Columbus Grove’s Trenton Barraza runs against Spencerville earlier this season. Barraza enters Week 10 as the top rusher in the Northwest Conference.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
It all comes down to this.
Columbus Grove and Bluffton meet at Harmon Field on Friday night in one of the area’s longest-standing rivalries, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The winner claims the Northwest Conference title outright, completes an undefeated regular season run and holds all bragging rights until next year.
It’s a rivalry that runs deep in both communities.
“Historically there have been so many great games between us through decades of football, and with both of us undefeated and state-ranked this year, it’s set to be one of the biggest,” said Bluffton coach Jeff Richards, who’s experienced the rivalry as both a player and coach. “I’ve always felt that having our game in Week 10 creates a special atmosphere, like our own Ohio State-Michigan.”
In the latest Associated Press High School Football poll, Columbus Grove is second behind Marion Local in Division VII and Bluffton is No. 4 in Division VI.
Last year’s head-to-head matchup favored Columbus Grove with wins over Bluffton in Week 10 and the Region 22 championship game, but the Pirates still lead the series with an all-time record of 50-41-2.
Richards said to turn the tides back in Bluffton’s favor, the Pirates need to be more locked in than ever before.
“I have an incredible amount of respect for Coach (Andy) Schafer and his staff. They do a fantastic job game planning and preparing their team each week,” Richards said of the Bulldogs. “We need to be very sound in all aspects of the game, take care of the football and capitalize on opportunities in order to come away with a victory.”
Bluffton enters Friday night as the NWC’s top offense and defense in terms of points per game (47 offense, 6 defense). Columbus Grove is second in both categories (42 offense, 11 defense).
The Pirates run for 282 yards per game and have three players in the top five in the conference in rushing — Parker Lovell (655 yards, 10 TDs), Landen Worcester (632 yards, 9 TDs) and Tayte Giesige (618 yards, 13 TDs).
Giesige is also the second-best passer in the conference, completing 67 of 104 passes for 1,211 yards, 17 touchdowns and one interception. His top target in the passing game is Griffin Stackhouse, who has 22 catches for 583 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“Bluffton does a nice job on offense stretching you horizontally with their jet sweep. Their QB runs are an improvement from last year’s team,” Columbus Grove coach Andy Schafer said. “Defensively, their secondary is really good with some athletes that can run and cover.”
The Pirates have also forced 16 turnovers, second best to Columbus Grove (18), including 10 interceptions and six forced fumbles. Lleyton Miller, Javen Crawfis and Quinn Eachus each have two picks on the season.
Up front, Bluffton has allowed just 495 rushing yards all season to its opponents.
Columbus Grove counters with Trenton Barraza, the league’s top rusher with 1,481 yards and 20 touchdowns on 171 carries through nine games.
Since taking over at quarterback after an injury earlier this year, Kyle Hopkins has gone 29 of 39 for 487 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. Trevon Baxter is the team’s leading receiver with 29 catches for 464 yards and eight touchdowns.
“Columbus Grove runs the ball very well, and they exploit teams who forget about the pass,” Richards said. “On defense, they are sound across the board and do a great job forcing turnovers. They don’t make many mistakes.”
Both Trevon Baxter and Gavin Barraza have four interceptions this season for the Bulldogs, good for a four-way tie for first place in the NWC.
Columbus Grove averages 348 yards per game on offense while limiting opponents to 220 yards per game on defense.
When asked what his team needs to do to win, Grove coach Schafer had a precise answer — play Columbus Grove football.
“It really is that simple,” he said. “We know who we are. All that’s left to do is play like a champion.”
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on Twitter/X at @Lima_Howell
