By Cort Reynolds

BELLEFONTAINE __ The visiting Bluffton football team kicked off its season with a 50-3 shellacking of non-league foe Ben Logan on August 23.

The Pirates out-gained the Raiders 469-53 in total net yardage. Bluffton rolled up 383 yards rushing and added 86 yards through the air.

Quarterback Tayte Giesige started the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown pass in the first period. He then ran in the two-point conversion to make it 8-0 after the opening stanza.

Giesige found paydirt on a 12-yard run in the second stanza. Jackson Brauen’s point after kick put the Pirates on top, 15-0.

BL then booted a 42-yard field goal to cut the margin to 15-3.

Parker Lovell ripped off a 22-yard TD scamper and Brauen added the PAT kick to build a 22-3 halftime lead.

Bluffton tacked on 28 more points on four TDs after intermission.

Giesige scored on a nine-yard run, then tallied from seven yards out in the third quarter. Two extra points by Brauen advanced the lead to 36-3 heading to the fourth period.

Lovell went on a 77-yard TD run to provide a 43-3 lead with eight minutes remaining.

A 14-yard scoring run by Robby Taylor in the final minutes and the sixth straight Brauen PAT kick made the final margin 47.

Giesige completed six of 11 passes for 86 yards and one TD. He rushed 12 times for 98 yards and three scores.

Lovell led the ground game with 189 yards and two TDs on 10 carries. Landen Worcester netted 33 yards on seven runs. Miller added 41 yards on one run.

Quinn Eachus caught one aerial for 28 yards. Noah Bricker added a grab for 14 yards.

Worcester led the stingy defense with six tackles and two sacks. The Pirate defense compiled four sacks and seven tackles for loss. Carson Kruse recovered a fumble.

The Pirates limited BL to just nine yards rushing on 20 attempts. The hosts completed just four of 12 passes for 44 yards.

Bluffton recorded 18 first downs and held the Raiders to just three chain-movers.

SCOREBOARD

Bluffton visits Pandora-Gilboa (0-1) Friday, August 30 in another non-league bout.

P-G lost its opener at Columbus Grove Thursday, August 22 by a 35-7 count.