BELLEVUE, Ohio — In a defensive slugfest where yards were hard to come by, the Perkins Pirates leaned on explosive plays and a stingy second-half defense to secure a gritty 10-3 victory over the Bellevue Redmen on Friday night. The Pirates set the tone early in the first quarter. Driven by a balanced attack, Perkins capped off a long opening drive when kicker Danny Buga connected on a 29-yard field goal with 6:35 remaining in the opening period to stake the Pirates to an early 3-0 lead. Bellevue’s defense tightened up, but Perkins found the game’s lone touchdown mid-way through the second quarter. Running back JoJo Moore provided the spark, breaking through the Redmen front and racing 37 yards to the endzone with 6:56 left in the half. Buga’s extra point extended the advantage to 10-0. The Redmen answered before the break, putting together a 35-yard drive sparked by Ike Brown. Bellevue cut the deficit to 10-3 when Zach Moses split the uprights on a 32-yard field goal at the 4:30 mark. That proved to be the final score of the contest, as both defenses allowed no points in the second half. While Bellevue won the battle for time of possession (24:38 to 23:22) and first downs (12 to 9), Perkins made their offensive plays count, outgaining Bellevue 218 to 179 in total yards. Moore anchored the ground game for Perkins, finishing with a game-high 115 rushing yards on 15 carries. Quarterback Grant Kuhnle completed 7 of 14 passes for 83 yards, highlighting his night with a 45-yard strike to receiver Kaden Legando, who finished with 71 yards on 4 catches. Buga also played a pivotal role in the field-position battle, averaging 43 yards per punt on three attempts, including a 50-yard boot. The Pirates are back in action next Friday at Clyde.