(FILE PHOTO / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
LEAGUE’S TOP BIG MAN … Swanton’s Charlie Wood goes to the bucket in a non-league game versus Fayette. Wood will be a force on the interior for Swanton this season after averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds per contest last year.
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
LIBERTY CENTER – Much like the football season in the league, Henry County is expected to have the top two teams as Patrick Henry and Liberty Center are considered the teams to beat by most coaches in the NWOAL.
But both teams will be getting a late start due to deep playoff runs by their football squads with the Patriots falling in the regional finals this past Friday and Liberty Center advancing to the state semifinals this week.
Last season’s co-champions with the Tigers, Archbold and Wauseon, both have holes to fill as both teams graduated several key players.
There will be two new coaches in the league with Kyle Bostater taking over at Evergreen after the retirement of longtime coach Jerry Kiefer and Jacob Parker takes over for Brock Homier at Bryan.
Here are the previews for each team in order of their finish in the NWOAL last season.
T1. Archbold (22-2, 6-1 NWOAL; Lost in Division III district final to Emmanuel Christian, 62-44)
HEAD COACH: Joe Frank (7th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Cade Brenner (21.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.0 apg), Jayden Seiler (7.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg), Chase Miller (5.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Stephen Diller (2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Jerry Rodriguez
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Micah Nofziger (8.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 54.5 FG%, 76.4 FT%, Sonny Phillips (8.5 ppg, 3.4 apg, 72.5 FT%), Evan Wendt (1.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg), Broden Piercefield (2.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg), Madden Valentine (1.5 ppg), Mason Bickel
NEWCOMERS: Seniors – Kurt Krueger, Jayden Gensler; Junior – Joe Williams; Sophomores – Morgan Harris, Isaiahs Gracia, Aranjer Krieger
STRENGTHS: Athleticism, team unit, overall quickness, ballhandling
WEAKNESSES: Inexperience, scoring. “Most of the seniors were role players and will need to step into different roles.”
“We have some underclassmen who will compete for time as well. Also, we lost 35.0 ppg from last year.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We hope to play at a faster pace offensively and pressure teams full court. We feel we have the depth and athleticism to play this style of basketball and make it difficult for opponents.”
“It may take some time to fully implement this style of play, but we are committed to making it work.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “We hope to compete well in what should be a very competitive league race this season. I would say Patrick Henry, Liberty Center will be favorites this season, but I also believe that any team is capable of competing with the front-runners.”
“As always, our non-league portion of the schedule will be challenging but will help prepare us for the postseason. We hope to be playing our best basketball of the season in February. This group is hungry to prove that it can play at a high level and compete with any team on our schedule.’
“The season will always bring challenges or adversity, and we hope to handle those things well. I am excited for the season and look forward to coaching a hard-working group of young men to be the best that they can be.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: November 30 – Wauseon (H); NWOAL Opener: January 9 – Liberty Center (H)
T1. Liberty Center (17-8, 6-1 NWOAL; Lost in Division III district semifinal to Emmanuel Christian, 62-55 (OT)
HEAD COACH: Greg Badenhop (13th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Landen Kruse (7.6 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.7 rpg), Colton Kruse (4.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Trenton Kruse (2.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Landen Smith, Ian Gurney
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Gavin Geahlen (14.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg), Grady Miller (7.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg), Camden Robinson (8.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg), Blake Garber; Juniors – Max Walker, Hunter Spangler, Wes Wilhelm; Sophomore – Ethan Gray
NEWCOMERS: Senior – Will Fitzenreiter; Juniors – Mason Smith, JT Oelkrug, Thomas Mohler, Kaden Kreinbrink; Sophomore – Garrison Kruse; Freshman – Isaiah Badenhop
STRENGTHS: “We return our leading scorer & rebounder (Gavin Geahlen) along with our 2nd & 3rd leading scorers (Grady Miller & Camden Robinson). All 3 of them are versatile in that they have the size to play inside & the skill to score from the perimeter.”
We’ll lean on the scoring versatility & leadership of those 3 all season. We should also be very deep. When fully healthy, we’ll have 12-13 guys battling for varsity minutes.”
“We may end up with a few guys playing JV who also have roles on varsity just to be sure they’re getting enough minutes to continue developing each night.”
WEAKNESSES: “With the graduation of the Kruse triplets (Landen, Colton, & Trenton), our perimeter defense becomes a concern. Those 3 individuals made us elite defensively on the perimeter for the past few years.”
“Landen Kruse was also our 3-year starter at PG so attempting to replace him will be crucial to our success this season.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We return a lot of talent from last year’s NWOAL championship team & are excited about some of the newcomers that we’ll add this year. Our kids now have a new standard & level of expectations headed in 2024-25. We are once again hoping to build off the tremendous success of our football team. We’re going to get a late start so getting our “basketball legs” back as quickly as possible will be a large factor in our success.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “Very balanced NWOAL again this year. Similar to last year, it will be very difficult for anybody to make through the league schedule unblemished.”
“I think you have to give the preseason nod to Patrick Henry with the amount of talent they return. You have the perennial contenders in Archbold & Wauseon right there as well with some nice pieces returning for both. Swanton returns one of the best players in the NWOAL, so they’ll likely be right there.”
“I also expect steps forward from Evergreen, Bryan & Delta. We just hope to be in that conversation, playing for an NWOAL title, come crunch time in February.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: NWOAL Opener: January 9 – Archbold (A)
T1. Wauseon (14-10, 6-1 NWOAL; Lost in Division III district semifinal to Toledo Central Catholic, 65-59)
HEAD COACH: Chad Burt (17th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Tyson Rodriguez, Connor Keefer, Trey Parsons, Braden Vajen, Logan Patterson
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Senior – Nicholas Stinner (6.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Carter Gype (2.2 ppg), Nathaniel Stinner (1.1 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Seniors – Avery Fruchey, Ryan Neff, Seth Richer, AJ King; Juniors – Wyatt Medina, Mitchell Shannon, Bodie Vasvery; Sophomores – Riley Riegsecker, Xzavier Molina
STRENGTHS: “We have a group that is hard-working and eager to learn. We are very inexperienced at the varsity level, but they are excited to follow up on the success from previous years and have been competing hard in practice.”
WEAKNESSES: “We graduated a group of five seniors that made tremendous contributions both on and off the court. Their on-court production will be difficult to replace.”
“Team ball handling will be a point of emphasis and a major concern this year. We will need to develop our perimeter skills to be successful offensively as we return very little scoring from last year.”
“We have very little experience competing at the varsity level so we will need to adjust to the speed and physicality of the game quickly.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We have many new faces in new roles. We are coming off back-to-back league championship seasons and have won 16 or more games in 9 of the last 11years.”
“We have a group of kids that are eager to compete and establish themselves at the varsity level. We are inexperienced in many key positions, but they are a coachable group and will continue to grow and develop as the season progresses.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “Overall, the league will be as balanced and competitive as it has been in a long time with a number of teams capable of winning the league title. We are looking forward to another exciting season in the NWOAL; 1. Patrick Henry; 2. Liberty Center; 3. Archbold; 4. Swanton; 5. Bryan; 6. Evergreen; 7. Wauseon; 8. Delta.
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: November 30 – Archbold (A); NWOAL Opener: January 9 – Swanton (H)
4. Evergreen (17-6, 4-3 NWOAL; Lost in Division III sectional final to Paulding, 56-36)
HEAD COACH: Kyle Bostater (1st Season)
Requested information not submitted
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: SEASON OPENER: December 3 – Genoa (A); NWOAL Opener: January 9 – Patrick Henry (H)
T5. Delta (12-11, 2-5 NWOAL; Lost in Division III sectional semifinal to Paulding, 40-30)
HEAD COACH: Matt Brighton (4th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Justin Ruple (10.0 ppg), Jude Gibbons (5.0 ppg), Luke Reinhard (8.0 ppg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – John Brasher (3.5 ppg), Wyatt Gibbons (2.6 ppg), Walt Hallett (1.6 ppg), Brady Morr (1.5 ppg), Ethan Huffman (1.1 ppg); Junior – Alex York (5.0 ppg); Sophomores – Tyson Bower (2.8 ppg), Vincent Martinez (1.4 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Kade Lintermoot (So.)
STRENGTHS: Depth, height, work ethic
WEAKNESSES: Ball handling, guard depth
SEASON OUTLOOK: “Our goal is to get better every day at practice. We look to improve through our day-to-day team competition, and that will help prepare us for our league and non-league schedule.”
“We have a group this year that is very hungry for success, and we look to continue to build our program in a positive way.”
“We have five seniors who have quite a bit of varsity experience as well as some juniors and sophomores who look to take a big step forward for our program this year.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “The NWOAL is an extremely tough league with a number of great coaches. The play is physical and there are many players who can execute at any time during a game.”
“We hope to make each game competitive and give ourselves a chance to come out on top in the end. Rebounding and getting spots on the defensive end, like always, will be huge for us this year.”
“We also hope to be aggressive on the offensive end and create opportunities for our players to execute.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: November 29 – Pettisville (A); NWOAL Opener: January 9 – Bryan (A)
T5. Patrick Henry (14-11, 2-5 NWOAL; Lost in Division IV district semifinal to Toledo Christian, 58-42)
HEAD COACH: Bryan Hieber (5th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Landon Johnson (4.9 ppg, 3.5 apg), Nash Meyer, Thomas Smith (8.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Lincoln Creager (18.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Jaden Punches (2.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg), Lane Jackson; Junior – Mack Hieber (14.2ppg, 5.5 ppg), Calvin Schroeder (3.4 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Brian Scherdt (Jr.), Reid Creager (So.)
STRENGTHS: Scoring ability, coachability, work ethic, athleticism
WEAKNESSES: Overall depth
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We have very little depth. Any key injury from football or during the basketball season could be crucial to our success. Our starting five should be pretty good. “
“We will be very limited in our prep time leading up to the start of the season due to our football team’s success so once again, similar to last year, we will get a late start to our season.”
“Ninety percent of our basketball players (in grades 9-12), play football. We are probably looking at single digit practices before our first game. Not ideal and could lead to a slow start for us.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “As always, the NWOAL will feature elite competition. I look for a lot of parity in our league again. Swanton has the premier big man in 6’10 senior Charlie Wood. He is surrounded by very skilled guards.”
“I look for LC, Archbold and Wauseon to maintain their winning ways in the league. Hopefully, we are somewhere toward the top when the season ends.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: NWOAL Opener: January 9 – Evergreen (A)
T5. Swanton (7-16, 2-5 NWOAL; Lost in Division III sectional semifinal to Liberty Center, 44-32)
HEAD COACH: Bruce Smith (4th Season)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Charlie Wood (16.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 4.0 bpg), Adam Lemon (4.2 rpg), Junior – Brady O’Shea (9.0 ppg) Sophomore – Evan Reinhard (8.0 ppg)
STRENGTHS: Post defense, perimeter shooting, inside scoring
WEAKNESSES: Scoring balance, depth
SEASON OUTLOOK: “With six freshman and sophomores on the roster we are still relatively young. We believe we can compete on a nightly basis.”
“We need to stay healthy, rebound well, and find some perimeter scoring to lessen the double and triple teams our opponents throw at Wood.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: 1. Patrick Henry; 2. Liberty Center; 3. Wauseon; 4. Archbold; 5. Swanton; 6. Bryan; 7. Evergreen; 8. Delta
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: Lake (H); NWOAL Opener: January 3 – Patrick Henry (A)
8. Bryan (7-16, 0-7 NWOAL; Lost in Division II sectional final to Wauseon, 64-34)
HEAD COACH: Jacob Parker (1st Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Sam Herold (12.3 ppg, 35.8 FG%), Jase Kepler (8.5 ppg, 42.6 FG%, Maddox Langenderfer (3.8 ppg), Dylan Koenig
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Carter Dominique (6.4 ppg, 43.6 FG%), Gavin Jaessing (9.9 ppg, 53.3 FG%); Landon Bassett (2.1 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Senior – Mason Welling; Juniors – Jack Kennedy, Tucker Watson, Kingston Sito
STRENGTHS: Senior leadership, depth
WEAKNESSES: Inexperienced at the varsity level
SEASON OUTLOOK: “There is a lot of “new” with the Bryan basketball program and we have a very positive outlook this season.”
“We have a great group of kids, senior led, coming together this year, to make a difference and put their mark on the program.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “The NWOAL is a competitive league, there are always a few teams contending at the top. We look to make our attempt at joining those top teams and be a contender towards the end of the season.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: November 29 – Edgerton (H); NWOAL Opener: January 9 – Delta (A)
