BLUFFTON PIRATES

Although the 2020 prep football season in Ohio is still up in the air, The Courier Sports Department will conduct its annual Countdown to Football series. Bluffton 2019 RECORD: 4-6 overall, 2-5 Northwest Conference. RIVALRY GAME: The Golden Anniversary of the Bluffton/Cory-Rawson rivalry produced some golden offensive performances as the Pirates and Hornets combined for 777 yards and 68 points in the 2019 battle between the two schools separated by 6 miles of County Road 313. Bluffton came out on top – again – in the 50th meeting. Tyson Shutler (108 yards rushing) broke off a 68-yard TD run, Tucker Neff rushed for 143 yards and junior nose guard Zavier O'Neal experienced a defensive lineman's dream when he fell on a blocked punt in the end zone for the game's final score as Bluffton posted its ninth straight win and upped its edge in the series to 36-14-1. Cory-Rawson delivered its share of highlights as well, with Deontae' Davis (166 yards rushing) breaking off a 61-yard TD run and quarterback Tommy Stauffer going 50 yards on a keeper for another. PLAYOFF HISTORY: Bluffton advanced to the 1991 Division V state championship, blanking Cincinnati Country Day 27-0 in the semifinals, but falling 34-13 to Newark Catholic in the final. The Pirates would make seven more trips to the postseason, all between 1996 and 2004. Bluffton's overall playoff record is 4-8. INTERESTING FACT: With kickoffs and PATs, Bluffton's Kyle Koontz was a one-man show in last season's 70-50 win over Ada. Koontz punted once in the game, but kicked off 10 times and was a perfect 10-for-10 on extra points. Those 10 PATs, according to prep football records listed on the OHSAA website, tied Koontz for the 10th most point-after conversions in a single game. Neff and sophomore quarterback Nate Schaadt had record-setting nights as well, but fell short of making the OHSAA all-time list. Neff rushed for a school single-game record 316 yards and Schaadt scored six rushing touchdowns. To make the OHSAA all-time list, though, Neff would have needed at least 400 yards rushing and Schaadt would have needed at least eight TDs. 2020 Bluffton Schedule Aug. 28 Cory-Rawson A Sept. 4 &emsp;&emsp;Pandora-Gilboa &emsp;&emsp;A Sept. 11 Ayersville H Sept. 18 Ada* H Sept. 25 Convoy Crestview* A Oct. 2 &emsp;&emsp;Paulding* A Oct. 9 &emsp;&emsp;Allen East* H Oct. 16 Delphos Jefferson* A Oct. 23 Spencerville* H Oct. 30 Columbus Grove*H *Northwest Conference game - All Games 7 p.m.