Bluffton's 'most experienced' roster to be tested by NWC

BLUFFTON – Bluffton High grad Trevor Bassitt is a world-class hurdler. Pirates' coach Jeff Richards is hoping his football team can clear a few hurdles this season as well. And, as much as any time in his seven seasons as Bluffton head coach, he feels he may have the puzzle pieces to do it. "It's definitely the biggest group we've had in a while, and one of the most experienced," Richards said of a program that fielded roughly 26 players less than 10 years ago but has grown to a 50-man roster this season. Most of the players on that roster have been through the Friday Night wars. "We had five seniors on the roster last year," Richards said. "Two played consistently, the other three sparingly, so we bring back 10 starters on offense and nine of defense." Richards feels it's a group on a mission as well. "This group of seniors came in during that COVID year of 2020," he said. "We went 5-3, won a playoff game, then went 5-5 and made the playoffs again (in 2021). We lost that playoff game, then went 5-5 last year. I think we were picked to struggle a little bit, but at one point we were all even with Allen East (both were 4-0 in the league) when wheels fell off. "We played a lot of young players. We had a lot of inexperience. But we were close, and I think these kids now have a desire to accomplish great things." Bluffton did not have a single first team all-NWC pick last season. But 12 Pirates' players earned second-team or honorable mention all-league recognition and nine of then return. Five of those returning players earned all-league honors at the skilled positions: senior quarterback Garrett Bogart, running backs Landen Worcester and Gavin Bogart, and senior receivers Braeden Jordan and Hayden Dearth.Garrett Bogart completed 82-of-155 passes for 1,337 yards and 13 touchdowns. Jordan caught 23 passes for 532 yards and four TDs and Dearth, a big target at 6-3 and 200 pounds, hauled in 21 passes for 300 yards and three scores. Worcester, a junior, led Bluffton with 556 yards and seven rushing TDs; Gavin Bogart, a senior, added 306 yards and four TDs on the ground. "Garret Bogart took over for a four-year starter (Nate Schaadt) and just got better and better every week," Richards said. "Braeden Jordan isn't real big, but he's aggressive and can outjump defensive players. He was second in the league in receiving yards last season and only second-team all-league, and I think he's using that as motivation." Noah Bricker will also see backfield time and Griffin Stackhouse time at receiver in a triple option offense that Richards says will see some adaptations. "It's still the option, but more pro style based on our team structure," Richards said. "You can't teach experience, so we'll be more balanced." A two-way starter, Worcester was also second-team all-NWC as a linebacker, while Jordan (2 ints.) was honorable mention as a defensive back as well as one of Bluffton's top return men. "Landon Worcester is everything you want in a three-sport athlete," Richards said, adding the junior had 100 tackles his freshman year and 130 last season. "In the winter months he came in early and worked on baseball. After school he had basketball practice and after that he lifted (for football). He's a very dedicated athlete." Up front, Bluffton's Jacob Granger was second-team all-league his junior season and returns to anchor the Pirates' offensive line. Seniors Daniel Fredritz (5-11, 184), Brody Summers, Marco Eiden (5-8, 250, sr.) and Ian Rieman (6-0, 171, sr.) all saw starting time as well. Eiden will also man a spot on the line in Bluffton's 3-4 defensive set. Preston Laytart, Gavin Bogart and Dearth will rotate at outside linebacker, with Worcester, Bricker and Carson Weaver, third on the team in tackles a year ago, on the inside. The secondary will be patrolled by Jordan and junior Quinn Eachus, who picked off six passes last season. Despite solid starts the past few seasons, Bluffton hasn't been able to clear that five-win hurdle. Last season, the Pirates started 5-2 and finished 5-5. Following a 4-1 start in 2021 Bluffton finished 5-6, and after a 3-1 start to the 2019 season the Pirates finished 4-6. During the pieced-together COVID season of 2020, the Pirates started 4-2 and finished 5-3. Bluffton can pin part of the problem on the schedule makers, considering the past few seasons Bluffton's second-half schedule has been a Northwest Conference gauntlet stocked with matchups against perennial title contenders Columbus Grove, Allen East, Spencerville and Delphos Jefferson. This year, though, Richards feels he has the combination of brawn and brains to surpass that five-win trend. "It's an experienced, solid group of young men," he said. "We have good numbers in the junior and senior classes and they've been through a lot, especially big games and the playoffs. A lot of these guys played as freshmen and sophomores and generally we've got a smart group that's earned our school academic all-Ohio recognition for seven straight years. We're pretty proud of that." Richards also knows the Pirates must avoid the pitfalls that have sidetracked some promising seasons in the past. "Last year it was penalties. You run into that with young guys, and in close games you never know what can happen," he said. "And you always worry about depth. At a big school you can lose a guy and have another one right there to fill that position. At our level, you lose one key guy and you might lose a starting player at four different positions."