Visiting Crestview scored three second-half touchdowns to rally past and then stave off Bluffton 21-14 in a Northwest Conference battle Friday night at Harmon Field.
Knight quarterback Carson Hunter rushed for three touchdowns, the third on a 70-yard keeper, to spearhead the winning rally.
The Pirates scored late in the first period and took a 6-0 lead into halftime.
The Knights then reeled off 21 unanswered points after intermission, and the Pirates tallied a late TD to provide the final margin of seven.
Bluffton dropped to 4-2 and 1-2 in league play with the defeat.
Crestview improved to 5-1 and 2-1 in the NWC after the comeback win.
Bluffton quarterback Nate Schaadt started the scoring on a three-yard TD run with just 54 seconds left in the first period. Crestview blocked the point-after kick by Gabe Meza to keep the score 6-0.
Crestview's Kaden Kreischer later missed a 49-yard field goal try.
The Pirate defense maintained the lead, holding the Knights scoreless until just past the halfway mark of the third quarter.
Hunter tied the game on a four-yard TD run with 4:36 to go in the third stanza. Kreischer's extra point kick was good to put the Knights ahead, 7-6.
Then with 7:50 left in the game, Hunter found paydirt on a three-yard scoring run. Kreischer's PAT extended the lead to 14-6.
With 4:17 remaining, Hunter scored on his 70-yard scamper to almost put the game out of reach. Kreischer's third PAT kick advanced the lead to 21-6.
Bluffton answered when Schaadt connected with sophomore Braeden Jordan on a 33-yard TD reception with 2:27 left to play.
Schaadt ran in the two-point conversion to pull the Pirates within seven, but that was as close as they would get.
The Knights controlled the clock with a ball-possession running game. Bluffton was only able to run two-thirds as many plays.
1 2 3 4 F
Cvw 0 0 7 14 21
Bluf 6 0 0 8 14
Notes and stats
Bluffton was out-gained 319 to 242 yards in total offense. The Knights averaged 4.6 yards per play on 69 snaps. The Pirates averaged 5.3 yards on just 46 plays, 23 less than the Knights.
The Knights ran the ball 52 times for 249 yards (4.8 average). The Pirates netted 138 yards rushing on 31 carries for a 4.5 average gain against the Crestview defense.
Bluffton amassed 11 first downs while Crestview compiled 17.
Schaadt ran the ball 20 times for 109 yards and one TD. He completed seven of 15 passes for 104 yards with one TD and one interception.
Shutler netted 19 yards on eight carries. Gavin Bogart added 10 yards on two tries.
Jordan snared one reception for 33 yards and a TD. Kyler Kinn snagged two catches for 31 yards. Landyn Fleharty hauled in two grabs for 17 yards.
Hunter rushed 19 times for 130 yards and three TDs. He also completed seven of 17 passes for 70 yards to give him 200 yards in total offense.
Knight back Isaac Kline netted 109 yards rushing on 27 carries. Kellin Putman caught five Hunter aerials for 46 yards.
Aaron Tabler led the Pirate defense with nine tackles. Beau Stever contributed eight stops, while Jackson Wilson made seven tackles and one sack. Kameron Coughlan added 6.5 stops. Trent Howard added a sack.
The Pirates committed one turnover, while Crestview made no miscues as they recovered their only fumble.
Crestview totaled 60 yards on 10 penalties, and Bluffton was flagged six times for 50 yards.
The Knights converted nine of 21 third down tries, and were two for three on fourth down. Bluffton succeeded on three of nine third down attempts, and went 0-1 on fourth down.
The visitors won the time of possession battle, 30:38 to 17:22.
Bluffton hosts talented new NWC member Leipsic (3-3, 2-1 NWC) Friday, October 1 in week seven. The Vikings lost a 25-21 battle at unbeaten Columbus Grove (6-0, 3-0 NWC) Friday.
The Pirates are 2-1 at home and 2-1 on the road.
