Bluffton working to continue run of outstanding seasons

BLUFFTON – After two of the best seasons in the Bluffton football program's history, the Pirates will look to compete with some new faces this year. The defense – which has been the Pirates calling card after a trip to the regional final in 2023 and the state semifinal in 2024 – took some major hits from graduation. And Richards doesn't talk about replacing the players Bluffton lost. "You don't replace great players, you find ways to carry on without them," Richards said. "(2024 Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year) Landen Worcester started 50 consecutive games, so you're just not gonna magically replace that. But, you've got some of these young guys who've been behind him and learning and this is their time." It's going to have to be their time, because the Pirates lost eight starters off last year's defense. That may sound daunting, but Richards is confident the players he has back will be ready. Being a team that has gone deep into the postseason in back-to-back years helps that. "We played 29 games in the last two years," Richards said. "Our juniors really have almost an entire year's worth of experience more than teams of kids who didn't go to the playoffs. We're definitely seeing it with that junior group." Richards also praised the work of Jason Diller, the squad's defensive coordinator. "He does a great job, every single year, of putting our guys in a position to succeed on defense," the coach said. And there will be some different players in spots. Richards said the defensive line will have a number of new starters, while senior Javen Crawfis returns to the secondary. There are more question marks around the linebacker group. "(That's) the area we're keeping an eye on because we lost the most to graduation," Richards said. Still, the Pirates have some experience. Jackson Bowlus, who played as a hybrid linebacker/safety last season, will be a linebacker this year. Parker Lovell will also play there after seeing some time at the position in 2024. "And then we've got some other guys we're looking to see step up, see who's gonna have a breakout season," Richards said. "(We have) some really, really fast athletes and some guys that are looking to prove themselves." On offense, the Pirates bring back their quarterback in junior Tayte Giesige. The 6-foot-2, 180 pounder had about 3,000 combined rushing and passing yards last year. With so many graduations, Giesige said he knows a lot will be expected from him. "I feel like I had a lot of responsibility last year, but I have even more responsibility this year," he said. He figures to be helped by Lovell, a tailback who ran for more than 1,000 yards in '24. On the line, Bluffton returns three starters from last season: Hunter Betts, Mason Shank and Braylon Goings. "You're feeling good about that," Richards said. "It's a group that all five have to work together though, so finding those other pieces and how they jell is big." At receiver, the team lost Griffin Stackhouse, but gained Kain Wright, a standout sprinter on the Bluffton track team. At tight end and H back, the Pirates leaned on Noah Bricker, who graduated last spring. To fill those spots, they will be looking to Evan Grothause and Dylan Cherry. "We've got some high hopes for those guys," Richards said. While graduations may have changed the roster a bit, the coach said that another thing has changed in the program. The expectations. "We're being very critical over everything," he said. "Our standard – we've told the kids – our standard has changed. We have higher expectations every single day, to where, in the past, something might have been considered good enough, where our standard is, it's not. We want to get a little bit better in everything we do."