was penalized three times for 35 yards.
1 2 3 4 F
Bluf 0 0 7 0 7
AE 14 14 7 7 42
Bluffton hosts last-place Delphos Jefferson (1-6, 0-4 NWC) Friday in a week eight NWC contest. The Wildcats lost a 44-38 shootout to Paulding Friday in week seven.
The Pirates blanked DJ 7-0 on the road last year. Jefferson edged Bluffton 20-14 in 2017, their last trip to Harmon Field.
