BULLDOG LEADING SCORER … Swanton’s Andrew Thornton lets fly from three-point range against Wauseon. Thornton looks to help Swanton contend for the NWOAL title this season. (NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE PHOTO)
By: Nate Calvin
Defending league champion Evergreen looks to replace plenty of firepower this season with the graduation of Mason Loeffler and Nate Brighton, both 1,000-point scorers. Archbold and Wauseon figure to be in the mix but the Indians must replace their two leading scorers and Archbold will be implementing a new style of play.
The Swanton Bulldogs will be a team to watch this season as they return plenty of experience from last year and their top two scorers in Josh Vance and Andrew Thornton.
Here are the previews for each team in order of their finish in the NWOAL last season.
1. Evergreen (Last Year: 25-1 overall, 7-0 in NWOAL (League Champs); Advanced to Division III Regional Finals before tournament was canceled due to COVID)
Head Coach: Jerry Kieffer (28th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST YEAR: Mason Loeffler (19.3 ppg, 1,543 career points); Nate Brighton (16.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 1,059 career points); Jack Etue (6.7 ppg); CJ Hauk (3.8 ppg); Shane Ruetz (1.6 ppg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Ethan Loeffler (5.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Evan Lumbrezer (2.3 ppg, 4.3 apg)
NEWCOMERS: Seniors-Austin Lumbrezer, Jake Fuller, Dylan Hickerson; Juniors-RJ Shunck, Brock Hudik, Lane Schoendorf; Sophomores-Ben Ruetz, Tyler Sack
SEASON OUTLOOK: An historic season for the Evergreen Vikings came to a sudden end in March after reaching the Regional Finals when the OHSAA canceled the remainder of the boys tournament due to COVID-19. There will be plenty of new faces for veteran coach Jerry Kiefer as they have a lot of scoring to replace. Gone for Evergreen is a pair of 1,000-point scorers and four-year letterwinners in Mason Loeffler and Nate Brighton.
“We will definitely be inexperienced overall and have to replace a boat load of scoring”, said Kiefer when talking about this year’s squad. “We do have good size and have an experienced point guard in Evan Lumbrezer.”
“With all that be said, this team has a chance to be pretty good. It is our hope to be in the league mix again this year”, commented Kiefer.
Kiefer said he looks for Swanton, Archbold, Wauseon, and Bryan to be near the top of the NWOAL this year.
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Evergreen begins the season on December 1st at Cardinal Stritch and opens NWOAL play on January 7th, 2021 at Swanton.
2. Archbold (Last Year: 18-7 overall, 6-1 in NWOAL; Lost to Evergreen 42-39 in Division III District Finals)
Head Coach: Joe Frank (3rd Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST YEAR: Elijah Zimmerman, (13.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Ethan Hagans
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Sr.-Trey Theobald (5.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg); Sr.-Noah Gomez (6.0 ppg, 2.0 apg); Sr.-Austin Roth (5.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg); Sr.-Kobe Kennedy (2.0 ppg); Jr.-DJ Newman (6.3 ppg, 3.9rpg); So.-Alex Roth (5.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
NEWCOMERS: Seniors-Kenny Williams, Jayden Schulze; Juniors-Tyler Hurst, Ashton Kammeyer, Brady Johns, Gavin Bailey
SEASON OUTLOOK: Archbold brings back six letterwinners from last season’s league runners-up. Head Coach Joe Frank’s team will be playing a different style this season, hoping to capitalize on their overall team speed and quickness.
Frank said it would take time to identify playing roles since they didn’t have an offseason of competing against other schools.
“Our first priority, as is always the case, is going to be on the defensive end. We are still emphasizing defense even though we may give some shots up that we normally wouldn’t see our opponents take.”
“We are going to try and play at a faster pace this year to take advantage of our quickness and hopefully, our depth. There may be a few bumps in the road as we adapt to this new style of play, but we are committed to playing faster and having more possessions in each game.”
“Our schedule, as usual, is going to be a difficult one. We look forward to competing with each team on our schedule, knowing that we will have to be ready to go each night. The NWOAL should again be very competitive with many teams capable of winning on any given night.”
“Several teams have key players returning and it will be interesting to see how the NWOAL unfolds. Our goal, as always, is to be playing our best basketball at tourney time and to advance as far as we possibly can,” said Frank when previewing the season for his Bluestreaks.
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Archbold starts the season with a trip to Ayersville on December 11th and opens NWOAL play on January 7th at home against Patrick Henry.
3. Wauseon (Last Year: 17-7 overall, 5-2 in NWOAL; Lost to Lima Shawnee in the Division II District Semifinals)
Head Coach: Chad Burt (13th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST YEAR: Noah Tester (13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg); Sean Brock (13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Sr.-Connar Penrod (10.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg); Sr.-Tyson Britsch; Sr.-Isaac Wilson; Sr.-Kolton DeGroff; Sr.-Easton Delgado; Jr.-Jonas Tester (10.4 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Seniors-Noah Sauber, Jacob Hageman; Jr.-Clay Stump, Carson Burt, Krue Powers, Matt Shaw; Sophomores-Jude Armstrong, Landon Hines
SEASON OUTLOOK: As always, expectations are high for the Wauseon Indians, a team that has won 17 or more games for nine years in a row.
Wauseon will have some holes to fill as their top two scorers are gone from a year ago.
“We have a group that is hard working and athletic overall. They are eager to follow up on the success from previous years and have been competing hard in practice”, said veteran coach Chad Burt.
“We graduated a senior group that made tremendous contributions both on and off the court. They will be difficult to replace. Team ball handling will be a point of emphasis and a major concern.” “We will need to develop our perimeter skills to successful offensively. We lack overall height, so rebounding is a concern”, added Burt.
Overall, Burt is optimistic about the season ahead. “We have many new faces in new roles. We have a group of kids that are eager to compete and establish themselves at the varsity level.”
“We are inexperienced in some key positions, but they are a coachable group and will continue to grow and develop as the season progresses.”
The Wauseon coach views the NWOAL race as being up for grabs. “Archbold has tremendous athletes and tradition, Bryan has very good talent as well, Evergreen returns key pieces of their league title team, Liberty Center and Swanton both have tremendous individual talent, Delta is extremely well coached and PH will have renewed excitement with their new coach.”
“Teams will have to be ready night in and night out in the league to make a run at the title”, commented Burt when previewing the league race.
ABOUT THEIRS CHEDULE: Wauseon will begin the season on December 11th at Edgerton with their NWOAL schedule starting on January 7th when they welcome in Bryan.
4. Bryan (Last Year: 16-8 overall, 4-3 in NWOAL; Lost to Defiance 48-28 in Division II District Semifinal)
Head Coach: Brandon Fisher (5th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST YEAR: Reese Jackson (12.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg); Connor Arthur (7.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg); Caleb Zuver (9.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Austin Dean
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Sr.-Titus Rohrer (12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg); Sr.-Canon Lamberson (3.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg); Sr.-Braiden Showalter; Jr.-AJ Martinez
NEWCOMERS: Sr.-Keith Huard, Jr.-Jaylin Damron, Jr.-Logan Moss, Jr.-Carter Brown, Jr.-Craig Jackson, So.-Evan Cox
SEASON OUTLOOK: Bryan has just two players with a lot of varsity experience as they look to replace four seniors. Fisher says other guys stepping into new roles and figuring out who will play point guard are two points of emphasis as they start the season.
“Our perimeter shooting has a chance to be strong overall this year with all the guards we’ll have coming in. We also still have a very strong presence in the post with our seniors. We’ve got a nice mix of size and competitiveness. Our kids have gotten more competitive over the last four years and we hope that will continue.”’
“A lot of these guys are hungry to contribute and that is exciting to have as a coach and a team. I think we’ve got a chance to be pretty good defensively with different guys as well”, said Fisher.
“I hope we get to play and keep everyone healthy this year. It’s been the craziest year anybody’s seen as far as coaching goes and we want to make sure we’re keeping our kids healthy first and foremost”, he continued.
“Last year we had many injury and sickness issues we had to deal with, and the kids still had a good season. I hope they’re more confident and hungry because of that and I think they will be.”
“We have a good mix of different pieces and positions so if they can gel, we can be good. I’m most excited to watch us defensively and hopefully that will pan out well too.”
Fisher expects the NWOAL to be competitive from top to bottom with Wauseon, Archbold, and Evergreen to at the top of the standings.
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Bryan had their first two games postponed and are now scheduled to start the season at home against Wayne Trace on December 4th. The Golden Bears will begin NWOAL play at Wauseon on January 7th.
5. Liberty Center (Last Year: 12-11 overall, 3-4 in NWOAL; Lost to Genoa 55-47 in Division III Sectional Semifinal)
Head Coach: Greg Badenhop (9th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST YEAR: Carter Burdue (16.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Trent Murdock (12.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Aaron Shafer (5.9 rpg, 2.6 apg); Conner Keller (2.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Sr.-Camden Krugh (6.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg); Sr.-Trey Patterson (2.7 ppg); Sr.-Max Phillips; Jr.-Evan Conrad (3.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg); Jr.-Wyatt Leatherman (3.7 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Sr.-Noah Collins; Sr.-Evan Hogrefe; Jr.-Isaiah Estelle; So.-Matthew Orr
SEASON OUTLOOK: The Tigers have four players this year standing 6’ 3” or taller which should make them a solid rebounding team. Scoring is a concern for Liberty Center as they lost a lot of offense to graduation led by 3rd Team All-Ohio selection Carter Burdue.
“We again hoping to build off the tremendous success our football team had this past season. Majority of our players come to us from football, so they already understand what type of commitment, energy, & toughness it takes for a team to be successful, said Badenhop when discussing the team’s outlook.
“It is our goal to take that same mindset & keep it rolling into basketball season. With the uniqueness of the season in front of us, we know it will present challenges that we have never seen before. How we respond to these challenges will likely determine the success level that we achieve.
Badenhop looks for the NWOAL to bea battle every night with five or six teams having a shot at the league title.
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: The season is slated to start on November 27th for the Tigers when they visit Holgate. The NWOAL season starts on January 7th at home against Delta.
6. Swanton (Last Year: 9-15 overall, 2-5 in NWOAL; Lost to Archbold 48-43 in Division III Sectional Final)
Head Coach: Joel Visser (3rd Season)
LETTERMEN LOST FROM LAST YEAR: Justyn Bartlett (6.0 ppg, 2.0 apg); Jake Crow
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Josh Vance (12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.5 apg); Andrew Thornton (13.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 apg); Trent Weigel (5.0 ppg); Sam Betz (6.0 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Seniors-Blake Szalapski, Jacob Campbell; Sophomores: Hayden Callicotte, Cole Mitchey, Nathan Vance
SEASON OUTLOOK: The Bulldogs look to be one of the surprise teams in the league this year as they return their top two scorers in Andrew Thornton and Josh Vance. Swanton will not have a lot of depth this year so they will rely on their senior leadership to guide them.
“We have a good senior class mixed with a talented but inexperienced sophomore class”, said third-year coach Joel Visser. “I think our speed and team chemistry will be strengths this year.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Swanton hosts Lake on November 27th to start the 2020-2021 season and league play will begin on January 7th when they host defending league champion Evergreen.
7. Delta (Last Year: 7-17 overall, 1-6 in NWOAL; Lost to Cardinal Stritch 73-42 in Division III Sectional Final)
Head Coach: Derek Sheridan (3rd Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST YEAR: Braden Risner, Hunter Tresnan-Reighard, Guillermo Asensio
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors-Chase Stickley, Nick Mazurowski, Todd Sackschewsky, Sophomores-Bryce Gillen, Bryar Knapp, Nolan Risner, James Ruple
NEWCOMERS: Sophomore-Malachi Limpf; Freshmen-Maverick Mercer, Justin Ruple, Joel Arroyo, Jude Gibbons, Cayden Mignin, Max York, Reece Verdin, Luke Reinhard
SEASON OUTLOOK: Delta will be a young squad this season with just three seniors, no juniors, and seven under classmen on the varsity roster.
“Obviously, we lack varsity experience, but look to make up for it with improved ball handling, work ethic, and team unity”, stated coach Derek Sheridan.
“We will grow with experience and we must stay healthy. Rebounding and scoring by committee will be imperative for us.”
Sheridan expects the NWOAL to be strong as always. “The NWOAL is a very competitive league with good coaches and players who execute.”
“Additionally, the NWOAL is a league where the play is physical, so we’re hoping that the work our new players and returners did in the weight room this offseason helps us compete with our league opponents.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Delta heads to Pettisville on November 28th for their season opener and visit Liberty Center on January 7th to start league play.
8. Patrick Henry (Last Year: 2-21 overall, 0-7 in NWOAL; Lost to Kalida 51-27 in Division IV Sectional Semifinal)
Head Coach: Bryan Hieber (1st Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST YEAR: Hunter Diem; Kolton Holloway (7.8 ppg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Sr.-Caleb Rosengarten (4.3 ppg); Sr.-Gage Seemann (2.2 ppg); Sr.-Clayton Feehan (3.5 ppg); Sr.-Layke Crossland (3.4 ppg); Sr.-Corbin Johnson (1.0 ppg); Jr.-Will Seedorf (1.6 ppg); So.-Gavin Jackson (4.6 ppg); So.-Kaden Rosebrook (2.2 ppg)
SEASON OUTLOOK: The Patriots will look to improve off their 2-21 season under the leadership of first-year coach and Patrick Henry alum Bryan Hieber. Patrick Henry will have plenty of game experience as they bring back eight letterwinners, including five seniors.
“It’s imperative that we protect the basketball and look for good shots. We need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable”, said Hieber when commenting on areas of weakness for this year’s team.
“We will be a much more competitive team this year. We will rely heavily on our seniors mixed in with some athletic underclassmen. We have a very tough league and non-league schedule. Every night will be a challenge for us”, commented Hieber.
Hieber points to Archbold, Wauseon, Bryan, and Evergreen to be the class of the NWOAL this year.
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: The Patriots get started with new their head coach at Napoleon on November 27th while their NWOAL schedule gets underway on January 7th at Archbold.
Nate can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com