Judging by a preseason coaches poll, the battle for the Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division title will once again come down to the final week of the regular season and could be won by any one of four teams.
The reshaped NLL created a memorable race in the league's first year as an 11-team, two-division conference last fall. In the bigger school, six-team Buckeye Division, Whitmer, Findlay, and Anthony Wayne finished in a three-way tie for the 2023 title. Each had 4-1 records.
The 2024 preseason vote tally was as close as any in recent years with Whitmer earning the honor as favorites by the thinnest of margins.
Perrysburg and Findlay each earned two first-place votes, while Whitmer and Anthony Wayne each earned one. However, Whitmer received the nod as the preseason favorite with the most overall points (30). The Panthers edged Perrysburg (27) by three points, Findlay (26) by four, and Anthony Wayne (25) by five.
Springfield and Northview are picked to finish fifth and sixth, respectively.
“It's great that the other coaches in our league believe on paper we have the best chance to win the league, but it doesn't mean much,” Whitmer coach Ken Winters said. “We still have to put in the work, stay healthy, and get a little bit lucky to repeat as champions.”
Whitmer's lone league loss was to Findlay. Anthony Wayne fell to Whitmer, while Findlay's only league loss was to AW.
“Adding Whitmer and Findlay has provided more competitiveness to our league,” AW coach Andy Brungard said.
Last season, Whitmer defeated AW (42-28) and Perrysburg (25-15) but the Panthers lost to Findlay (40-14). Findlay also defeated Perrysburg (42-35) but lost to AW (18-14). Anthony Wayne beat Perrysburg (35-10) with its lone league loss to Whitmer.
“This league makes us feel well prepared for what we will see in Weeks 11 and beyond,” Perrysburg coach Dirk Conner said. “We've shown over the last several years that we are right up there with any other region of the state.”
Here is a look at all the NLL Buckeye teams in predicted order of finish:
WHITMER
■ Coach : Ken Winters, ninth season
■ Last season : 7-4 overall, 4-2 NLL Buckeye
■ Top players : Seniors Brady Ford, 6-1, 205, QB; Carter Lowe, 6-6, 315, OL; Napoleon Jemison 6-3, 210, LB. Juniors Brannon Dempsey, 5-10, 270, DL; Camar Burton, 5-9, 160, DB; Isaiah Hayward, 6-1, 165, WR.
■ Outlook : Winters, who has a career record of 64-25, has large total numbers (86) as well as a big senior class (28). Among 23 returning letterwinners are all 11 starters on offense and five on defense. Ford (Eastern Illinois recruit) completed 118 of 201 passes for 1,636 yards and 16 touchdowns. Lowe, who has committed to Ohio State, has a five-star recruiting rating from Rivals. Division I recruit Jemison had 78 tackles, including 17 for loss with seven sacks, one caused fumble, and three blocked kicks. Dempsey finished with 72 tackles, six for loss, and three sacks. Burton, who had three interceptions, made 61 tackles with 11 pass breakups. Hayward made 9 receptions for 141 yards. Winters said probable team strengths are his front seven on defense and the offensive line. However, he said areas of concern are adjusting and learning a new offense under new offensive coordinator, former Springfield coach Pat Gucciardo Jr.
“We need to get off to a better start this year, which will not be an easy task,” Winters said. “Our defense must play well early, while our offense may go through some growing pains implementing a new scheme. Once the offense gets rolling, this team will have a good chance to be very special.”
PERRYSBURG
■ Coach : Dirk Conner, fourth season
■ Last season : 8-4, 2-3
■ Top players : Seniors Joseph Seney 5-11, 195, LB-RB; Josh Takats, 6-2, 208, QB; Zach Schroeder, 5-11, 200, DE-TE; Eric Bush, 5-11, 285, OL-DL; Iain Hall, 6-2, 175, WR-DB; Oliver Zieman, 6-0, 210, C; Grey Swanson, 5-11, 175, S; Braxton Mefferd, 5-11, 175, LB-RB; Dominick Woods, 5-11, 170, WR-DB; Mincho Stanchev, 6-3, 265, OL; Aiden McDowell, 6-2, 245, OL; Paulo Walkosky, 6-1, 220, DL. Sophomore Reed Gerken, 6-5, 285, OL
■ Outlook : The Yellow Jackets are 27-10 under Conner, who has 77 total varsity players, including 23 seniors. Among 15 letterwinners are six starters on offense and seven on defense. Seney, who earned All-Ohio and All-NLL first-team honors, had a team-high 148 tackles with 19 four for loss. Takats completed 139 of 257 passes for 2,004 yards and 24 touchdowns. Schroeder, who earned second team all-league honors, had 14 catches for 215 yard. Hall (all-league second team) had 289 receiving yards with two TDs. Bush was named to the All-NLL first team and Zieman earned second-team honors along with Swanson (46 tackles and two interceptions). Woods had 458 receiving yards and three scores. Mefferd had 72 tackles with four forced fumbles. Gerken is one of the top sophomore college prospects in the state. Conner said the team's strengths should be good experience, depth in most areas, and overall leadership. However, he said a lack of depth at a couple of positions could be possible trouble areas.
“We are blessed to put a great group of kids to put on the field led by a strong senior class,” Conner said. “Our season will be as successful as our physicality, lack of selfishness, and willingness to do whatever it takes allows.”
FINDLAY
■ Coach : Stefan Adams, fourth season
■ Last season : 8-3, 4-1
■ Top players : Seniors Ryan Montgomery, 6-4, 215, QB; Jacob Ragland, 5-10, 170, WR; Baylor Wilkin, 6-4, 275, OL; Ashton Yeager, 6-3, 265, DL; Reece Little, 6-3, 216, WR; Campbell Layne, 5-10, 200, LB; Israel Moore, 6-0, 180, DB.
■ Outlook : Among 80 total players in the Trojan program are 28 seniors. Seven starters are back on offense. Montgomery, the reigning Blade player of the Year, committed to play at Georgia over a host of Division I power programs. Montgomery has thrown for 3,377 yards and 38 touchdowns. He has completed 70 percent of his passes and also rushed for 10 TDs. His top returning target is Ragland, who had 626 receiving yards and six TDs. Little had 188 receiving yards and four TDs. Yeager had 31 solo tackles with nine for loss and four sacks, while Layne had 43 stops and Moore had 35 tackles with seven pass breakups. Wilkin has committed to Indiana, while Little and Yeager are Division I prospects. Adams said he has plenty of experience in the trenches on both sides. The linebackers also are seasoned with big game situations under their belts. However, the majority of skill position players lack experience on both sides of the ball. The Trojans lost production at wideout and in the defensive secondary.
“We are excited to build off of last year's success,” Adams said. “We played in some big games and made some big-time plays to win them. We want to be consistent and continue to trend up as a team right up there with the top teams year in and year out.”
ANTHONY WAYNE
■ Coach : Andy Brungard, ninth season
■ Last season : 10-3, 4-1
■ Top players : Seniors Grant Kinnee, 6-4, 195, QB; Braden Gardner, 6-2, 200, RB; Owen Palmer, 6-0, 240, OL; Aiden Lohmeyer, 6-1, 250, OL; Casius Krueger, 6-0, 200, LB. Juniors Roman Morrison, 6-0, 220, LB; Brayden Cole, 5-11, 290, OL.
■ Outlook : Brungard has a 75-20 overall record at AW, which is celebrating its 75th year as a program. The Generals have 70 total players on the varsity with 17 seniors. Brungard has six starters back on each side of the ball. Colgate recruit Kinnee, who earned All-Ohio first-team honors, threw for 1,518 yards and 22 TDs, while also rushing for 1,204 rushing yards and 19 scores. Gardner, who earned all-state third-team honors, ran for 968 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gardner also had 304 receiving yards and three TDs. Palmer earned all-district first-team honors, while Lohmeyer is a three-year starter on the line. Krueger led the defense with 135 tackles. Owen Graf, a recent Ohio State baseball commit, was named to the All-Ohio second team after averaging 45.8 yards per punt. AW returns an experienced backfield with leadership along with three offensive linemen and a tight end. Brungard said his team should be able to establish a successful run game. But the Generals lost all but one of their skill players on both offense and defense. Finding leaders and getting experience is a must, according to Brungard.
“Our team has a great opportunity,” Brungard said. “If we can stay healthy and get the year off to a good start, the last five games in our conference will be fun.”
SPRINGFIELD
■ Coach : LaCharles Smith, second season
■ Last season : 2-8, 0-5
■ Top players : Seniors Greg Ptaszynski, 6-1, 215, LB-RB; Kam Tall, 6-0, 180, WR-DB. Junior Logan Goodrick, 6-1, 190, WR-OLB. Sophomore Gabe Gregory, 5-10, 170, RB-DB.
■ Outlook : Smith has 67 total varsity players to work with including 11 seniors. Eleven letterwinners also are back with three starters on offense and five on defense. Ptaszynski earned All-NLL second-team honors. Tall had 29 catches for 336 yards and three touchdowns. The Blue Devils will run the spread offense and a multiple defensive front. Smith said his skill positions are strength. He said the team is young and talented overall. Tall and Goodrick can be leaders to the younger players on offense, while Ptaszynski is the leader of the defense. But inexperience overall is a concern with the younger players needing to grow up fast.
“We’re going to need some of our young guys to step up,” Smith said. “We have kids in our program that can do so. I’m excited for those kids.”
NORTHVIEW
■ Coach : Greg Silm, third season
■ Last season : 2-8, 1-4
■ Top players : Seniors Gavin Roehrig, 6-1, 205, DB-QB; Brady Nicholson, 6-3, 265, OL; Teagan France, 6-1, 175, RB-LB; Zach Gfel, 5-10, 175, RB-DB. Juniors Quinton Wilson, 5-9, 175, RB; Connor Adams, 5-10, 195, OL-DL; Connor Pieja, 6-0, 175, QB.
■ Outlook : The Wildcats will operate out of the pistol on offense and run a 3-4 scheme on defense. Silm has 55 players in the program with 14 seniors. Among 17 returning letterwinners are five starters on offense and six on defense. Wilson ran the ball 115 times for 375 yards. Silm said he has good athletes at the skill positions. But he said a lack of overall experience and depth are possible areas of concern.
“We have a young and inexperienced group, but a group that is 100 percent bought in and puts in the work every day,” Silm said. “We have a lot of work to do but I am excited about where we are at.”
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