By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON - The Bluffton High School football team manhandled visiting Huron 35-0 in their Div. VI, Region 22 quarterfinal matchup at Harmon Field Friday night, November 8.

The Pirates scored touchdowns on their first three possessions en route to building a 21-0 lead, and were never threatened.

Bluffton running back Parker Lovell rushed for four scores and a career-high 176 yards to pace the blowout win. ▶︎

The rugged Pirate defense held Huron to just 47 total yards and two first downs. Bluffton dominated time of possession by fashioning several long drives. They ran 74 plays to just 30 by the Tigers.

Bluffton improved to 11-1 with the blowout win to advance to the region 22 semifinals. The seventh-seeded Tigers finish their season 7-5 after the lopsided loss.

The second seed Pirates will face third-seeded Ottawa Hills (11-1) at a neutral site in the regional semifinals Nov. 15. OH beat Sherwood Fairview 45-20 in their second round matchup Friday.

Bluffton took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards to paydirt in a march that consumed nearly six minutes of clock.

Senior back Landen Worcester punched the ball into the end zone from two yards out to score the game’s first touchdown midway through the opening stanza.
Jackson Brauen’s extra point boot made it 7-0.

The Pirate defense forced a three-and-out possession, and Bluffton took over on its own 30 with five minutes to go in the first period.

The Pirates proceeded to march 70 yards to paydirt to seize control of the contest.
Quarterback Tayte Giesige executed the key play of the drive. On third and nine, the sophomore signal-caller scrambled 27 yards to the Tiger one-yard line.

Sophomore back Lovell scored on a one-yard plunge to extend the lead to 13-0 with 24.4 seconds left in the period. The Brauen PAT kick made it 14-0.

The Pirate defense again forced a quick punt, and Bluffton took over at its own 35 with 11:11 left in the second stanza.

Lovell capped a 65-yard scoring march with a 34-yard TD scamper with under seven minutes left in the half. Brauen’s third extra point kick stretched the margin to 21-0.

The teams traded possessions, and the Pirates had to punt for the first time. On their next possession a Tiger defender put his helmet on the ball after a Griffin Stackhouse catch, and Huron recovered the loose pigskin on the Pirate 22.

However, the Pirate defense came up big again. On fourth and eight, Carson Kruse intercepted a Tiger pass in the end zone. The Pirates then drove into field goal range in the final minute.

But a Brauen field goal attempt was blocked just before halftime to keep the score 21-0 at intermission.

The Pirates dominated the first half by netting 232 yards rushing.

Lovell gained over 100 yards on the ground, while Giesige added 90 on 12 runs.
The Bluffton defense held Huron just 10 total yards in first half.

The Tigers took the second half kickoff and earned a first down. But on third and two at the 32, a host of Pirates sacked quarterback Landon Hohler for a loss of 15 yards.

Bluffton started on their own 40 after the punt return. Giesige ran for seven yards to start the 60-yard scoring drive.

Lovell later scored his third TD by charging through a big hole for an 11-yard scoring run. With 3:02 left, Brauen’s PAT boot ballooned the lead to 28-0.

Huron’s ensuing possession ended in a near-fake punt that rolled dead at the Pirate 27. Lovell scampered for seven yards. Giesige converted a first down at the Huron 45.

A nine-yard Lovell run advanced the pigskin to the Tiger 31. A Worcester run gained eight yards. On fourth and one from the 11, senior Noah Bricker muscled his way for two yards.

On second and goal from the three, Lovell powered into the end zone for his fourth six-pointer. Brauen’s fifth and last PAT kick stretched the margin to 35-0 with 3:45 left to play.

That final TD enacted the running clock, which quickly expired.

1 2 3 4 F
Bluf 14 7 7 7 35
Hur 0 0 0 0 0

Notes and stats
Bluffton netted 419 yards in total offense on a whopping 74 plays (5.7 yards average). The Tigers were held to just 47 yards on a mere 30 snaps (1.6 avg.) by the very stingy Pirate defense.

The Pirates netted 364 rushing yards on 61 carries (6.0 avg.) and passed for 55 more yards.

The tough Pirate defense held the Tigers to just one yard rushing on 13 carries.
The Pirates compiled 25 first downs, while the visitors moved the chains a mere two times.

Giesige completed 10 of 11 passes for 55 yards. He also rushed for 132 yards on 18 carries, with a long run of 27.

Lovell led the ground game with 176 yards and four TDs on 30 carries. He added two receptions for eight yards.

Bricker netted 18 yards on five runs. Worcester added a score and 16 yards on three rushes.

Stackhouse pulled down five receptions for 45 yards. He also netted 14 yards rushing on four carries.

Hohler completed six of 16 passes for 46 yards with one interception for Huron.
Worcester led the defense with 10 tackles, including three solo stops and seven assists. Gabe Meza made two solo stops, had one assist and authored a sack.
Kruse made two solo stops and one assist to go along with his interception.

Evan Grothause contributed four assists. Meza punted once for 35 yards.
The Pirates committed two penalties for 15 yards, while Huron was flagged one time for 10 yards.

Bluffton was successful on eight of 12 third down tries, and went 2-2 on fourth down.

Meanwhile, the Panthers converted none of their seven third down attempts, and they also went 0-2 on fourth.

The Pirates committed one turnover on a fumble. Huron made one miscue on a pick-off.

Bluffton improved to 6-1 at home with the victory. The Pirates have outscored their opposition by a 480-107 margin over 12 games this season (40.0 ppg to 8.9 ppg).

The Pirates have won 23 of their past 26 games. All three losses came to league rival Columbus Grove.

Pirates to face OH in round 3
The computer rankings have held through two rounds as second seed Bluffton will meet number three Ottawa Hills in the Div. VI, Region 22 semifinals Friday, November 15 at 7 p.m. at a site TBA.

The matchup has been a big boys soccer contest in recent years between the two pitch rivals. Now it has become a football rivalry, as the foes face off on the playoff gridiron in round three again for the second straight season.

Last year in the regional semis on Nov. 10, the Pirates shut out the Green Bears 34-0 in Napoleon.

The Green Bears (10-1) finished the season ranked third in region 22.

They have outscored their opposition 284-146 (25.8 ppg-13.3 ppg) this season over 11 games.

OH stomped Ashland Crestview 49-12 in their first round matchup November 1. In round two, they led 24-6 at the half and eliminated the SF Jets 45-20.

The Pirate/Bear winner will face the survivor between top seed Hopewell-Loudon (11-0) and fourth seed Patrick Henry (10-2) in the region 22 finals at a neutral site TBA.

H-L beat Margaretta 43-8 in round one, and eliminated Seneca East in the second round by a 34-0 count.

PH pounded Evergreen 35-4 in round one, then blanked Carey 24-0 in round two.
One of the two PH Patriot losses was a 27-13 defeat at 12-0 Columbus Grove in week three.

Bluffton advanced to the regional finals last season, winning three playoff games before losing to Grove.