The 1958 football team reigned as the greatest of all time until the 1988 squad came along, but the earlier team’s exploits remain legendary in Beaver grid history. The 1958 Ken Mast-coached squad dominated opponents far greater than any Bluffton team, winning by an average of 25.3 points per game and posting an average yardage advantage of 217.8 yards per contest.
The team gained an amazing 7.7 yards per play. Its rushing total (3,015 yards), average rushing yards per game (335) and yards per rushing attempt (7.2) remain Bluffton standards. Six opponents were shut out, another school record. The ’58 squad also holds Bluffton records for yards per pass attempt (10.7) and yards per catch (24.1).
The Beavers shut out four of the first five opponents, losing only to Heidelberg. After a 42-30 victory at Findlay, they shut out Ashland and Manchester before edging Centre to cap off their second 8-1 season in three years. In the 57-0 rout of Ashland, the Beavers racked up 622 yards of total offense—the fourth highest total in Bluffton history—and their 500-yard advantage in total offense (622-122) is the second highest ever. The 57-point margin is tied for the largest Bluffton margin of victory, while the nine touchdowns scored against both Ashland and Ohio Northern are tied for first in Bluffton’s record book.
Receiving first-team all-conference honors were Elbert Dubenion, Joe Urich, Jim Buffenbarger and Chet Foraker on offense, and Jim Weaver, C.K. Steiner, Ed Smoker and Urich on defense. Dubenion had 1,288 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns for 102 points, while Urich hit 18 passes for 512 yards and five scores.
| Taylor | W | 14-0 |
| Heidelberg | L | 6-20 |
| Ohio Northern | W | 55-0 |
| Defiance | W | 34-0 |
| Wilmington | W | 42-0 |
| Findlay | W | 42-30 |
| Ashland | W | 57-0 |
| Manchester | W | 24-0 |
use of his interest in the welfare of the person as he served as the community’s “family doctor.”
In baseball, he was the leading hitter all four years and posted a .577 average in 1948. His other extracurricular activities included Student Christian Association, Men’s Glee Club and May Day chair in 1949. He was also voted Most Popular Man on campus in 1950.
At Jackson Township High School in Hoytville, Ohio, he was a three-sport letterman who captained his baseball and basketball teams and was president of the senior class.
Snyder coached the Bluffton men’s basketball team for 14 years—the fourth-longest men’s hoops tenure—while recording, at the time, the most wins and best percentage of anyone who had coached more than three years.
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ar, he was listed as the football team’s star passer during a 3-4 season; the basketball team soared to new heights with an 11-5 record; and he continued running track. When that year ended, he had earned nine sports letters through three short years.
tion of religious beliefs and the development of personal relationships.” He added, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
Conrad participated in football, track and basketball in both high school and college, earning seven and six letters, respectively. A history and social science major at Bluffton, Conrad went on to earn his master’s degree from The Ohio State University and was named to the university’s Sigma Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa.
aduated from Bluffton in 1932 with a degree in biological science. As a college athlete, he earned three varsity letters in football and track and one in basketball, and received All-Northwest Ohio Conference honors in football. He was also active in swimming and water polo for three years.
football at Cory-Rawson High School, earning two letters in each sport.
eful how my student life at Bluffton has affected my life. The warm Christian atmosphere always had its positive influence on me. The caring attitude of the faculty was always impressive and has stayed with me ever since. Sports participation was the most impressive for me as I was able to enjoy each sport so much. The friendships and relations with fellow students and opponents were always very enjoyable. This background continued to establish a positive work and participation attitude that stays with me today.”
ny of the line positions.
ld post the entire football season. He became involved in basketball, baseball and track as well, making a name for himself as the most versatile athlete at Bluffton.
from Kent State University in 1951. He then completed additional graduate studies at Fenn College, Western Reserve University and the University of Toledo.
Gratz was a teacher and coach in many Bluffton-area high schools before becoming an associate professor of health, physical education and recreation at Manchester College. He also served Manchester as athletics director, head wrestling and baseball coach, and an assistant football coach.
ship in the renamed HBCC. He was the conference wrestling Coach of the Year in 1970 and, beginning in 1971, was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Executive Committee.
Still, Miller found time to play two of his favorite sports, football and baseball. The Varsity B member played for all four years of college. His sophomore year was the highlight of his football career, with the team ending the season 4-1-2. He was noted as a diminutive but elusive back with much determination. By the time he graduated, he had earned eight sports letters.
After attending Bluffton, he completed his compulsory military service as a paratrooper and then continued his higher education at The Adelphi College, obtaining a master’s degree in social work. Most of his professional career was spent with human service organizations. Prior to his death, he was on the teaching faculty of Youngstown State University’s sociology department, working closely with the urban studies program.
e spring. She received the Kathryn Little Award as the outstanding senior woman athlete in 1980.
For two straight years, Wyant was named Division II Northwest District Coach of the Year. Along with her coaching career, she also served as a high school volleyball official for the past 20 years.
In 1985-86 she set the season mark—also still standing—for field goals made (165) while earning first-team Western Buckeye Collegiate Conference honors. The previous year she was second-team All-WBCC and honorable mention all-district. She led the team in scoring her last two years and was at the top in six statistical categories as a senior. An outside hitter on the volleyball team, she led Bluffton in service aces in 1985.
Zickafoose, a graduate of South Adams High School in Berne, Ind., earned two letters in basketball, three in tennis and four in volleyball at Bluffton. She captained the volleyball team her final two years.
also coached volleyball for several years at the junior high and assistant varsity levels. Two of her Bluffton tennis players qualified for and played in the national tournament in 1984.
Beavers went to the NAIA national playoffs for the first of two consecutive years—and represent the third-most interceptions in a single season at Bluffton. A four-year letter winner, Williams was twice named to the NAIA District 22 first team and was a member of three Bluffton teams—the 1985, 1987 and 1988 Beavers—that have been inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame.
arned all-district honors twice. He is Bluffton’s career leader in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He also leads Bluffton ballplayers in triples and ranks sixth all-time in doubles.
e, lettered in football four years, was captain of the 1960 and 1962 squads and was Most Valuable Player of the 1962 team that finished 7-2 and was Mid-Ohio League co-champion.
