The first fall football season of the new-look Northern Lakes League was a smash hit, featuring talented teams playing before packed stadiums and incredibly tight title races.
The addition of Whitmer, Findlay, Clay, and Fremont Ross boosted overall talent and competitiveness to northwest Ohio's premier high school conference.
Nine of the 11 teams in the remodeled NLL qualified for the 2023 postseason.
Newcomer Whitmer and Findlay tied longtime powerhouse Anthony Wayne for the title in the bigger school Buckeye Division. Southview edged Napoleon in the regular-season finale to take the inaugural smaller-school Cardinal Division, where all five teams made the playoffs.
NLL commissioner Richard Browne said the first football season featured close games and great competition.
“Overall, I was very pleased with our first season of football in the expanded NLL,” Browne said. “The competition in our league both last year and the years to come is going to be some of the best football in northwest Ohio.”
Clay, Findlay, Fremont Ross, and Whitmer joined the NLL after departing the now-disbanded Three Rivers Athletic Conference.
Findlay coach Stefan Adams, whose Trojans went 4-1 in their first NLL season, said the inaugural year was an overall success.
“There was a lot of good competition, coaches, and talent,” Adams said. “There were some really tight games.”
Southview coach Steve Hardy led his Cougars to the school's first league football title since 2011.
“The NLL has always had great teams and there are always great games, and now adding the two largest schools in the area and two D-II schools with great football traditions ensures that you have great matchups,” Hardy said. “The first year of the new NLL was full of new experiences and challenges. Getting to hang a championship banner was very special.”
The encore is setting up to be equally special, with both divisions appearing wide open again. Whitmer is the preseason pick to win the Buckeye, and Southview is expected to repeat in the Cardinal.
“All four of the new schools have brought so much to our league, not only in football but in all of the sports we offer,” Browne said. “'Iron sharpens iron.' When I look at the level of competition throughout our league, it has only been enhanced by these schools joining.”
Many of the coaches believe the NLL has become one of the top football conferences in the state with supportive communities to rival any in Ohio.
“It was quite an accomplishment that nine out of our 11 teams made the OHSAA playoffs,” Browne said. “That is a true testament to how difficult everyone’s schedule is.”
Anthony Wayne coach Andy Brungard, who is entering his ninth season, said the first year of the revamped league was exciting and each week brought a new set of challenges.
“The amount of talent in our league along with the different schemes and philosophies makes each week fun to prepare and compete,” Brungard said. “Adding Whitmer, Findlay, Fremont Ross, and Clay has provided more competitiveness to our league.”
Perrysburg’s Dirk Conner, who has been at the helm of the Yellow Jackets program since 2021, said the additions provided more balance. Conner said splitting into two divisions has given proper competition and more opportunity for teams to win league titles.
“There were a lot of really good matchups and really good football games. It's fun for everyone involved to have games where either team can win on any given Friday night,” Conner said.
Either Anthony Wayne or Perrysburg have won or shared 10 of the past 11 NLL titles. Perrysburg, which won the 2022 title, won three consecutive titles from 2013-15. Whitmer won the school's first football title since 2017.
“The Buckeye Division is very tough and physical,” Whitmer coach Ken Winters said.
AW, Findlay, and Whitmer each knocked off each other to create the three-way tie.
“We have had Perrysburg and Anthony on our schedule for years,” Adams said. “They are just like us. I think we have raised the quality of the group. We've really enjoyed it.”
Clay coach John Galyas, whose team went 1-3 in its first season in the NLL Cardinal, said the first year was a success with close races.
“We were on the losing side of some of those close games, hopefully, this year we can turn that around,” Galyas said. “We are really happy being in this league. I think the new additions to the NLL have raised the level of competition.”
Northview coach Greg Silm said the NLL is second to none in the state.
“We know that to compete in one of the best leagues in Ohio, we have to outwork everyone, every day,” Silm said.
The NLL is loaded with Division I top-tier college talent, including quarterbacks Ryan Montgomery (Findlay, Georgia), Brady Ford (Whitmer, Eastern Illinois), Grant Kinnee (Anthony Wayne, Colgate), and Josh Takats (Perrysburg, uncommitted).
“I don’t think that there is a better league at the quarterback position in the state,” Galyas said. “We have incredible talent in this league. There are college-caliber athletes on every team.”
Montgomery, the Blade's 2023 player of the year, is the No. 6 overall player in his class in Ohio.
“I think northwest Ohio football is scarily underrated,” Adams said. “Look at how many kids are getting opportunities at the next level. Our league is stacked with QBs right now.”
Whitmer offensive lineman Carter Lowe has committed to Ohio State. Findlay offensive lineman Baylor Wilkin has committed to Indiana.
Other D-I prospects include Braden Gardner (RB, Anthony Wayne), Reece Little (TE, Findlay), Ashton Yeager (DL, Findlay), and Reed Gerken (OL, Perrysburg).
“We have top-ranked quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and defensive players not only in the state but in the country,” Brungard said. “We have Power 5 players on several teams and division athletes on almost every team.”
Napoleon senior wide receiver Trey Rubinstein, a first-team All-Ohio defensive back, has committed to play linebacker at Kent State University. Clay quarterback Mason Heintschel, the Cardinal Division's offensive player of the year last season, has committed to play at Pittsburgh. Fremont Ross senior lineman Kaden Mayle (6-foot-6, 310) also has committed to Kent State.
“We are blessed to have a lot of those student-athletes that will have the opportunity to play beyond the NLL next year,” Browne said.
Perrysburg went 2-3 and finished second with two league losses coming by 10 points (Whitmer) and seven points (Findlay). The Yellow Jackets then defeated Whitmer 20-14 in the first round of the D-I playoffs.
“We have a ton of respect for our opponents and we embrace the challenge of playing in a league of our caliber,” Conner said.
Browne said that at the end of each season last year, NLL officials surveyed all the coaches.
“The feedback in all sports was tremendous and, in most sports, there wasn’t a resounding call [for change],” Browne said.
But he also said there were some ideas presented that league officials will continue to examine.
“We are in year one of our expansion, so let’s see what happens this school year and beyond to continue to make our league stronger,” he said.
Brungard said the league needs to find a 12th school for scheduling purposes. He also said the lower-end teams in the big division should play the upper-tier teams in the smaller division.
Hardy agreed that adding schools is a top priority.
“Eleven is an odd number and that leads to issues,” he said. “If we can get to 14, then there would be fewer division crossover games between the bigger and smaller schools.”
The NLL uses a two-year cycle to view changes in student enrollment and adjust divisions and schedules. Springfield has been the sixth-largest school in the league, placing them in the Buckeye Division. Clay and/or Southview could swap with Springfield, moving to the larger divisions in upcoming seasons.
“I’m excited to have football Fridays back. I think this year is going to be a very special year for our league,” the NLL commissioner said. “Our games have become such a community event. Not only is it important for our football players and coaches, but the amount of energy and excitement that comes from the cheerleaders, marching bands, student sections, parents, and even the casual high school fan — it’s become a destination of sorts.”
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