By: Jack Reed, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - It was senior day on this irregular spring football season for the Bluffton University football team. The Beavers welcomed Rose-Hulman for the final matchup of the 2020-21-season. Bluffton fell to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in the Heartland Conference after dropping a 35-0 decision to the Engineers on Saturday, April 17. Rose improved to 4-1 overall and in the HCAC.
Rose needed less than four minutes to go up 7-0 when Shane Welshans hauled in a 7-yard scoring strike from Andrew Dion. At the 6:38 mark of the first quarter, Montez Archer Jr. (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) intercepted the Engineers, his seventh pickoff this year which tied him for third all time for interceptions in a season. Fellow defensive back Marcus Woods (Greenville) intercepted the ball five minutes later, but nothing came out of either turnover as the Bluffton offense was stagnant in the first quarter.
On Buffton's opening drive of the second quarter the Beavers moved the ball to the Rose 15-yard line. Daniel Blanford (Delphos/Clearwater) came in to attempt a 32-yard field goal and missed it wide left as the Beavers remained scoreless. Bluffton was able to get into the backfield on Rose's next possession and sack quarterback Andrew Dion twice. The back-to-back sacks came from senior Dana Shoulders II (Mansfield/Lexington) and sophomore Mitchell Young (Spencer/Black River).
Freshman quarterback Darnell Thomas (Toledo/Springfield) entered the game for the Beavers and fumbled it on his first snap of the game. Rose-Hulman took advantage of the fumble and pushed it down the field for a score on the ensuing drive. With Rose able to capitalize on the turnover, Bluffton trailed 21-0 heading into halftime.
The only action from the third quarter came from a fumble coughed up by Rose-Hulman in the final minute that was recovered by Bluffton's Brady Welker (Delphos/Jefferson). Heading into the final period of the season, it was still a 21-0 Rose advantage.
The very first play of the final quarter resulted in an interception for the Beavers as Thomas threw in the direction of Zane Dine (Marion/Pleasant). On Bluffton's next touch another pickoff came on a ball that was deflected into the hands of an RHIT safety. Rose-Hulman would go on to score two more touchdowns as Bluffton's offense struggled to move the ball. As the final buzzer sounded on the 2020-21 season, Bluffton was on the wrong end of a 35-0 decision.
Bluffton had 266 yards of offense, compared to 460 for Rose-Hulman. Rose finished with 288 yards on the ground, with 151 for the home team. The Beavers had a sloppy performance on the offensive side of the ball as they turned it over a total of five times.
Thomas went for 71 yards on 10 rushes, while Maalik Tucker (Fostoria) added 58 on 11 touches. Deonta Hall (Cincinnati/Mount Healthy) hauled in four passes for 71 yards to pace the Bluffton receiving corps.
Davon Hedwood (Westland, Mich./Thurston) led the Beaver defense as he wrapped up 10 tackles on the day. Keith Holmes Jr. (Toledo/St. Francis DeSales) followed up with nine tackles himself. Shoulders and Archer chipped in with eight and seven stops, respectively.
We would like to thank the football seniors for all of their hard work, resilience, dedication and support over the last four years.
-BEAVERS-
