DEFIANCE, Ohio - In its final Heartland Conference matchup with long-time rival Defiance College, the Bluffton University football team showed out with a 42-35 victory on a beautiful Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. The Beavers improved to 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the Heartland Conference, while Defiance finished with the same marks.
The visitors struck first with a 25-yard scoring strike from Xavier Reyero (Corona, Cal.) to Ethan Beringer (Findlay/Carey) less than four minutes into the game! Defiance knotted it on the opening play of the second quarter, but three Beaver touchdowns over the final 8:05 of the first half made it 28-7 at the break.
Junior Kainan Stoner (Belle Center/Benjamin Logan) capped a 14-play, 71-yard drive with a three-yard scoring burst that burned nearly seven minutes off the clock. Beringer's second and third scoring receptions of the day moved him to second all-time with career touchdowns number 20 and 21!
Defiance sandwiched a pair of scores around a fumbled kickoff by the Beavers, making it 28-21 with 5:33 to play in the third quarter. Jordan Ambrose hit Dazzmon Garrett from 36 yards out and Tyshaun Freeman went 24 yards right up the gut as the home team pulled within seven points. Bluffton responded with a seven-play drive that saw Reyero deliver his fourth scoring toss of the game, this time a 31-yarder to senior Andre Price Jr. (Akron, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy).
Fourteen straight fourth-quarter points for the Yellow Jackets, who took advantage of a blocked punt deep in Bluffton territory, set up a photo finish as the Beavers started their final drive at the visitor 32-yard line. A 37-yard dime from Reyero to Kale Lee (Spencerville) was the linch pin and then Reyero finished it off with the one-yard plunge to paydirt, giving the Beavers a 42-35 win in the final HCAC matchup between the two Northwest Ohio schools!
Reyero was outstanding, going 21-of-30 for 314 yards and five total touchdowns. Beringer moved into 2nd place all-time with 21 career receiving touchdowns after catching three scoring strikes on Saturday. Lee and CJ Thompson (Indianapolis, Ind./Park Tudor) added 56 and 50 receiving yards, respectively.
Stoner pounded Defiance with 104 rushing yards on 28 carries, including the first-quarter touchdown. Salieu Koroma (Westerville/Central) added 66 yards on 15 rushes.
Martez Nabors (Redford, Mich./Thurston) Maxwell Moore (Chagrin Falls) and Jaydon McBreen (Portland, Ore./Westview) led the defense with seven tackles apiece. McBreen Alix Shorter (Ypsilanti, Mich./Bellville) and Malik Echols (Cincinnati/Mount Healthy) all picked off the Jackets.
The two rivals combined for over 900 yards of offense with Bluffton gaining 465 thanks to 24 first downs and 9-for-18 on third down opportunities. The Beavers were efficient through the air, picking up 314 yards on just 30 pass plays. Bluffton took advantage of a seven-minute edge in time of possession (33:35-26:25) on the way to its third win over the final four games of the season.
Continue to check the Bluffton Football Webpage over the coming week for updated record books and all-conference honors. The Heartland Confrence post-season awards are slated to be released on Thursday, Nov. 16.
-BEAVERS-
