2023 NWO Football

What conference title race will you be looking forward to the most this season?

  • NLL Buckeye

    Votes: 7 9.7%

  • NLL Cardinal

    Votes: 7 9.7%

  • NBC

    Votes: 11 15.3%

  • WBL

    Votes: 16 22.2%

  • BVC

    Votes: 6 8.3%

  • CHSL Central (MI)

    Votes: 7 9.7%

  • NWOAL

    Votes: 10 13.9%

  • TAAC

    Votes: 1 1.4%

  • Toledo City League

    Votes: 7 9.7%
  • Total voters
    72
ayCC!

ayCC!

NWO Realignment Enjoyer
Now that the TRAC is officially donezo (but it won't stop us from occasionally nostalgia-tripping on them "good ol' days"), and all that alignment has finally realigned (for now), it's time to see how it all shakes out. In between my prep time for figuring out if/when I'm going to be making those trips up North, here are my thoughts on how some of these leagues finish with their new cast of characters.

NLL Buckeye (Big)
Thread: http://yappi.com/forum/index.php?threads/2023-northern-lakes-league-both-divisions.362264/
At a glance, it would seem that this would be Whitmer's league to lose. With Brady Ford (BG, CMU) at the offensive helm, four-star OT prospect Carter Lowe, and three-star senior LB Jasen Kelly, the Panthers will be poised to start their tenure in the NLL with a championship.

They play the games for a reason though, and I think that Anthony Wayne will be prime competition for the Panthers, especially considering their win against them early last season. While Joe Caswell will be sorely missed, the Generals return Grant Kinnee under center and BG commit WR Winn Sharp, alongside DT Cadence Carswell. I think this will be a solid group of guys that will give any team that plays them a hard time, and will most definitely be in the upper half of the Buckeye.

Speaking of upper half, this will be an important year for the Findlay Trojans. Ryan Montgomery will continue his QB tenure for a third year, while the Trojans look to make a turnaround in their first year in the NLL.

It will be hard to match Perrysburg's 2023 class of Takats, Walendzak, Zimmerly, et al. That's not to say they will severely be impeded by their growing pains, but opponents new (Whitmer, Findlay, Clay) and old (AW, SV) could spell trouble for a younger Yellow Jackets squad.

LaCharles Smith takes over at Springfield, where crossovers with the Cardinal and non-conference City League play could give the Blue Devils some positive momentum in a changed NLL landscape, where they will remain in the Buckeye until moving into the Cardinal in 2025.

Northview looks to keep their head above water in a Buckeye where they are the second smallest team.

Now for some fun...
NLL Cardinal (Small)
If any incumbent NLL member was going to benefit from the NLL's addition of the Cardinal league, it was going to be Southview. QB Will Mayzes, WR Emite Lamb, and RB Isaac Sexton look to continue the Cougars' positive momentum from 2022 where they went 8-3, finished third in the NLL, (and qualified for the playoffs w/a winning record).

If any incoming NLL member was going to benefit from an invitation to the NLL's Cardinal league, it was going to be Clay. The Eagles return QB Mason Heintschel and OL Aiden Cantu, and will be looking to continue their turnaround from 2022, when they finished with a winning record in the regular season. It will be fun to see the Southview-Clay matchup in Week 9, which could very well be a bout for the Cardinal title.

Fremont Ross loses a phenomenal talent in Kaden Holmes, but QB Karson Kayden will look to lead the Little Giants to a Cardinal title in their first year in the NLL. Even with their graduated losses, the league switch will help continue the positive momentum that Chad Long has brought to the program. I'll look for them to be in the upper half of the league this year.

Regardless of their size, it would be unwise to count out Napoleon of a possible title shot. Blake Wolf and Trey Rubinstein will be some of the names to look out for the Wildcats.

Rounding out the Cardinal is Bowling Green, who no doubt will take advantage of their position within a more balanced league structure as they look to make a turnaround this season.

All in all, I expect the Cardinal to be an extremely balanced league. I had no clue that a Clay/SV matchup could be a meaningful game, but should both of these teams play to their strengths through the season, Week 9 will be an exciting one for Oregon and Sylvania residents alike.

I'll be honest, my """"expertise"""" is based more with these teams in the Toledo area. I'm going to attempt to give my "thoughts" on some of the other conference races through the rest of the summer, but this will be most likely the most in-depth I get. Would love to hear your guys' thoughts on this, alongside any and all conference races in the NWO area!
 
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My early WBL thoughts:

1 Wapak- Simply the gold standard in the league over the last decade, and they bring back lots of talent

2 Van Wert- Lose a ton. But we thoughts they'd drop off after 2020 too, and they simply reloaded. They're well coached and shouldn't drop off much at all.

3 Defiance- Might be biased, but they return a ton of talent, especially at the skill positions, and what they lose they have talented youngsters waiting for their shot. Got a taste of playoff football last season and if they can finish off drives this year could be a title darkhorse.

4 St. Marys- Never count out the Riders. They bore you to death and then beat you when you fall asleep. Well coached and always a threat.

5 Ottawa-Glandorf- Bad 2022. But they've got the best coach in the league and we're extremely young last year. Expect a bounce back.

6 Celina- The pleasant surprise of the league last season. Admittedly I don't know a lot about them, but as of now they can't really be picked below here.

7 Elida- The enigma of the league. When they're on they're as talented as anyone and can hang with anyone. They aren't on often. Hard to see them winning more than 4 or 5 games, but if anyone is going to randomly go 7-3, it's them.

8 Kenton- Not good, but they've been young and simply have fewer issues than the bottom 2.

9 Shawnee- There's talent, but not enough. Major coaching issues. Wouldn't shocked if they go 0-10.

10 Bath- One word....yuck. Can't even say there was young talent last year. They're just bad and I doubt it gets better anytime soon.
 
Northern Buckeye Conference
Forum Thread: http://yappi.com/forum/index.php?threads/2023-northern-buckeye-conference.357230/
First off, the NBC website has got to be one of the better-maintained area conference websites I've seen in a minute. Will be interesting to see how the NLL website will look post-reconstruction (especially with the NLL Network, which will no doubt see some integration in there), but with stat records for seven sports, archival versions of the site going back to 2017-18 and a neat little tracker to see which schools have won which conference titles in all of their sports, I have a newfound appreciation for whoever maintains that site.

This year, the NBC welcomes in two new members in response to the departure of Woodmore and Elmwood.

One of them, Oak Harbor went 1-2 against NBC opponents last year, including a down to the wire 20-24 loss in the D5 playoffs with last years' champ and now fellow conference member, Eastwood. However, with the amount of talent returning for the Rockets (including DE Jacob Ridener and RB Carson Ridener), it would be remiss to say they wouldn't be near the top in their new conference home. I'll definitely keep an eye out for them come postseason.

Right behind them is Genoa, who handed OH their sole regular season loss, while only losing to the first and second place finishers (Eastwood and Elmwood, respectively) in conference play. The Comets return Aiden Brunkhorst under center who threw for over 2000 yards on the season last year, alongside a host of other all-league selections. Will they make a push for the title a la 2018?

Speaking of titles, Eastwood embarks on a title defense of their own in a post-Boos era and a new offensive scheme under first year HC Sam Cotterman. With a transition to a more passing-emphasized offense and one returning all-league selection on offense in TE Kaiden Sanchez, it will be interesting to see how the Eagles will fare.

In Coach Josh Lindke's second year, Otsego will look to improve from a 6-4 record and just barely missing out on the playoffs. All-league selection TE Jack Simpson returns for the offense, as the Knights will push for a return to championship form in 2020 and 2021.

Rossford lost two key components of their passing attack in QB Alex Williams and WR Jake Morrison, but WR/CB Kaden Kirkman remains for the Bulldog offense. They will look to improve on their 4-6 record where they narrowly lost to Genoa and Otsego in conference play.

Personally my favorite storyline from the conference realignment universe, is this the year Maumee wins a game? WR Carson Graetz was a second team All-NLL selection last year, and with first year HC Evan Karchner at the helm, the Panthers will look to create positive momentum in a new league home in 2023. Moving to the NBC will certainly benefit them competitively, but a Week 3 matchup against Bowsher, and two conference matchups against Lake and Fostoria could see the Panthers land in the win column more than once for the first time since 2017!

Fostoria will try to improve from a 2-8 mark last year, as will Lake, who looks to improve from 1-9 with new HC Lane Bishop.
 
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ayCC! said:
Now that the TRAC is officially donezo (but it won't stop us from occasionally nostalgia-tripping on them "good ol' days"), and all that alignment has finally realigned (for now), it's time to see how it all shakes out. In between my prep time for figuring out if/when I'm going to be making those trips up North, here are my thoughts on how some of these leagues finish with their new cast of characters.

NLL Buckeye (Big)
At a glance, it would seem that this would be Whitmer's league to lose. With Brady Ford (BG, CMU) at the offensive helm, four-star OT prospect Carter Lowe, and three-star senior LB Jasen Kelly, the Panthers will be poised to start their tenure in the NLL with a championship.

They play the games for a reason though, and I think that Anthony Wayne will be prime competition for the Panthers, especially considering their win against them early last season. While Joe Caswell will be sorely missed, the Generals return Grant Kinnee under center and BG commit WR Winn Sharp, alongside DT Cadence Carswell. I think this will be a solid group of guys that will give any team that plays them a hard time, and will most definitely be in the upper half of the Buckeye.

Speaking of upper half, this will be an important year for the Findlay Trojans. Ryan Montgomery will continue his QB tenure for a third year, while the Trojans look to make a turnaround in their first year in the NLL.

It will be hard to match Perrysburg's 2023 class of Takats, Walendzak, Zimmerly, et al. That's not to say they will severely be impeded by their growing pains, but opponents new (Whitmer, Findlay, Clay) and old (AW, SV) could spell trouble for a younger Yellow Jackets squad.

LaCharles Smith takes over at Springfield, where crossovers with the Cardinal and non-conference City League play could give the Blue Devils some positive momentum in a changed NLL landscape, where they will remain in the Buckeye until moving into the Cardinal in 2025.

Northview looks to keep their head above water in a Buckeye where they are the second smallest team.

Now for some fun...
NLL Cardinal (Small)
If any incumbent NLL member was going to benefit from the NLL's addition of the Cardinal league, it was going to be Southview. QB Will Mayzes, WR Emite Lamb, and RB Isaac Sexton look to continue the Cougars' positive momentum from 2022 where they went 8-3, finished third in the NLL, (and qualified for the playoffs w/a winning record).

If any incoming NLL member was going to benefit from an invitation to the NLL's Cardinal league, it was going to be Clay. The Eagles return QB Mason Heintschel and OL Aiden Cantu, and will be looking to continue their turnaround from 2022, when they finished with a winning record in the regular season. It will be fun to see the Southview-Clay matchup in Week 9, which could very well be a bout for the Cardinal title.

Fremont Ross loses a phenomenal talent in Kaden Holmes, but QB Karson Kayden will look to lead the Little Giants to a Cardinal title in their first year in the NLL. Even with their graduated losses, the league switch will help continue the positive momentum that Chad Long has brought to the program. I'll look for them to be in the upper half of the league this year.

Regardless of their size, it would be unwise to count out Napoleon of a possible title shot. Blake Wolf and Trey Rubinstein will be some of the names to look out for the Wildcats.

Rounding out the Cardinal is Bowling Green, who no doubt will take advantage of their position within a more balanced league structure as they look to make a turnaround this season.

All in all, I expect the Cardinal to be an extremely balanced league. I had no clue that a Clay/SV matchup could be a meaningful game, but should both of these teams play to their strengths through the season, Week 9 will be an exciting one for Oregon and Sylvania residents alike.

I'll be honest, my """"expertise"""" is based more with these teams in the Toledo area. I'm going to attempt to give my "thoughts" on some of the other conference races through the rest of the summer, but this will be most likely the most in-depth I get. Would love to hear your guys' thoughts on this, alongside any and all conference races in the NWO area!
Click to expand...


Pretty certain Blake Wolfe graduated from Napoleon this past May
 
Northwest Ohio Athletic League
Forum thread: http://yappi.com/forum/index.php?threads/2023-nwoal.356935/
Ohio's oldest league (according to Wikipedia) was one of the few conferences that remained intact with all the alignment buzz. This is a league I don't hold a lot of connections to, but the potential for a dogfight within the middle of the pack will make it an exciting one to keep an eye on. Props to @Rolly67 for posting a lot of helpful info in the linked thread!

Coming off an impressive 14-1 season, Liberty Center returns many pieces on a defense that gave up no more than seven points in 10 out of 15 games played last year, en route to a NWOAL 'chip and a state semifinal appearance. Two-way 1st-teamer OT/DT Landon Bockelman and the Kruse triplets (LB Trent, LB/RB Colton, and DB Landen) will be key pieces on a Tiger team that looks to make it to Canton for the first time since 1997.

Two potent offensive players return for Patrick Henry, who finished in the middle of a dead-even pack with a 4-3 record. QB Nash Meyer returns at the offensive helm for the Patriots, where he threw for over 2200 yards and 18 TDs last year, as does D6 Co-Offensive POY WR Landon Johnson.

Hot on the Patriots' heels, Archbold looks to keep pace with their close league competition. The Blue Streaks bring back two 1st-teamers in C Brian Burrowes and G Mason Siegel to hold it down in the trenches.

Another team in the middle of a bitter conference race will be Wauseon. The Indian defense remains resolute with 1st teamer Tyson Rodriguez returning at DB, alongside LB Austin Kovar and DB Xavier Martinez.

Not to be outdone, Delta will could cause problems for the rest of the league as well, with the Panther D returning two DEs in Holden Barnes and Maverick Mercer, as well as two LBs in Justin Ruple and Caleb Lantz.

Bryan returns Sam Herold at running back, along with DB/QB Jase Kepler, as the Golden Bears look to make an impact on the conference race.

Swanton and Evergreen will try to make improvements from 1-9 and 3-7 seasons, respectively.
 
10 running backs to watch in the area (per The Blade)

  • Isaac Sexton, Southview
  • Amon Haynes, Scott
  • Marquan Braswell, Central Catholic
  • Jaqui Hayward, Oak Harbor
  • Colton Kruse, Liberty Center
  • Jake Iott, Whiteford
  • Dagan Meyers, Port Clinton
  • Hunter DeBarr, Whiteford
  • Sam Herold, Bryan
  • Traven Horton, St. Francis
 
CHSL Central (MI)
Great website: https://michigan-football.com/s/2023/cathctrl.htm
Well, we're certainly sleeping in our bed now. Regardless of how all the privates got there, the fact of the matter is that all three are in for a heII of a conference schedule, and one that will leave them fairly prepared for the playoffs, if they make it. Oh also, should any of the Toledo teams win the Central, their opponent in the Prep Bowl at Ford Field will be Michigan public powerhouse Cass Tech!

On a more meta note, it's been interesting trying to navigate the tapatalk Michigan forum. Kinda like looking around Yappi the first time all over again. @CCHS93 any insights about that site that you'd like to share, I'm more than willing to hear.

Re: sleeping in the bed they made, Central Catholic is the only Toledo team that hasn't scheduled a Week 10 matchup, indicating that the Fighting Irish will be shooting for a spot in the CHSL Prep Bowl (as they should), among other aspirations. To get there, the former D2 champs will have to go through undoubtedly the toughest schedule the program has ever faced. I didn't think I'd see the day where a matchup against Whitmer would be considered a "tune-up" for the rest of the year, but this year CC hosts the MHSAA D2 Champ in De La Salle, and then follow it up with a matchup against a "Beast from the Northeast" in St. Ignatius the next week.

Luckily for CC, they return their entire OL, 3 of which hold a D1 offer/commitment in Nave, Williams, and Green. They return a beast at RB in Braswell, gain a weapon at WR/DB in Iowa commit Jaylen Watson, and also return a speed demon in the WR corp in Greenlee. Defensively, the Fighting Irish return Cannings and Collins on the DL, as well as Barnes in the secondary and Christian Jackson at LB. Expectations are high; it will be an interesting year on Cherry Street.

Fun fact: this will be the first year St. John's won't field a QB with the last name "Lichtenberg" since 2017! The Titans will turn to sophomore Carson Pawlowicz under center to run the offense, who will be assisted by the returning Joseph Taylor at WR and DB as well. This will be an important year for Coach Larry McDaniel, as St. John's will look to compete in a stacked Central division where they are picked to finish fourth, behind TCC, DLS, and DCC, respectively, while also shooting to make a dent in Region 6 as well.

A rebuild is underway on Bancroft, as St. Francis turns to first year HC Charles Woolridge to help build back a program that has struggled to keep pace with their other parochial counterparts. Leading the charge for the Knights will be their RB Traven Horton, who ran for 8 touchdowns last year. Picked to finish last, and facing a gauntlet of a schedule from their position (one tabbed the hardest in the Toledo area by The Blade), it will be a year to lay a foundation off of for SFS.
 
ayCC! said:
On a more meta note, it's been interesting trying to navigate the tapatalk Michigan forum. Kinda like looking around Yappi the first time all over again. @CCHS93 any insights about that site that you'd like to share, I'm more than willing to hear.
Click to expand...
Tapatalk's Michigan football forums pail in comparison to Yappis. I think Yappi could expand their footprint up north. Tons of adds on the site. Also, way fewer posters on the site. Nevertheless, the ones who do post are just as passionate as their Ohio brethren. It is good to get some inside info on the Detroit Catholics.
Also, just my opinion, I think St. Francis will drop to the middle division in a couple of years while UofD Jesuit moves up.
 
jafo said:
Findlay and SFS are the easiest teams on TCC's schedule.
Click to expand...
I agree, but I wouldn't be surprised if Findlay gave the Irish a fight early on. Montgomery seems like he is improving with each year, and I think the Irish secondary will have some questions that will be answered against a QB like him. The CC offense will be a different story, even with the question of who is starting under center.

CCHS93 said:
Also, just my opinion, I think St. Francis will drop to the middle division in a couple of years while UofD Jesuit moves up.
Click to expand...
I've heard some talk on that forum that UofD Jesuit has been ducking the move to the Central for a little bit? I think SFS moving down would help them improve for sure, but I'd still think they'd play CC for the Irish Knight though.
 
ayCC! said:
I've heard some talk on that forum that UofD Jesuit has been ducking the move to the Central for a little bit? I think SFS moving down would help them improve for sure, but I'd still think they'd play CC for the Irish Knight though.
Click to expand...
I had heard the same thing. UofD Jesuit is a decent sized school and, from a numbers standpoint, should move up.

Also, I agree, CCHS and SFS will play for the Irish Knight as long as the game of football is played. Central has the upper hand for 15 years or so, but you never know when the tables will turn. We never beat St. Francis when I was at Central. It would have been unimagineable to think about the success Central has had.
 
Week One NWO Games to Watch
In just four days, high school football in Ohio kicks off! Here's five games I'll be keeping on eye on come Thursday/Friday.

River Rock Rivalry - Napoleon vs. Defiance (Thursday)
A storied rivalry kicks off the NWO Football season, as the Napoleon Wildcats host the Defiance Bulldogs. Napoleon will look for the momentum to bounce back from a 4-7 season last year and avenge their 28-7 loss in last year's game. That won't be an easy task however, as the Bulldogs return much from last year's team that experienced a big upswing from 2021, going 7-5 and making it to the second round of the playoffs as a 13 seed. My prediction: Defiance by 14

Fremont Ross vs. Tiffin Columbian
Another conference crossover rivalry game, Columbian should be in the upper echelons of Region 10. The Roggow twins (Akron QB commit Brayden and WR Bryce) will be two dangerous weapons for the Tornado offense, and will look to make a run for the SBC Lake title. Ross has many questions to be answered, but who takes over for Kaden Holmes is not one of them. Karson Kayden directs the Little Giant offense, while the 6'6 Kaden Mayle will be a solid anchor in the offensive trenches. My prediction: Columbian by 7

Olentangy vs. Whitmer
A matchup of Region 2 foes, the Whitmer Panthers are on the prowl for a league title (and more!). A very solid team with multiple D1 players on both sides of the ball, the Panthers will travel to Olentangy to kickstart their title and playoff run. The Braves of Oletangy will have a tough matchup ahead of them, but knowing Ohio Capital Conference football, anything could happen. My prediction: Whitmer by 21

Battle of Sylvania - Southeview vs. Northview
Another week 1 rivalry game finds the Cougar and the Wildcats in an NLL crossover matchup. Southview returns many weapons on a loaded offense that led the Cougars to an 8-3 record last year and is poised to make a run in Region 6 this year. Northview is simply along for the ride as they begin their first season in the NLL Cardinal. My prediction: Southview by running clock.

"For Love of the Game of the Week" Sponsored by Sicko's - Maumee vs. Springfield
Nowhere to go but up for these programs, both of which failed to win more than 3 games last year. For the Maumee Panthers, that seems doable in a new NBC where they are predicted to finish ahead of two in-league teams. For the Blue Devils of Springfield, that is a little harder being on the smaller end of the NLL Cardinal. I still think the Blue Devils take this game, but not by much. My prediction: Springfield by 5
 
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Week 1 offensive depth chart for Central Catholic
*denotes returning starter

QB1 - Sr. Terry Collins 6'1" 170 lbs.
QB2 - Jr. Isaiah Fox 6'0" 200 lbs.
QB3 - Jr. Tim Boals 6'3" 185 lbs.

RB1 - Sr. Marquan Braswell 6'0" 210 lbs.
RB2 - Jr. Tyler Morgan 5'7" 170 lbs.
RB3 - ??

Wideouts
WR - Sr. Jaylen Watson 5'11" 175 lbs.
WR - Jr. Lavell Stokes 5'10" 170 lbs.
WR - So. Preston Fryzel 6'3" 180 lbs.
WR - So. Victor Singleton 6'0" 160 lbs.
WR - So. Sharard Vaughn 6'1" 185 lbs.

TE1 - Jr. Dominic Spinazze II 6'3" 205 lbs.
TE2 - Sr. Leyton Marsh 5'11" 205 lbs.

LT - Sr. Nick Banaszak 6'3" 280 lbs.
LG - *Sr. Elijah Williams 6'2" 297 lbs.
C - *Sr. Kendric Bankston 5'11" 276 lbs.
RG - *Sr. Marc Nave 6'5" 315 lbs.
RT - *Sr. Tyrell Green 6'5" 330 lbs.
 
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buccaneers2002 said:
QB1 - Sr. Terry Collins 6'1" 170 lbs.
QB2 - Jr. Tim Boals 6'3" 185 lbs.
QB3 - So. Isaiah Fox 6'0" 200 lbs.
Click to expand...
Fox and Boals are both 2025s.

buccaneers2002 said:
RB1 - Sr. Marquan Braswell 6'0" 210 lbs.
RB2 - Jr. Tyler Morgan 5'7" 170 lbs.
RB3 - ??
Click to expand...
RB3 is D’Angelo Lyons, same build and speed as Morgan.

buccaneers2002 said:
WR1 - Sr. Jaylen Watson 5'11" 175 lbs.
WR2 - Sr. Marvon Greenlee 5'9" 155 lbs.
WR3 - So. Preston Fryzel 6'3" 180 lbs.
Click to expand...
Sophomore Victor Singleton (Toledo offer) will definitely be on here, probably split time between Watson and Fryzel or when they go 4 wide.

buccaneers2002 said:
TE1 - *Sr. Christian Jackson 6'1" 205 lbs.
TE2 - Sr. Leyton Marsh 5'11" 205 lbs.
Click to expand...
I think they focused Christian Jackson more on the LB/defensive side of the ball. Regardless, Dominic Spinazze (6’4, 220) is TE1/2, Marsh I think is the longsnapper.
 
ayCC! said:
Fox and Boals are both 2025s.


RB3 is D’Angelo Lyons, same build and speed as Morgan.


Sophomore Victor Singleton (Toledo offer) will definitely be on here, probably split time between Watson and Fryzel or when they go 4 wide.


I think they focused Christian Jackson more on the LB/defensive side of the ball. Regardless, Dominic Spinazze (6’4, 220) is TE1/2, Marsh I think is the longsnapper.
Click to expand...
Can't believe I left off Singleton! No doubt he'll be a starter, excited for the future with him and Fryzel.

Tight end was the biggest guess for me. I do like focusing Jackson just on the defensive side, going to need him to step up at LB as the main cog. Spinazze has great size for a TE.
 
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