Bluffton does it again, shutting out Leipsic to remain undefeated

Bluffton does it again, shutting out Leipsic to remain undefeated BLUFFTON — Harmon Field hasn't been this busy into October in quite awhile. Early Friday afternoon, Bluffton coach Jeff Richards saw fans marking their seats for the Senior Night showdown against Leipsic. They witnessed a 34-0 victory, the sixth-straight shutout during an 8-0 start. "That hasn't happened in 20 years," Richards said, a statement about the intense support that could be repeated about many of his team's accomplishments this fall. The last time the Pirates won eight games in a season, this current crop of players wasn't born. It's all part of a magical run that Richards manifested when he moved back to his hometown from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was an offensive line coach at Dupont Manual High School in Class 6A, equivalent to Division I in Ohio. "It's huge. When I came back to the community, a goal of mine was to help Bluffton football succeed," he said. "We've got a great youth program and everything built up. The support system is there. There's been a lot of work with it over the years. This is my eighth year. It's been a grind." A senior-laden squad is bringing that vision to life, and they completed another stellar performance Friday night. Led by twins Garret and Gavin Bogart, the Pirates (8-0, 5-0 Northwest Conference) were no match for Leipsic (6-2, 3-2 NWC). Bluffton scored on each of its first three possessions, starting with a 30-yard strike from Garret to Gavin Bogart on fourth-and-three. "We've been practicing all week," Gavin Bogart said. "I tried to fake a run block and then I went deep and (Garret) saw me. It was just there." Gavin Bogart ripped off 52-yard run on the next Pirates possession, making the score 14-0 late in the first quarter. He scored four of Bluffton's five touchdowns, two through the air and two on the ground, and finished with 73 rushing yards on nine carries and four catches for 61 yards. Garret Bogart completed 8 of 11 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. It's the kind of night that the twins dreamed of when Garret, who is about 2 minutes older, started throwing the pigskin to Gavin in second grade flag football. Bluffton also got major contributions from running back Landen Worcester, who rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries, and freshman Tate Giesige who blocked a punt that led to Worcester's score in the second quarter. On the other side, Leipsic suffered its second-straight defeat as a rash of injuries finally caught up with the Vikings following a 6-0 start. Star athlete Quin Schroeder saw limited snaps due to a lower leg issue, and coach Joe Kirkendall pulled quarterback Tyler Lammers for most of the second and third quarters following a poor start. "You have to be able to throw it, and our inability to make that part of the game work for us put us at a disadvantage," Kirkendall said. Leipsic has a potential get-right game next week against Delphos Jefferson, who is 0-7 entering a game today against Allen East, before ending the regular season at Crestview (5-3, 3-2). Leipsic&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;0&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;0&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;0&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;0 -- 0 Bluffton 14&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp; 7&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;6&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;&ensp;7 -- 34 First Quarter B — Gavin Bogart 30 pass from Garret Bogart (Kyle Basil kick) B — Gavin Bogart 52 run (Basil kick) Second Quarter B — Landen Worcester 2 run (Basil kick) Third Quarter B — Gavin Bogart 7 pass from Garret Bogart (Kick failed) Fourth Quarter B — Gavin Bogart 4 run (Basil kick)