By RICK SPRUNGER
Finally.
Bluffton got a huge monkey off its back Friday night with an overwhelming and very satisfying 41-6 win over visiting South Adams in the Allen County Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
It was Bluffton’s first win over the Starfires since 2015, South Adams having won not only the last seven straight games in the series but nine of the last 10.
The Tigers, ranked No. 10 in Class 2A going into the contest, improved to 3-0 on the season. South Adams, ranked No. 6 in Class A, fell to 2-1.
“This is a credit to these kids,” grinned a dripping-wet Bluffton coach Brent Kunkel after being given the water-jug treatment as the clock turned to zeroes. “They were up for this game; they wanted this game. South Adams is a dangerous team. Owen Wanner is the best quarterback in our league. But we were able to frustrate him and put pressure on him. This was a credit to coach (Todd) Morgan and the whole staff. It’s not very often that anyone can make (Wanner) look average, but we were able to do that tonight.”
Indeed, a South Adams team that was averaging 34 points per game going into the contest managed just six first downs and 72 yards in total offense all night.
In fact, all 72 of South Adams’ yards came after Bluffton had started a running clock with a 35-0 lead late in the third quarter.
And Wanner managed just six of 12 passing for all of his team’s 72 yards and an interception while being sacked four times.
The Bluffton offense was just as impressive as its defense.
The Tigers had three running backs rush for over 100 yards: Tucker Jenkins (16 carries for 139 yards), Andrew Hunt (four carries for 103 yards), and Cooper Craig (17 carries for 101 yards). Hunt had a big night all around.
In addition to his rushing yards, he scored three touchdowns, one of them on a 61-yard punt return.
He also caught a 23-yard pass in the second quarter that rescued the Tigers from a third-and-22 situation.
South Adams coach Grant Moser was gracious in defeat.
“That is the best Bluffton team I have ever seen,” praised Kunkel’s opposite number. “That includes my playing days, my assistant coaching days — any time. They have size, they have experience, they have speed, they have coaching, and they’re going to have a great, great season.”
Bluffton absolutely dominated the first half.
Hunt set the tone on the Tigers’ third snap from scrimmage when he set sail for 64 yards down the left sideline all the way to the South Adams three-yard line.
It took the Tigers four plays to get it in from there, but get it in they did on a three-yard scoring flip from Braxton Betancourt to Fletcher Wenger on fourth down.
Hunt scored on a 10-yard touchdown run the next time Bluffton touched the football to cap a nine-play drive that also featured consecutive 11-yard runs by Jenkins.
South Adams, meanwhile, was going nowhere.
Actually, “nowhere” is an exaggeration.
The Starfires finished the first half with minus-7 yards in total offense.
They ran three plays and punted the first three times they had the football.
And they didn’t pick up their first first down of the game until late in the second quarter and then only on a penalty — on a play that otherwise lost four yards.
Of South Adams’ first 21 offensive plays in the game, 16 resulted in either no gain, a loss of yardage, or a turnover.
Hunt’s electric punt return for a touchdown late in the second quarter staked the Tigers to a 19-0 halftime lead, and they added two more touchdowns in the third quarter to add a running clock to South Adams’ misery.
Each team managed a score in the fourth quarter while playing out the string.
If there was one area of concern for Kunkel Friday night, it was mistakes.
His team committed a whopping nine penalties for 82 yards, three of them on Bluffton’s opening drive.
“That can happen when you’re that full of adrenaline,” said Kunkel. “Still, we’ve got to clean up the penalties. That’s a discipline issue, and we’ll be addressing that this week.”
Bluffton will take a full head of steam to Woodlan next Friday night.
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BLUFFTON 41, SOUTH ADAMS 6
at Bluffton High School
South Adams (2-1) 0 0 0 6 — 6
Bluffton (3-0) 13 6 16 6 — 41
FIRST QUARTER
BL-Fletcher Wenger 3 pass from Braxton Betancourt (Yaroslav Serdiuk), 7:31.
BL-Andrew Hunt 10 run (kick failed), 2:03.
SECOND QUARTER
BL-Hunt 61 punt return (pass failed), 2:00.
THIRD QUARTER
BL-Hunt 6 run (Hunter Wenger run), 9:20.
BL-Cooper Craig 2 run (Brody Lewis pass from Betancourt), 1:59.
FOURTH QUARTER
SA-Colton Bollenbacher 11 run (kick blocked), 11:16.
BL-Craig 3 run (kick failed), 2:20.
TEAM STATISTICS
SA BLU
First Downs 6 18
Rushes-Yards 16-0 46-361
Passing (C-A-I) 6-14-1 3-8-1
Passing Yards 72 31
Punts-Average 6-39.0 1-43.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-0
Penalties-Yards 8-50 9-82
Time of Possession 17:27 30:33
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: South Adams-Owen Wanner 8-(-41), Colton Bollenbacher 6-25, Hayden Brown 1-17; Bluffton-Cooper Craig 17-101, Tucker Jenkins 16-139, Andrew Hunt 4-103, Braxton Betancourt 6-26, Ben Ramseyer 3-(-8).
Passing: South Adams-Owen Wanner 6-12-1 72, Ty Lehman 0-2-0 0; Bluffton-Braxton Betancourt 3-8-1 31.
Receiving: South Adams-Isaac Dee 3-27, Derek McKean 2-13, Wes Summersett 1-32; Bluffton-Andrew Hunt 1-23, A.J. Streveler 1-5, Fletcher Wenger 1-3.
