HANOVER , Ind. – Junior, quarterback, Matt Weimer (Georgetown, Ind.) dealt clutch for the Panthers as he rushed ahead for the go-ahead touchdown with 15 seconds remaining to propel Hanover past Bluffton, 51-44.
 
Hanover finished the contest with a game-high 549 total yards with 392 coming on the ground. Leading the charge was senior Walt Ballinger (Beech Grove, Ind.) with three rushing scores.

Freshman Caleb Brewster (Hiram, Ga.) and senior Cam Maier (Mount Vernon, Ind.) led the defensive efforts for the Blue and Red with a team-best eight tackles apiece. 
 
The Panthers surged ahead early as Ballinger crossed the goal line at the 9:48 mark in the first period giving HC the 7-0 lead. They would tack on another rushing touchdown in the quarter as senior Shawn Coane (Evansville, Ind.) found the endzone before Bluffton responded.
 
However, the high-powered offense for the Panthers continued to dominate the ground game as sophomore Elijah Irvine (Louisville, Ky.) found himself a touchdown off a 6-yard scamper, 21-7. Bluffton took over the remainder of the second quarter as they tacked on back-to-back scores cutting the deficit to 23-20 at the half.
 
The second half would see Ballinger notch another seven as he ran past the Beaver defense for a 25-yard touchdown. The two teams would exchange scores late into the third frame when Ballinger again broke the plane for his third TD of the afternoon giving HC the 44-30 advantage.
 
The final stanza would see Bluffton tie the contest at the 4:44 mark but Hanover had other things in mind. Weimer led the Panthers 91 yards on 12 plays for the go-ahead score, 51-44.
 
Hanover returns to action on Saturday, March 27 when they welcome Rose-Hulman. Kick-off is slated for 2:00 PM.