PHOTO BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
NWOAL RIVALS … Will Ruetz takes a shot in the first half of the Division VI district title game last season against league rival Patrick Henry.
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
After finishing 1-2 in the NWOAL last season and then meeting in the Division VI district final, Patrick Henry and Evergreen return a strong nucleus from those teams as both are expected to be at the top of the NWOAL this year.
Among the four returning letterwinners for the Patriots are two of the top players in the area with senior Mack Hieber (17.1 ppg) and junior Reid Creager (15.9 ppg) back after a run to the regionals last season.
Second-year head coach Kyle Bostater has five letterwinners back at Evergreen paced by senior Will Ruetz (15.5 ppg) and fellow seniors Geroge Allendorf (15.1 ppg) and Troy Manz (11.9 ppg).
Liberty Center brings back six players from a team that tied for fourth in the league last season and advanced to the regionals for just the second time in school history, but the Tigers will be getting a late start due to the success of the football team.
Delta is among the teams with returning experience as they bring back seven letterwinners, but will need to replace leading scorer Tyson Bower, who transferred to Perrysburg.
On the flip side of those teams returning experience from last season are the remaining four teams in the league.
Archbold, Bryan, Swanton, and Wauseon combined to lose 24 letterwinners and return just nine letterwinners between the four schools as they all look to replace top scorers from last season.
Here are the previews for each team in order of their finish in the NWOAL last season with their record and tournament finish in parentheses.
1. Patrick Henry (24-1, 7-0 NWOAL; Lost in Division VI regional semifinal to Lima Central Catholic, 43-35)
HEAD COACH: Bryan Hieber (6th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Lincoln Creager (15.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg); Jaden Punches (missed season due to injury); Lane Jackson (1.7 ppg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Mack Hieber (17.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Brian Scherdt (2.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg); Juniors – Reid Creager (15.9 ppg, 3.0 apg), Calvin Schroeder (1.4 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Juniors – Tristen Rosebrook (guard), Max Johnson (forward), Kiefer Holloway (guard); Freshman – TJ Creager (forward)
STRENGTHS: Scoring, athleticism, coachability, work ethic
WEAKNESSES: Overall depth, rebounding
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We have very little depth with key varsity players coming to us from football with significant injuries. “Hopefully we can get those players back by the second half of our season. Our starting five should be pretty solid.
“We will look to have more balanced scoring this year but will need some time for our newcomers to get adjusted to the varsity level.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “As always, the NWOAL will feature elite competition. I look for a lot of parity in our league again. Evergreen will return the majority of their players from last year’s team and look to have the most experience. LC returns key pieces from a regional team last year and look to be even better this year.
“Archbold and Wauseon have lost some senior leadership but have strong classes to fill in the gaps and should be very competitive this year. Hopefully, we are somewhere toward the top when the season ends.
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: November 28 – Napoleon (H); NWOAL Opener: January 8 – Evergreen (H)
2. Evergreen (17-8, 5-2 NWOAL; Lost in Division VI district final to Patrick Henry, 61-44)
HEAD COACH: Kyle Bostater (2nd Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: John Herdeman (7.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg), Will Johnson, Alex Fritsch, Sean Rafferty, Colton Robertson, Konner Sanford
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Troy Manz (11.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.3 apg), Will Ruetz (15.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg. 2.5 apg), George Allendorf (15.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, 2.3 rpg), Quinten Eisel (7.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Junior – Christopher Shrader (2.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
NEWCOMERS: Seniors – Bryce Bolger (guard), Blake Fisher (guard), Brogan Eisel (guard), Jayden Harmon (guard), Lester Schwartz (forward), Zach Kruzel (forward); Juniors – Alex Mossing (forward), Austin Gillen (forward), Luke Woodring (guard)
STRENGTHS: “Our strengths this season will be our guard play, and the valuable experience we gained last season, which was the first primary varsity action our returners were involved in.
“We will be a very quick, athletic group that should have a lot of offensive success. Our senior leadership will be relied on heavily throughout the season.”
WEAKNESSES: “Our weaknesses this year will include our overall depth within our roster, as well as developing rotational big men.
“We will be without juniors, Luke Woodring and Austin Gillen, due to injuries during football season. We look for several new and/or younger players to step in and fill new roles to add to our depth.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “Our team is excited to build off last season’s successful season. We look to be very competitive throughout our non-league and NWOAL schedules, where we play a lot of very quality teams in the NW Ohio area.
“We have some very athletic and skilled players that will help lead a balanced scoring attack. We look to create turnovers defensively by applying full court pressure in most games. Our team will play fast, and it will be fun to watch!”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “Patrick Henry returns the two best players in the league in Mack Hieber and Reid Creager. Their size and basketball ability will cause a lot of problems for league foes. Liberty Center, Evergreen, and Archbold will all have enough talent to be tough matchups throughout the season. LC has great depth and basketball ability, while Archbold will continue to improve from their success last year.
“Wauseon is extremely well-coached by Chad Burt, and they will be methodical and deliberate to grind out tough wins.
“Then, there is a tier break for Swanton, Bryan, and Delta, who all need to replace talented players in Charlie Wood, Kingston Sito, and Tyson Bower, respectively. Every night will be a tough out in the NWOAL, per usual.”
Predicted order of finish: 1. Patrick Henry, 2. Liberty Center, 3. Evergreen, 4. Archbold, 5. Wauseon, 6. Swanton, 7. Bryan, 8. Delta
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: December 5 – Swanton (A); NWOAL Opener: January 8 – Patrick Henry (A)
3. Wauseon (10-12, 4-3 NWOAL; Lost in Division IV sectional final to Napoleon, 44-35)
HEAD COACH: Chad Burt (18th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Nicholas Stinner (1st Team NWOAL, 1st Team District 7, Special Mention All-State, Carter Gype (2nd Team District 7, HM NWOAL, Seth Richer (HM NWOAL, HM District 7), Nathaniel Stinner, Ryan Neff, Avery Fruchey, AJ King
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Junior – Riley Riegsecker (12.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
NEWCOMERS: Seniors – Jack Altstaetter (wing), Maguire Willson (guard), Bodie Vasvery (post), Collin Mennetti (guard); Juniors – Xzavier Molina (guard), Brody Shehorn (post), Slade Inderrieden (wing), Tyler Rodriguez (post)
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 7 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 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.”
Predicted order of finish: 1. Patrick Henry, 2. Archbold 3. Evergreen, 4. Liberty Center, 5. Wauseon, 6. Swanton, 7. Bryan, 8. Delta
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: December 6 – Fairview (A); NWOAL Opener: January 8 – Swanton (A)
T4. Swanton (11-12, 3-4 NWOAL; Lost in Division V sectional final to Archbold, 50-45)
HEAD COACH: Eric Braden (1st Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Charlie Wood (19.4 ppg, 10.9 rpg), Logan Young (1.7 ppg, 1.2 apg), Adam Lemon (3.5 ppg), Isaiah Bolyard (1.2 ppg, 1.1 apg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Giovanni Ruiz (3.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Evan Reinhard (10.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.5 apg), Brady O’Shea (6.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
NEWCOMERS: Owen Hurst, Conner Mitchey, Carsen Lemons, Drew Koder
STRENGTHS: Speed, shooting, coachable group
WEAKNESSES: Size, rebounding, post defense
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We are looking to be competitive in each and every game.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “Our league is extremely strong at the top. We are hoping to be in the upper half at the end of the season.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: November 29 – Lake (A); NWOAL Opener: January 8 – Wauseon (H)
T4. Delta (10-13, 3-4 NWOAL; Lost in Division V sectional final to Eastwood, 62-51)
HEAD COACH: Matt Brighton (5th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Wyatt Gibbons (3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Brady Morr (5.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Ethan Huffman, Walter Hallett IV (3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg), John Brasher (2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Ashton Alig (2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Gary Valentine (1.0 ppg), Jadon Lohman, Alex York (6.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 apg), Gunnar Avery; Junior – Vincent Martinez (5.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg), Kade Lintermoot (2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
NEWCOMERS: Sophomores – Emric Friess (guard), Jack Mazurowski (guard)
STRENGTHS: Team chemistry, balanced scoring, experience
WEAKNESSES: Overall height, players in new roles, rebounding
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We lost five solid seniors who were moving our program in the right direction. This year, we have another great group of seniors along with a couple juniors and sophomores who are ready to continue to build a successful program.
“We will have some growing pains, but our team chemistry and athleticism will help us compete this season. We look for our returning starters to be leaders, and new guys to step into some big roles.”
LEAGUE OUTLOOK: “The league is extremely tough every single year. We have many great coaches and players who are really hard to prepare for.
“There are numerous teams who could end up on top, and we obviously hope to be one of them. We need to get better in practice every day in order to compete with all of the solid teams in the NWOAL.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: November 28 – Pettisville (H); NWOAL Opener: January 8 – Bryan (H)
T4. Liberty Center (13-13, 3-4 NWOAL; Lost in Division V regional semifinal to Columbus Bishop Ready, 68-62)
HEAD COACH: Greg Badenhop (14th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Gavin Geahlen (12.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg), Grady Miller (8.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Camden Robinson (8.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg), Blake Garber (4.1 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.4 rpg), Colton Fuller
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Seniors – Max Walker (3.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg), Hunter Spangler, Wes Wilhelm; Juniors – Ethan Gray (9.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg), Garrison Kruse (4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg); Sophomore – Isaiah Badenhop (3.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.3 rpg)
NEWCOMERS: Tatum Murdock (wing), Jack Badenhop (guard), Jack Jones (guard)
STRENGTHS: “We should be as “basketball-skilled” as we’ve been in a long time. We have multiple guys who are excellent perimeter shooters, multiple guys who can handle the ball, and everyone we put on the floor will have a high basketball IQ.
“We have an experienced backcourt with Ethan Gray and Isaiah Badenhop returning. Scoring inside should also be a strength as we find ways to utilize the size and athleticism of both Hunter Spangler and Garrison Kruse.
“We should be a very solid defensive group both on the perimeter and in the post. Our defense has an opportunity to be very disruptive. Isaiah and Wes Wilhelm are elite perimeter defenders who can cause a lot of havoc while Garrison is able to guard any position 1-5 at a high level.
“The leadership and on-court versatility of Max Walker will be the glue that holds it all together. We’re also excited about the potential of a few newcomers.”
WEAKNESSES: “We graduated a lot of experience: One 3-year letterwinner and three two-year letterwinners. We also graduated a lot of production: 3 of our 4 top scorers and our top 2 rebounders.
“Losing an individual as accomplished as All-Ohioan Gavin Geahlen will be felt in a variety of different areas. Top of that list would be rebounding, which is a concern as we head into the season.
“We also aren’t as deep as we have been in recent years. We have lost some guys since summer and as a result we won’t have the quality of depth we were expecting.”
SEASON OUTLOOK: “While we lost a lot to graduation we are excited about what we have coming back as well as some of the talented newcomers that will join us.
“Our program has reached new heights in the past two years. Last year was just our second ever district championship and the year previous just our fifth ever NWOAL title.
“Our kids now have a new standard and level of expectation headed in 2025-26 to build on the recent successes. We are once again hoping to continue the momentum and 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: “It feels like the NWOAL has a chance to have a tremendous season as a whole. The league features several teams that have very high aspirations heading into the 2025-26 season.
“With the talent they have returning and their outright title last year, you have to give the nod to Patrick Henry in the preseason. However, teams like Archbold, Evergreen, Swanton, and Wauseon are all chalked full of talent and are always very well coached.
“Bryan is going to be young and talented while Delta is very well coached and always tough to play against. The league is going to be a grind. We just hope to be in that conversation, playing for an NWOAL title, come crunch time in February.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: NWOAL Opener: January 8 – Archbold (H)
7. Archbold (14-11, 2-5 NWOAL; Lost in Division V district final to Liberty Center, 44-39)
HEAD COACH: Joe Frank (8th Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Sonny Phillips (8.3 ppg, 4.0 apg), Micah Nofziger (9.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Evan Wendt (4.0 ppg), Madden Valentine (5.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg), Mason Bickel (1.0 ppg), Broden Piercefield (2.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Kurt Krueger (3.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Juniors – Morgan Harris (6.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Isaiahs Gracia (4.1 ppg, 1.3 spg), Aranjer Krieger (1.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
NEWCOMERS: Juniors – Jarett Rufenacht, Garrett Stamm; Sophomores – Wyatt Gericke, Maddox Pinter, Trip Langenderfer, Wyatt Cline, Harrison Wyse, Brexton Grime
STRENGTHS: Athleticism, shooting, ballhandling
WEAKNESSES: Inexperience – One part-time starter returns; Leadership – We have no seniors which means underclassmen will need to step up and lead; Rebounding – must be done by committee
SEASON OUTLOOK: “We hope to play at a faster pace offensively and to use full court pressure. 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. Although we will be young and inexperienced, I fully expect us to be able to compete with any team on our schedule.
“We hope to be playing our best basketball of the season in February. This group is hungry to prove that they can play at a high level. 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.”
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, and Evergreen will be favorites this season, but I also believe that most teams are capable of competing with the frontrunners.
“There are a lot of great players and coaches in the NWOAL, and each night will be a challenge.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: December 4 – Edgerton (H); NWOAL Opener: January 8 – Liberty Center (A)
8. Bryan (8-14, 1-6 NWOAL; Lost in Division IV sectional semifinal to Maumee, 59-54)
HEAD COACH: Jacob Parker (2nd Season)
LETTERWINNERS LOST FROM LAST SEASON: Landon Bassett (8.6 ppg), Gavin Jaessing (11.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg), Mason Welling (2.1 ppg, 1.9 apg), Carter Dominique (5.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Kingston Sito (17.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Hunter Muehlfeld (0.8 ppg)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Tucker Watson (2.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Tucker Miller (1.3 ppg)
NEWCOMERS: Sophomore – Bryce Welling (guard), Rhett McGill (forward); Freshman – Jake Arnold (guard)
STRENGTHS: Depth at the guard positions – opportunity to play with tempo and create possible mismatch situations. High ceiling for growth as the season continues.
WEAKNESSES: Overall height
SEASON OUTLOOK: “A great core team that is hungry, there is plenty of room to grow as the season continues.”
ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE: Season Opener: November 28 – Edgerton (A); NWOAL Opener: January 8 – Delta (A)