1951 Football Team
The first of Bluffton’s eight Mid-Ohio League Championship teams, the 1951 squad now enters the BC Hall of Fame just one year prior to its 50th year anniversary. Bluffton posted a 6-2 overall record that season put together a 4-1 mark in the MOL.
In claiming their MOL crown, the Beavers recorded some pretty impressive victories. Perhaps chief among them was Bluffton’s first ever victory over Ohio Northern University, that coming on Oct. 11 by the final score of 13-7, a victory that marked BC’s first in 23 tries against the Polar Bears. A 12-3 win over Findlay was Bluffton’s first win over the Oilers in 11 years, while a 27-12 win on homecoming over Ashland was BC’s first over AU in 10 years.
Second-year head coach Ken Mast fashioned an offensive unit that averaged an impressive 278 yards per game, while his defensive squad gave up just one touchdown or less in five games.
Junior running back Charlie Spencer ’56 scored 14 touchdowns during the season and converted all of BC’s 12 extra points. He was named first team All-MOL, as was guard Bob Smucker ’52 and end Jim Oliver ’60. Freshman quarterback Leland Garmatter x55 earned second team MOL honors as he passed for 710 yards and 10 touchdowns.
1951 BC Football
at Taylor W 26-0 at Heidelberg L 25-40 FINDLAY W 12-3 at Cedarville L 20-27 at Olivet W 20-6 OHIO NORTHERN W 13-7 ASHLAND W 27-12 at Defiance W 26-6
