By RYAN WALKER
Bluffton showed no mercy in a 41-6 victory over Eastern to claim its second-straight sectional championship at home.
The win comes just one year after the Tigers brought the trophy back for the first time in 34 years. The night was reminiscent of last year when the Tigers knocked off Eastbrook. Head coach Brent Kunkel got a Gatorade bath, students rushed the field, and the boys took a team photo in front of the scoreboard in the same spot.
But this one felt different for Kunkel, returning most of the cast from last season and having high expectations to get back to the regional stage. The victory proved that last year was not, as Kunkel calls it, a fluke.
“It’s just validation for these kids and the hard work they put in,” Kunkel said, drenched in water on his all-red Bluffton football sweatshirt. “Last year, I was like losing my mind. Now it’s just relief.”
Other than Bluffton’s first offensive possession, the Tigers (10-2) gave the Comets (9-3) fits on both sides of the ball.
In the first quarter, Bluffton’s Johnny Cruz and Tucker Jenkins sacked quarterback Eli Edwards on second and third down. That led the Tigers’ to their first score when Jenkins muscled his way for a three-yard touchdown run.
Led by the defense again, Bluffton notched two more through the endzone. Khamel Moore drew the first one for a six-yarder.
Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Jenkins squib kicked to the left side of the field that bounced around free in the hands of Cooper Craig to retain possession.
Bluffton had the ball down to the goalline faced with a fourth-and-one chance. Kunkel elected to go for it, motioning four players behind center. Hunter Wenger took the snap and powered through with the help of his teammates behind him, pushing their way through.
“I knew we needed a half a yard,” Wenger said about the play. “We’ve been practicing that play for a while, and I knew that we had 300 pounds of men pushing behind me, and we got it done.”
In that first half, Bluffton’s defense allowed virtually nothing. With the score at 20-0, Eastern only had 34 yards of total offense.
The saying goes, “Defense wins championships,” and Bluffton’s unit played the best it had all season. The starters allowed zero total points in the game (the junior varsity squad gave up the touchdown late in the fourth quarter). Kunkel’s experienced defensive line pushed through Eastern’s offensive line all night, getting the star quarterback Edwards three times behind the line of scrimmage.
The Comets had three standout players with big numbers on the season. Edwards was well over the 2,000-yard mark passing, running back Jayden Eagle carried for nearly 2,000, and Braylen Word with over 1,000 receiving. But the three did not look the part Friday night.
“(Eastern’s) got some definite weapons, but (I) couldn’t be proud of our kids up front,” Kunkel said. “We really got pressure on (Edwards) with our D-line. Kids on the back end, you know, Ben Ramseyer, Hutch Craighead, Andrew Hunt, and Brody Lewis making plays on the back end. Linebackers cleaned up when No. 31 would break through.”
The Tigers’ defense allowed 181 total yards of offense, and chunks of it came late in the fourth quarter with the starters out.
Statistically, Tucker Jenkins led the Tigers with seven tackles and a sack, Griffin Morgan had six tackles, and Hunter Wenger, Cruz, and Alex West contributed to the three sacks.
With the defense doing its part, the offense continued to roll.
Wenger got in the backfield to strip the ball from Edwards, and his twin brother, Fletcher, scooped the ball up. That gave the Tigers a first-play shot downfield as Braxton Betancourt threw a rainbow pass to Andrew Hunt for 33 yards right into the endzone.
Jenkins then hustled a 31-yard score on the next possession to blow the game open 34-0. AJ Streveler sealed the deal, receiving a forward pass for 29 yards.
Kunkel admitted after the game his team will celebrate the victory tonight, but business will start less than 24 hours later.
Sitting on the other side of the field next Friday will be Bishop Luers, the team that ended Bluffton’s magical run last season 35-6.
The players had worked hard in the offseason with the game in mind in the regional championship. Now, they’ll get another crack at them.
“We had them up there last year and got embarrassed,” Wenger said. “Everything in the summer we’ve been working for has been towards them. I think we have what it takes, and I’m ready for them.”
That game will kickoff at 7 p.m. at Bishop Luers.
sports@news-banner.com
BLUFFTON 41, EASTERN 6
At Bluffton
Score By Quarters
Eastern 0 0 0 6 – 6
Bluffton 7 13 21 0 – 41
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
B—Tucker Jenkins 3-yard run (Yaroslav Serdiuk kick), 2:23.
Second Quarter
B—Khamel Moore 8-yard run (Serdiuk kick), 8:07.
B—Hunter Wenger 1-yard run (kick blocked), 4:18.
Third Quarter
B—Braxton Betancourt 33-yard pass to Andrew Hunt (2-pt failed), 4:50.
B—Jenkins 31-yard run (Hunt 2-pt conversion run), 1:57.
B— Betancourt 29-yard pass to AJ Streveler, 0:40.
Fourth Quarter
E—Eli Edwards 18-yard pass to Braylen Word (kick failed), 8:59.
Team Statistics
BLU EAS
First Downs 17 8
Rushes-Yards 39-232 22-69
Yards Passing 69 112
Passing (C-A-I) 6-3-0 23-10-0
Penalties-Yards 0-00 0-00
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1
Punts-Average 3-41 4-37
Time of Possession 25:58 22:02
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Eastern: Jayden Eagle 18-81, Braylen Word 1-4, Eli Edwards 3-(-16). Bluffton: Khamel Moore 16-99, Tucker Jenkins 9-83, Andrew Hunt 4-17, Cooper Craig 4-16, Axton Beste 2-11, Braxton Betancourt 3-5, Hunter Wenger 1-1.
Passing: Eastern: Eli Edwards 9-21-0 106, Ethan Hasting 1-2-0 6. Bluffton: Braxton Betancourt 2-5-0 62, Axton Beste 1-1-0 7.
Receiving: Eastern: Braylen Word 5-85, Blake Robinson 2-10, Keaton Musgrave 1-8, Jayden Eagle 1-6. Bluffton: Andrew Hunt 1-33, AJ Streveler 1-29, Trey Bustos 1-7.
