High school football: Bluffton excited for more this year

BLUFFTON — There’s a “different vibe” at Bluffton this year, as all-state linebacker Landen Worcester says.

After back-to-back 5-5 seasons in 2021 and 2022, last year’s 12-2 team might’ve been a surprise. With 20 returning letterwinners and nine returning starters, people know what the Pirates are capable of doing.

“Last year, we’d come out, we’re the underdogs,” said Worcester, a 5-foot-11, 201-pound all-state first-team linebacker and the team’s leading running back from last year. “No one expected us to win. But this year, we have a big X on our back. There’s no surprises anymore.”

Coach Jeff Richards said he wanted his players to come out every game in 2024 ready to do whatever they needed to win.

“We want to be the hunter, not the hunted,” Richards said. “We want to go into every single game expecting to win. We expect to perform at a high level, no matter the situation, no matter where we’re at. We want to go into every single game as the aggressor.”

It will be hard to top the dominant performance from last year’s defense. The Pirates recorded nine shutouts. They bring back all-state performers at each level of the defense, including honorable mention pick Brody Sommers (6-foot-2, 236 pounds) as a defensive lineman, first-teamer Worcester at linebacker and honorable mention selection Carson Kruse (6-0, 177 pounds) at defensive back after recording 119 tackles last year.

“I feel like that helped me come into this year knowing more about what I’m going to see and the people that I’m going to go against and for my teammates on the line too,” said Sommers, who had 48 tackles and three sacks last year. “I can be a vocal point and help them since we had a great senior class last year that showed me how to do it. Now I can take that role and continue it.”

The Pirates will continue an aggressive style, Richards said. Worcester, a middle linebacker, has had at least 100 tackles every year since starting as a freshman. Quinn Eachus (Sr., WR/DB, 5-10, 162 pounds) is back after tallying 10 interceptions over the past two years.

“We want to be a pressure-based defense,” he said. “We want to make the other team’s offense uncomfortable.”

Offensively, there will be some changes. While Worcester is back after rushing for more than 1,700 yards and 26 touchdowns last year, a new face will hand him the ball. Tayte Giesige, a 6-0, 170-pound sophomore, takes over at quarterback and has different skills than last year’s starter, all-state selection Garret Bogart, who signed to play college ball at Defiance College after completing 75% of his passes last year and didn’t throw an interception until Week 14.

“Tayte’s skill set is different than Garret’s, so we’re going to use him a little bit differently,” Richards said. “… He can run a little bit.”

The Pirates will compete in a revamped Northwest Conference, which saw Ada and Leipsic leave with perennial playoff contenders Fort Loramie and Lima Central Catholic.

The Pirates finish off the season against league-champion Columbus Grove.

“I think it’s as competitive as it’s ever been,” Richards said. “I maintain that until somebody knocks off Grove, they should be the favorite. … The conference, just like it should be, every week you can’t have an off game.”

The Pirates believe they’re up for the challenge.

“We have the X on our back now,” Sommers said. “Last year, we shocked a lot of people. This year, we’re the ones that are expected to succeed. So we just have to work hard every day. We need to play as a group, focus and practice as hard as we can.”

TEAM PROFILE

Coach: Jeff Richards (41-42, ninth season)

Division: VI

Last year’s record: 12-2

Ticket information: https://www.blufftonschools.org/athletics/athletics-tickets

Returning 2023 varsity letter winners: Landen Worcester (Sr., RB/LB), Carson Kruse (Sr., WR/DB), Brody Sommers (Sr., OL/DL), Quinn Eachus (Sr., WR/DB), Griffin Stackhouse (Sr., WR/LB), Noah Bricker (Sr., Ath/LB), Tayte Giesige (So., QB/DB), Javen Crawfis (Kr., WR/DB), Avery Sprunger (Jr., WR/DB), Brody Anderson (Sr., WR/DB), Micah Rehm (Jr., WR/DB), Lleyton Miller (So., Ath/DB), Jackson Bowlus (Jr., RB/LB), Parker Lovell (So., RB/LB), Ethan Kohli (Sr., RB/LB), Mason Shank (So., OL/DL), Braylin Scherger (Sr., OL/DL), Xavier Diller (Sr., OL/DL), Austin Scherger (Sr., OL/DL), Gabe Meza (Sr., TE/LB)

Top newcomers: Jackson Brauen (Sr., K), Evan Grothause (Jr., OL/DL), Hunter Betts (Jr., OL/DL), Sawyer Bowling (Fr., OL/DL), Braylon Goings (Jr., OL/DL)

2024 schedule

(Kickoffs scheduled for 7 p.m.; subject to change)

8/23 — at Benjamin Logan

8/30 — at Pandora-Gilboa

9/6 — Ayersville

9/14 — at Delphos Jefferson

9/20 — Spencerville

9/27 — Lima Central Catholic

10/4 — at Crestview

10/11 — at Fort Loramie

10/18 — Allen East

10/25 — Columbus Grove

Reach David Trinko at 567-242-0467 or on Twitter @Lima_Trinko.