ABOVE) Photo from Bluffton Pirates Facebook
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON __ Tournament host Bluffton High School won the seven-team Northwest Conference boys golf championship on Thursday, September 19 at the Bluffton Golf Club.
The top finish gave the Pirates their league-best 17th title overall, and their first NWC links crown since 2019. Bluffton’s Drew Wilson was tournament medalist five years ago at Tamarac Golf Course.
The Pirates won the 2024 crown with 334 strokes to edge second-place Crestview by four shots. Allen East finished third with 345 strokes. Lincolnview came in a close fourth at 348.
Columbus Grove ended up fifth in the bunched-up field with 353 shots. Lima Central Catholic finished sixth at 394, one shot ahead of defending NWC tournament champion Delphos Jefferson (395) in last. Spencerville did not field a team score.
Mustang Levi Clum was tournament medalist with an 18-hole round of 73. He nosed out Crestview’s Matthew Dealey for the title by one stroke.
Pirate Nick Lovett tied for fourth in the field with teammate Grady Coonfare as each shot a round of 81.
Bluffton’s Evan Speicher carded an 83 to tie Mustang Brady Brooks for sixth place in the tournament.
The Pirates finished the league regular season first at 7-2. Lincolnview went 7-3 and AE was 7-4. Grove and Crestview tied at 6-5.
It was a big turnaround for the Pirates under first-year head coach Richard Streicher this season, after finishing eighth of nine teams at the NWC tourney in 2023.
NWC Tournament Top 10 Individuals
1. Levi Clum (AE) 73
2. Matthew Dealey (Crestview) 74
3. Gage Sautter (CG) 79
Tied 4. Nick Lovett (BLU) 81 T4. Grady Coonfare (BLU) 81
Tied 6. Brady Brooks (AE) 83 T6. Evan Speicher (BLU) 83
Tied 8. Ayden Hyitt (CV) 84 T8. Lucas Grubb (Lview) 84
10. Bosten Bailey (Lview) - 86
