COMEBACK WIN … Archbold sophomore Tripp Langenderfer drives into a crowd of Bulldog defenders on Friday night. Langenderfer dropped 22 points to help Archbold rally for a 61-55 win at Swanton.
PHOTOS BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
FULTON COUNTY RIVALS … Swanton’s Evan Reinhard stops to take a jumper in Friday night’s NWOAL tilt with Archbold.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON (January 30, 2026) – The Archbold Bluestreaks narrowly defeated the Swanton Bulldogs 61-55 in NWOAL play in Swanton on Friday night.
Play started slow as both teams felt each other out, tying at two, five, and eight. Swanton’s points came exclusively from junior Evan Reinhard, who made a basket and two treys, while Archbold’s came via a basket and trey from sophomore Tripp Langenderfer and a basket and free throw from junior Aranjer Krieger.
Bluestreak sophomore Wyatt Gericke put in a basket and subsequent free throw to give Archbold the lead at the end of the first quarter, 11-8.
Action picked up considerably in the second quarter, with Langenderfer picking up a basket, Gericke sinking two baskets and a free throw, and junior Morgan Harris scoring two baskets for the Bluestreaks.
The Bulldogs benefited from a trey and basket from sophomore Brady Haselman, a basket from senior Brady O’Shea, a layup from junior Gio Ruiz, and a trey from Reinhard to bring the score to 22-21.
Swanton then took the momentum away from Archbold, going on an eight-point run via three more baskets from Reinhard and another basket from Ruiz. A free throw from the Bluestreaks’ Gericke and Bulldogs’ Haselman put the halftime score at 30-23, Swanton.
Archbold narrowed the gap to start the second half with a basket each for Harris and Langenderfer as well as a pair of free throws from Gericke.
Haselman and Langenderfer traded baskets before Archbold sophomore Maddox Pinter drained a trey and Haselman put in another long basket to tie it up at 34.
A subsequent basket from Gericke gave the Bluestreaks a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the remainder of the game.
Krieger and Langenderfer each put in another basket and Gericke a basket and free throw before the end of the quarter, while Swanton’s Haselman and junior Owen Hurst each sank a basket to go into the final quarter with Archbold
The Bulldogs saw work from across the team in the fourth quarter with a basket from Haselman, a basket and trey from Reinhard, a trey from Ruiz, and a pair of threes and a free throw from O’Shea.
The Bluestreaks only needed two scorers to put them over the top, with Langenderfer sinking a pair of triples and a pair of free throws, while Gericke put in one basket and a whopping seven free throws to bring the final score to 61-55.
ARCHBOLD (61) – Short 0; Krieger 5; Pinter 3; Rufenacht 0; Langenderfer 22; Harris 6; Wyse 0; Cline 0; Gericke 25; Totals: 16-4-17 – 61
SWANTON (55) – O’Shea 10; Hurst 5; Ruiz 4; Reinhard 22; Haselman 14; Mitchey 0; Koder 0; Smigelski 0; Lemons 0; Totals: 13-9-2 – 55
AHS 11 12 20 18 – 61
SHS 8 22 8 17 – 55
