Football Preview: Columbus Grove Bulldogs vs. Bluffton Pirates
Columbus Grove has gone 8-2 against Bluffton recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Columbus Grove Bulldogs will head out to square off against the Bluffton Pirates at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are still undefeated after nine-games, but that won't be the case come Friday.
Last Friday, Columbus Grove was able to grind out a solid victory over Lima Central Catholic, taking the game 28-20. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 39th, while the Thunderbirds are ranked 167th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Trenton Barraza continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Barraza is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 100 every time he's taken the field this season. Trevon Baxter also helped out with an impressive 80 receiving yards.
Columbus Grove was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 209 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 150 rushing yards in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Bluffton hadn't done well against Allen East recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Bluffton simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Allen East 43-7 at home. The result was nothing new for the Pirates, who have now won eight matchups by 35 points or more so far this season.
Columbus Grove's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-0. As for Bluffton, their record now sits at an identical 9-0.
Columbus Grove was able to grind out a solid victory over Bluffton in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, winning 17-10. Does Columbus Grove have another victory up their sleeve, or will Bluffton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
