Above) 2024 BHS Homecoming King and Queen: Landon Worcester and Faith Combs.
CORRECTION: The Pirates were 2023 NWC runners up; previously the article incorrectly identified them as co-champions.
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON – The undefeated Bluffton High School football team dominated visiting Lima Central Catholic 35-0 in a Northwest Conference battle on a wet and windy Homecoming night at Harmon Field Friday, September 27.
The stingy Pirate defense limited LCC to just 41 total yards, while the offense rolled up 409 yards. Quarterback Tayte Giesige rushed for 165 yards and four touchdowns to pace the potent ground game.
The Pirates improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the NWC with the decisive win. They remain tied for first in the league with fellow unbeaten Columbus Grove (6-0, 3-0 NWC).
Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds fell to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the NWC after the lopsided loss.
The game was delayed for about 10 minutes by a power outage that doused the lights. When play began, Bluffton took the opening kickoff and went on a 65-yard march that ate 8:03.
The drive appeared to stall on the Thunderbird 25, but on fourth and 12 Giesige ran for 14 yards to keep the march alive. On second down Giesige faked a handoff, kept the ball and scampered nine yards to paydirt.
The extra point kick by Jackson Brauen was good to put the Pirates ahead 7-0 with 3:57 left in the opening stanza.
On LCC’s first possession, they earned a first down then tried a long pass. Quinn Eachus came up with a fine interception to give the Pirates the ball on their own 22 with just over two minutes left in the first quarter.
Giesige earned a first down on a third and short sneak as time expired in the first stanza.
He then made a good fake hand-off to Landen Worcester and sprinted 53 yards to paydirt past the fooled LCC defense. Brauen’s second PAT kick made it 14-0 with 11:11 left in the first half.
Thunderbird quarterback Brady Parker was called for intentional grounding as he threw the ball away under extreme pressure from Worcester to bring up fourth and 25 at their own 21.
Eachus recovered his own fumble on the ensuing punt return to give Bluffton the ball on the Pirate 40 with 6:22 left. A 19-yard first down run by Worcester reached the T-Bird 41.
Eachus caught a pass for a six-yard gain, but the lights went out again with 4:40 left in the second stanza. When play resumed, the Pirates scored their third touchdown on a Giesige 25-yard run.
Another Brauen PAT kick made it 21-0.
After a Bluffton stop on defense, they took over at their own 27-yard line with 2:03 remaining in the half. LCC forced a Pirate punt and they took possession near midfield with 45 seconds left.
But Brody Anderson and the defense stuffed the T-Birds to keep the margin at 21 going to intermission.
Early in the third period, Giesige faked a handoff and flicked a short pass to Griffin Stackhouse. The senior raced 61 yards to the end zone to give Bluffton a 28-0 cushion with just over 10 minutes left in the third stanza.
Giesige later hit paydirt again from three yards out, and Brauen’s fifth extra point kick built a 35-0 lead in the third stanza.
The Thunderbirds put together their best drive of the night early in the fourth quarter.
But on third and 11, Eachus broke up a pass in the end zone. On fourth and long Parker’s pass fell incomplete, and Bluffton took over at their own 30 with 9:55 remaining.
The Pirates then drove methodically downfield behind the running of Parker Lovell. But instead of trying to score inside the LCC 10, Bluffton took two knees to end the game.
1 2 3 4 F
Blf 7 14 14 0 35
LCC 0 0 0 0 0
Notes and stats
Bluffton racked up 409 yards in total offense on 60 plays (6.8 average). The Thunderbirds managed just 41 net yards on 29 snaps (1.3 avg.).
The Pirates ran for 320 yards and passed for 89 more yards. Bluffton averaged 6.7 yards per rush on 48 carries.
LCC netted 32 yards on the ground via 16 carries (2.0 avg.) against the tough Pirate defense. The T-Birds totaled just nine yards through the air after completing just two of 12 attempts.
The Pirates compiled 21 first downs, while LCC mustered a mere three chain-movers.
Giesige ran 16 times for 165 yards and four scores. He completed six of seven passes for 89 yards and one TD with no interceptions. The QB accounted for 254 yards in total offense and five touchdowns.
Senior Worcester netted 76 yards on 15 carries. He also snared two passes for nine yards.
Sophomore Lovell ran the ball 13 times for 76 yards.
Senior speedster Stackhouse caught one long pass for a 61-yard TD.
Eachus made one interception and had a big PBU in the end zone. HE also caught three aerials for 19 yards.
Parker completed two of 12 aerials for nine yards with one interception.
Worcester was in on seven tackles, including a sack. Lovell made two solo tackles. Xavier Diller made six assisted stops.
Gabe Meza punted twice for an average of 39 yards.
The Pirates committed five penalties for 27 yards, while LCC was not flagged for any yards.
LCC was a measly 1-7 on third down and 0-2 on fourth. Meanwhile, the Pirates converted five of 10 tries on third down and went 1-1 on fourth.
LCC committed one turnover, while the Pirates made no miscues on the wet night.
The Pirates have outscored their opposition by a commanding 297-24 margin over six games this season (49.5 ppg to 4.0 ppg).
With the win, Bluffton remains third in the Div. VI, Region 22 computer rankings. They trail first-place Hopewell-Loudon (6-0) and Huron (5-1).
Pirates visit Knights Sat.
Bluffton visits Crestview (3-3, 1-2 NWC) in a week seven league battle Saturday, Oct. 5.
The Knights won handily at Delphos Jefferson Friday 36-0 to halt a two-game losing skid. Crestview lost at Ft. Loramie (28-21) and to visiting Allen East (48-41) in their first two league games.
Crestview is 16th in the Div. VI, Region 22 rankings, which puts them in the final playoff spot for now.
The Pirates have won 15 of their last 16 regular season contests, and have been victorious in 18 of their past 20 outings overall. Columbus Grove handed Bluffton both of its losses in that successful span.
The Pirates are tied atop the NWC standings at 3-0 with defending co-champion Columbus Grove. CG whipped Allen East 38-13 Friday.
Bluffton hosts Grove in a regular season finale showdown October 25 on Senior Night. CG is down to its third quarterback due to injuries but still boasts a strong defense and defending NWC Offensive Player of the Year in running back Trenton Barraza.
