Allow me to ask a question that I have been pondering for four decades.
What is so special about an undefeated season?
Not a darn thing if you play a bunch of tomato cans.
How many times have we seen teams play brutal schedules and get in with a 6-4 or 7-3 record only to win a state title? To me, that is exciting.
There is a bit more to this story.
Ken James is the long time coach at Northwood (I believe this is his last year). Northwood and Gibsonburg were both members of an old NWOhio league call the Suburban Lakes League (SLL). Northwood was the smallest team in the league and outside of one good season (1991?) they were the doormat of the league from its inception (80's and early 90's). In the late 90's they opted out to a newly formed league called the Toledo Area Athletic Conference (TAAC) which is BY FAR the weakest conference in NWOhio (and probably the state). For football it is a misfit league where rosters routinely do not get over 25 kids. Small teams come and go. Every other year it would seem a TAAC team drops football before the season due to lack of participation or mid way through the season due to injuries. That happened this season when Toledo Christian opted for 8-man football. All of a sudden Northwood became the big guy on the block and routinely would walk through the cupcake league and either barely get into the playoffs or miss out all together. Woodmore has been atrocious the past decade routinely going 0-10 or 1-9. Stryker has roughly 20 kids out and just started football again a year ago.
Here is Northwood's playoff history...
2001 - 7-3 (D6) 8th in region - Lost 68-6 to McComb.
2002 - 10-0 (D6) 4th in region - Lost at home 22-7 to Mohawk.
2003 - 8-2 (D6) 5th in region - DEFEATED Edgerton 20-13 week 1 and lost week 2, 27-0 to Columbus Grove.
2004 - 5-5 (D6) 8th in region - Lost 21-0 to Hopewell Louden.
2005 - 5-5 (D5) DNQ
2006 - 6-4 (D5) DNQ
2007 - 8-2 (D5) DNQ
2008 - 9-1 (D5) DNQ
2009 - 7-3 (D5) 8th in region - Lost 41-14 to Patrick Henry.
2010 - 7-3 (D5) 8th in region - Lost 49-0 to Archbold.
2011 - 9-1 (D5) 4th in region - Lost at home 49-28 to Patrick Henry.
2012 - 10-0 (D5) 2nd in region - Lost at home 20-19 to Patrick Henry.
2013 - 8-2 (D6) 8th in region - Lost 34-6 to Tinora.
2014 - 6-4 (D6) DNQ
2015 - 6-4 (D6) DNQ
2016 - 6-4 (D6) DNQ
2017 - 6-4 (D6) DNQ
2018 - 9-1 (D6) 6th in region - Lost 36-6 to Hillsdale.
2019 - 10-0 (D6) DNQ
Northwood's career playoff record is 1-10. Their PF and PA in the playoffs is 380 to 106. The Rangers have qualified for the playoffs 4x with 10-0 and 9-1 records and lost first round each time. They missed the playoffs before with a 9-1 record. Do not feel sorry for Northwood.