By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
ARCHBOLD – The feeling among the coaches at the NWOAL Media Night on August 9, 2026 was very clear. Until somebody beats Liberty Center, they are the favorites to win another league title.
Liberty Center, the defending Division V state champions and winners of 33 NWOAL games in a row, were voted by league coaches as the preseason favorite despite having to replace four All-Ohio performers.
The Archbold Bluestreaks were voted number two and are considered a team that could knock the Tigers off their pedestal at the top of the league.
Head coach David Dominique’s squad returns 27 letterwinners, including quarterback Maddox Pinter and running back Ryder Ryan and will face Liberty Center in their final game of the regular season on October 23.
One big announcement of the night came from Patrick Henry head coach Bill Inselmann. The veteran Patriot head man, who enters his 34th season, announced that this will be his final season on the sidelines.
Ben George, who has been the Patrick Henry defensive coordinator for the past 11 seasons, will be taking over following the 2026 season.
The NWOAL, which will be celebrating its 100th season of football, will feature two new coaches as Mark Nagel takes over at Delta after the retirement of Mike Vicars and Matt Horen is the new coach at Swanton.
Nagel inherits a strong group of returners from the Panthers’ playoff team last season and were picked to finish fourth in the league this year.
At Swanton, Horen is in charge of a Bulldog program that has struggled in recent years. The Bulldogs’ last victory came in 2022 (Toledo Rogers, 35-20) and its last NWOAL win came in 2019 (Delta, 29-13).
Below are team previews in order of the preseason voting.
1. Liberty Center (15-0, 7-0 NWOAL; beat Wheelersburg in Division V State Championship, 35-3).
HEAD COACH: Casey Mohler (10th season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Hunter Spangler (OL/DL), Thomas Mohler (RB/DB), Max Walker (OL/LB); Kaden Kreinbrink (QB) Degan Schwaiger (OL), Gabe Clapp (OL), Logan Sifuentes (DL), Kaden Sonnenberg (DB), JT Oelkrug (DB), Mason Smith (DB).
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – T. Garrison Kruse (RB/LB), Kellen Wymer (OL/DL), Jaxton Lawniczak (TE/LB), Ethan Gray (WR/DB/KR), Baxter Barrett (RB), Brady Badenhop, Adam Foster, Max Perry, Tate Pieracini, Mason Tallent; Juniors – Henry Fitzenreiter (OL), Isaiah Badenhop (DB/KR), Brody Jaqua, Billy Krueger, Tatum Murdock, Cole Spangler.
NEWCOMERS: Seniors – Trey Flory, Levi Spade; Juniors – Easton Flory, Isaiah Brandeberry, Drew Silveus; Sophomores – Jack Badenhop, Kaleb Lester, Jake Pieracini, Troy Pieracini, Jackson Ward, Kolton Wymer.
STRENGTHS: “The strength of our offense is that we have a little bit of experience back at each offensive group. We have two running backs returning, a couple of receivers who saw significant time, and a couple of linemen who took significant snaps back as well.
“We also have depth at the defensive line, and linebackers. These position groups have experience in big games as well.”
WEAKNESSES: “Replacing our departed offensive linemen, and inexperience at quarterback. Replacing three out of our five defensive backs will be a big challenge. We are going to have to find guys who can make plays on a consistent basis.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “The league was very competitive last year and should be again this year. Each team has some good pieces coming back.
“Archbold will have almost everybody back from last year’s team. They should be the favorite to win the league.
“Other teams in contention will be Delta, Patrick Henry, and hopefully us. Bryan, Wauseon, Swanton, and Evergreen will also be very solid and contend each week.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: August 21 – Tinora (H) 7pm; NWOAL Opener: September 11 – Swanton (H) 7pm.
TIGERS PREVIEW … Ethan Gray is chased out of bounds in an NWOAL game at Delta last season. The Tigers were voted by league coaches as the favorites to win their fifth-straight NWOAL title.
2. Archbold (9-3, 6-1 NWOAL; lost in Division VI Region 22 semifinals to Hopewell-Loudon, 30-14).
HEAD COACH: David Dominique (12th season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Jason Grime (G), Max Burrowes (LB), Joseph Williams (LB).
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Maddox Pinter (QB), Ryder Ryan (RB/KR), Anderson Bentley (H/TE/DE), Grayson Forward (LT/DT), Hunter Warner (LG/DT), Parker Bixler (C/DT/LS), Brayden Garcia (RT/DT), Morgan Harris (WR/CB), Collin Short (WR), Aranjer Krieger (WR/FS/KR/PR), Wyatt Cline (DE), Ethan Bowman (SS), Isaiahs Gracia (SS), Garrett Stamm (CB), Quinn Sauder (K), Brady Culler (H), Jesse Schumacher (P/RB/DB), Wyatt Gericke (DE/WR), Carter King (H/LB), Brooks Miller (WR/DB), Caleb Heckel (DE/TE), AJ Boysel (T/DT), Eli Farbrother (G/DT), Brexton Grime (WR/DB), Jesse Meyer (G/LB), Tate Peterson (G/LB), Layne Miller (RB/DB).
NEWCOMERS: Juniors – Corbin Baden (WR/DB), Ben DeLaney (WR/DB), Raimy Baez (T/DT), Jarrett Lauber (G/DE); Sophomores – Isaiah Lopez (C/DT), Walker Armstrong (G/LB), Ridge Ryan (RB/DB).
STRENGTHS: “We return every skilled position, so we need these guys to lead the way.
“We are excited for what we have coming back up front and look for competition at those positions to help us build depth as the season goes on.
“We were able to get guys a lot of valuable experience across the board last year but now we want to focus on thinking less and playing faster.
“Having a weapon in a kicker and a punter who can flip the field at any time is going to be a strength of our team. Our goal is to win in all three phases of the game and we think this is an area that we can do it this year.”
WEAKNESSES: “Depth on the offensive line. Losing both of your starting linebackers is a concern for us. We are going to need guys to step up in these positions this year.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “Physicality needs to be something we do much better across all positions on the field.
“In the games we lost, we were out physicaled and this is something we need to do a better job of to win against the top level competition on our schedule.
“We are excited for what we bring back on offense this year but we must avoid complacency and have some of our newcomers push those ahead of them on the depth chart on a daily basis.
“We have a number of playmakers across the board which is great to have, but football always comes down to the line of scrimmage and that is what we need to hang our hat on this year.
“For us to be successful on defense, we are going to have to limit the big play and keep teams in front of us. This gave us issues at times last year.
“It is hard to score in high school football when you force a team to drive the length of the field and that will need to be our mentality.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “I look for Liberty Center to be the top team in the league yet again. Until someone is able to step up and play with them it is theirs to lose.
“I foresee Patrick Henry and Delta also being teams who can compete at the top end of our league.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: August 21 – Genoa (H) 7pm; NWOAL Opener: September 11 – Delta (H) 7pm.
BLUESTREAKS PREVIEW … Archbold quarterback Maddox Pinter scrambles toward the sideline in the first half of last season’s game at Wauseon.
3. Patrick Henry (8-3, 5-2 NWOAL; lost in Division VI Region 22 first round to Carey, 16-7).
HEAD COACH: Bill Inselmann (34th season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Grant Smith (DL) 70 tackles, 10 TFL’s, 11 sacks; Akevian Kryder (LB) 65 tackles; Adrian Delgado (OG), Grant Schwab (KR/DB), Lane Biederstedt (C), Cal Schroeder (RB) 760 yards rushing; Trent Johnson (TE/DE), Jaidan Rutter (RB) 693 yards rushing; Mitch Prigge (DB), Conner Niederhouse (FB).
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Kiefer Holloway (DB/WR) 31 receptions for 387 yards; Jude Hudson (OT/DT), Tristan Rosebrook (QB) 134 completions for 1,845 yards and 12 TD’s; Gus Meyer (LB), Max Johnson (OG), Jake Bostelman (OT/DL), Grady McKee (OG/DL).
NEWCOMERS: Seniors – Reed Jackson (RB), Brooks Punches (WR), Trey Cortez (C); Juniors – Juaquin Esquival (LB), Darren Bennett (OL), Gavin Moore (WR), Henry Gibson (DB), Braxton Beard (LB), Carston Hoops (LB); Sophomores – Jake Smith (DB/WR), TJ Creager (DB).
STRENGTHS: “We will have experience back at the QB and WR positions and we have two good corners returning for their third year.”
WEAKNESSES: “We have to replace several good offensive linemen and both running backs.
“We lost one of the most dominant defensive players in the area over the past two years: Grant Smith. We also lost Trent Johnson at DE and first team LB Akevian Kryder.
“We also lost our two safeties in Grant Schwab and Cal Schroeder and also two-year starting corner Reid Creager who did not come out this season.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “Developing our offensive line to balance the returning starters with the new faces will be one key to a successful season.
“We will not be as big on the line this year. We do like the potential of Reed Jackson at RB. Another key will be utilizing our preseason strength of throwing the ball while also developing the running game.
“The final key will be defensively replacing some key losses at every defensive group.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: 1. Liberty Center, 2. Archbold, 3. Delta, 4. Patrick Henry, 5. Wauseon, 6. Bryan, 7. Evergreen, 8. Swanton.
“LC is the team to beat. Archbold has the potential to compete with LC, and both teams could make a long run in the playoffs. Delta and PH will field competitive teams as well.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: August 21 – Edison (H) 7pm; NWOAL Opener: September 11 – Bryan (A) 7pm.
PATRIOTS PREVIEW … Kiefer Holloway looks to outrun an Archbold defender in the Patriots game at Bluestreak Stadium last season.
4. Delta (6-5, 4-3 NWOAL; lost in Division V Region 18 first round to Liberty-Benton, 49-13).
HEAD COACH: Mark Nagel (first season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: None
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Vincent Martinez (RB/DB/KR/PR) 696 yards rushing, 10 TDs, 246 yards receiving, 31 tackles; Marcus Nagel (RB/LB) 1,244 yards rushing, 26 TDs, 44 tackles; Gunner Taylor (RB/DB) 389 yards rushing, five TDs, 42 tackles, 3 int.; Emric Friess (QB) 39-84 passing attempts, 583 yards, 2 TDs; Alec Koder (RT), Malachi Ambriz (DL) 34 tackles, 3 TFL.
NEWCOMERS: Jacob Walter (SE/DB), Jayden Gillen (RB/DB), Mason Nagel (RB/DB).
STRENGTHS: “Our strengths for the season will be our offensive backfield. We return our quarterback and three starting running backs.”
WEAKNESSES: “We will have a focus on developing our line play.
“The coaches feel like we have a talented group of players but some new players on the offensive and defensive lines that need to develop.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We hope to compete in the league and put ourselves in position to play some meaningful football at the end of the year.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “The NWOAL will be a very tough league this season. I could see potentially 5-6 playoff teams. Liberty Center remains the team to beat until someone beats them.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: August 21 – Ayersville (A) 7pm; NWOAL Opener: September 11 – Archbold (A) 7pm.
PANTHERS PREVIEW … Delta’s Gunner Taylor protects the football on a run in the Panthers’ 2025 Division V playoff game at Liberty-Benton.
5. Wauseon (2-8, 2-5 NWOAL)
HEAD COACH: Shawn Moore (eighth season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Logan Peaslee (WR), Jaden Duncan (OL/DL), Kahle Albright (QB/LB), Brayden Burkholder (OL), Brady Miller (OL), Collin Mennetti (K/P), Sean O’Connor (DL), JoJo Flowers (LB).
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – A’Zarrion Hicks (RB/DL), Rico Vazquez (OT/P), Xzavier Molina (WR), Thad Reckner (WR/DB/K), Tyler Rodriguez (TE/LB), Connor Shadbolt (OL/DL), Irvin Ayala; Juniors – Dylan Burkholder (DB/KR/WR), Clete Van Etten (DB/WR), Domanyck Yeary (OL/LB), Allen Bock (RB/S), Izaak Conrad (OL/DL), Brody Chittenden (OL); Sophomore – Sam Vazquez.
NEWCOMERS: Juniors – Isaac Heller (QB), Alex Carter; Sophomores – Max Mouch (PR/KR/WR), Parker Moore, Kaden Rees (OL), Cash Sigg (OL).
STRENGTHS: “Our skill positions have solid depth and we like our athleticism.”
WEAKNESSES: “We lack solid depth on the line, so we must continue to develop players at all levels.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We need to be the more physical team on the field and continue to develop balance. We must play team defense with everyone filling their hole and role.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “The NWOAL is always solid, and it looks like that will be the case once again.
“I expect everyone to have successful seasons, and we will need to be prepared each and every week, no matter the opponent.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: August 21 – Fairview (A) 7pm; NWOAL Opener: September 11 – Evergreen (H) 7pm.
INDIANS PREVIEW … Wauseon quarterback Isaac Heller keeps his eyes downfield while rolling out to throw a pass against Swanton.
6. Bryan (2-8, 1-6 NWOAL)
HEAD COACH: Scott Staten (third season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Connor Hogan (OL/LB), Cade Carlin (RB/DB), Jaymison Longoria (OL/DL), Aaden Wallace (WR/DB).
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Anthony Weber (WR/DB/PR/KR), Jacob Uran (TE/DL/P), Easton Sammons (OL/DL), Connor Monroe (OL), Harrison Six (OL), Cooper Vollmer (OL), Jake Arnold (QB), Hunter Watson (RB/DB), Austin Lopez (DL), Eli Thimm (OL/DL), Cole Carlin (TE/LB), Sam Gonzales (DB).
NEWCOMERS: Juniors – Kaden Ross (LB), Miles Palmer (WR/DB); Sophomores – Tyler Tipton (WR/DB), Erik Dalrymple (WR/DB), Saybein Brown (OL).
STRENGTHS: “We have good size on the offensive line and skill players with another year of varsity football under their belt. Our strength on defense is in the experience of the safety positions.”
WEAKNESSES: “We haven’t had the explosive player on offense that is able to put pressure on the defense. We need to have long sustaining drives.”
“Defensively, will we be able to take the necessary steps from being a young defense last year, learning schemes and responsibilities to this year being confident and able to play fast.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “It all starts up front. We need to be more physical on the offensive line and have better protection for our young quarterback.
“We also will need to develop a consistent run game to take pressure off the quarterback. We need to see more explosive plays downfield from our passing game.
“We must eliminate turnovers and finish drives better than we did last year.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “Everyone is still chasing Liberty Center. Patrick Henry and Archbold are behind Liberty. I feel like the rest of the league can be grouped together.
“I look for this season to be filled with very competitive games. In this league you can never take a night off.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: August 21 – Van Wert (A) 7pm; NWOAL Opener: September 11 – Patrick Henry (H) 7pm.
GOLDEN BEARS PREVIEW … Bryan freshman quarterback Jake Arnold takes a shot deep downfield during the Golden Bears season opener last year.
7. Evergreen (6-4, 3-4 NWOAL)
HEAD COACH: Hunter Kohls (second season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Bryce Bolger (QB), Quinten Eisel (RB/LB), Will Ruetz (WR/DB), Lester Schwartz (OL/DL), Joey Okos (OL/DL), Austin Burghardt (OL/DL), JJ Johnson (OL/DL).
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Brendan Holman, Jackson Huffman, Alex Mossing, Jaret Studenka, Luke Woodring; Juniors – Joey LaPoint, Hayes Studenka, Logan Heuerman; Sophomores – Hayden Bryan, Jace Burgermeister, Tyler Clancy, Rylan Encalado, Landon Husted, Chet Kuszmaul, Ace Ryan, Kellen Schmidt, Blake Thompson, Liam Tibbits.
NEWCOMERS: Seniors – Logan Wyse (LB/RB), Brady Kimple (OL/DL).
STRENGTHS: “We have strong senior leadership at key positions. While we lost quite a few starters on both sides of the ball we do bring back a lot of playing experience in some of our underclassmen.”
WEAKNESSES: “Depth is a question for us. We have a lot of new faces, and we are a young team overall.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “Our strong senior leadership has helped our freshmen class acclimate to high school football quickly.
“They’ve been around a group that has turned the program around, from multiple losing seasons to back to back winning seasons.
“Expectations run high with these upperclassmen and we’re looking to build off of last season.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “Our league, as always, is a gauntlet. Week in and week out will be a test.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: August 21 – Delphos Jefferson (A) 7pm; NWOAL Opener: September 11 – Wauseon (A) 7pm.
VIKINGS PREVIEW … Alex Mossing keeps his legs going with Lake Flyers trying to bring him down.
8. Swanton (0-10, 0-7 NWOAL)
HEAD COACH: Matt Horen (first season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Zachary Wylie (OL/DL), Javi Hornyak-Ramsey (RB/LB), Connor Mitchey (WR/LB), Marquise Zalecki (WR/DB), Hudson Pancoast (RB/LB).
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Shawn McGary (RB/LB), Seth Carman (WR/DB), James Bates (TE/DE), Nickson Chapman (RB/LB), Gabe Graham (WR/LB), Dennis Robinson II (QB/DB), Doren Chinni (OL/DL), Logan Secory (OL/DL), Colton Aytes (OL/DL), Chris Foster (WR/DB), Lucas Fay (RB/LB), Brayden Gearig (WR/DB).
NEWCOMERS: Juniors – Connor McLafferty (OL/DL), Julian Ramirez (WR/DB), Camden Kozakiewicz (OL/DL); Sophomores – Dylan Haselman (TE/DE), TJ Casier (OL/DL), Dylan Veres (TE/DE).
STRENGTHS: “The greatest strength of our offense was the experience gained by a number of underclassmen who were required to play significant varsity snaps against quality competition.
“This creates opportunities for offensive growth as players continue to mature and develop within the system.
“The coaching staff believes the experience, toughness, work ethic, and growth displayed by the defensive unit throughout the 2025 season and offseason has established a strong foundation upon which future success can be built.”
WEAKNESSES: “The importance of reducing self-inflicted mistakes. Improving execution, communication, assignment discipline, and ball security will allow the offense to maximize opportunities and build momentum throughout games.
“On defense, the focus is improving consistency in defending the run, controlling the line of scrimmage and reducing explosive plays.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “The 2025 Swanton Bulldogs football season was defined not by the scoreboard, but by the character, perseverance, and commitment displayed by our players throughout a challenging campaign.
“Competing in one of the toughest football conferences in Northwest Ohio, our players continued to represent Swanton High School with pride, determination, and resilience each week. One of the most encouraging aspects of the season was the continued growth of our younger players.
“Significant varsity experience was gained across multiple positions, laying an important foundation for the future of the program.
“Many underclassmen were called upon to assume larger roles, and the experience they gained competing against high-level competition will pay dividends moving forward.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “We have great respect for every team in the NWOAL, but Liberty Center will reload after the championship run and Archbold is returning an experienced roster of veteran players.
“Our focus is on ourselves and the progress we are making as a program. We expect to compete and put ourselves in position to challenge opponents every week.
“Bulldogs Football is bright, and we are confident that the work being done today will translate into increased success within the conference this season.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: August 21 – North Central (A) 7pm; NWOAL Opener: September 11 – Liberty Center (A) 7pm.
BULLDOGS PREVIEW … Dennis Robinson II runs the ball into the teeth of the Archbold defense for the Bulldogs.