Over the decades, high school athletic leagues in the Toledo and northwest Ohio area have undergone a steady flow of change.
A major shift occurred this past year with the Northern Lakes League expanding from eight to 11 schools, the competitively strong Three Rivers Athletic Conference folding after 12 years of existence, and Toledo's five Catholic schools moving to the Michigan-based Catholic High School League.
Other minor changes were made to the alignments of the City League, and the Northern Buckeye, Sandusky Bay, and Blanchard Valley conferences.
But, with occasional moves occurring everywhere else in northwest Ohio over the past four decades years, one area league has survived basically intact since 1978 — the Northwest Ohio Athletic League.
The NWOAL's eight current full members (Archbold, Bryan, Delta, Evergreen, Liberty Center, Patrick Henry, Swanton, and Wauseon) have all been together for 45 years running. The lone change came in 2016, when original NWOAL member Montpelier left the league for all sports except for wrestling.
In the wake of change everywhere else, why has the NWOAL remained so stable?
“I believe the biggest strength is the communities that are a part of the NWOAL,” said longtime Evergreen boys basketball coach Jerry Keifer, who starred in that sport while at rival Delta. “For the most part, we are all farming communities in a small town. There is a lot of pride in the communities when it comes to high school athletics.”
That sentiment is echoed by Bryan football coach Grant Redhead: “There is a sense of pride we all share being part of 'Ohio's oldest' league, that started in 1926. In keeping the same teams on the schedule for decades, the rivalries become town rivalries. You want to win for your community and put that feather in your cap.”
Another key factor that binds the NWOAL membership is its ability to overcome enrollment gaps, something that has withered leagues elsewhere.
The NWOAL has a significant range in enrollment size between the biggest school (Bryan, 488 boys and girls in grades 10-12) and smallest (Patrick Henry, 208), but somehow the smaller schools have managed to compete well enough over time – especially in football – with the bigger ones.
There is no better testament to this than Friday's upcoming football showdown of unbeatens.
Patrick Henry (6-0, 3-0), ranked No. 2 in Ohio's latest Division VII state poll, travels to Henry County rival Liberty Center (6-0, 3-0), which is ranked No. 3 in the state in Division V.
After Patrick Henry, Liberty Center is the NWOAL's next smallest school with 262 total boys and girls in grades 10-12.
“Part of the stability of the league is the geography,” LC football coach Casey Mohler said. “Most of the schools are a fairly close distance from each other, which makes travel convenient.”
Mohler is a former Tigers player, and so too was longtime PH football coach Bill Inselmann for the rival Patriots. Their two programs have enjoyed the most NWOAL football success in the last three decades.
“Strong communities with the same family names have instilled a sense of pride and competitiveness in each school,” Inslemann said of the NWOAL dynamic. “I have coached families at PH and coached against many families from rival schools with the same last names.
“It is neat to see the children and grandchildren of former players playing for the same schools in the league. The passion that you have instilled for your school, and against your rival, is passed on.”
A few years back, with its enrollment in decline, Patrick Henry was invited to join the nearby Blanchard Valley Conference, which has more schools closer in size. After some consideration, the Patriots said thanks, but no thanks to the BVC.
Around that time, there was also public discussion among school board members and administrators at Evergreen, Delta, and Swanton as to whether they should accept an invitation to join the TAAC. In each case, the three schools' respective communities voiced their apparent majority opinion that they remain at home in the NWOAL.
“There is a good balance between education and athletics,” said Wauseon football coach Shawn Moore, who previously played football for the Indians. “I also believe there is good dialogue between everyone to make sure everyone's voice is heard.”
Moore's athletic director reflects a similar theme.
“One of the qualities that the NWOAL schools share is that they have great support from their student bodies,” Wauseon AD Matt Hutchinson said. “Our events between league schools have energetic atmospheres, and those environments are created by the student bodies of the schools.”
Another Wauseon product, boys basketball coach Chad Burt, has enjoyed that support for most of his life.
“I may be a bit biased,” he said, “but I believe the NWOAL is the crown jewel of the state of Ohio.”
Wauseon's chief rival, Archbold, has enjoyed the most comprehensive boys/girls sports success in the NWOAL.
“The league has had a lot of turnover in the administrative roles,” 18th-year Archbold AD Allan Gladieux said. “Superintendents, principals, and athletic directors. But, the common theme for all the league schools is that we value education-based athletics and sportsmanship.
“Rivalries have been built over the years among the league schools, and the schools value the traditions and rivalries that have been built.”
Archbold boys basketball coach Joe Frank has been a lifer in his community.
“The member schools have been blessed with a lot of great athletes, as well as hall of fame coaches,” said Frank, who both played on an Archbold team that reached the state final four (1979) and helped five others make state final fours. The latter five came during Frank's 30-plus years as an assistant before succeeding hall-of-famer Doug Krauss.
“…It is a highly competitive league, and the schools involved know that success within the league often leads to long tourney runs.”
Dick Selgo was a former baseball and basketball standout (in early 1970s) from nearby Pettisville, but has spent much of his time since at Archbold.
“The schools in this league have similar philosophies in regard to sportsmanship and valuing the educational aspect of an athlete's high school career,” said Selgo, who recently retired as the Blue Streaks' highly-successful baseball coach. “The exciting, competitive rivalries have been built over many years as a result of this stability.”
Said Archbold football coach and former Blue Streaks player David Dominique: “Being able to play the same schools for decades at a time provides a commonality that encourages competitive battles. This is common across all sports, and is what makes the NWOAL such a great league.”
Just like in a successful marriage, it is the sticking together part that has allowed the NWOAL to thrive.
Patrick Henry boys basketball coach Bryan Hieber boiled it down to one word.
Tradition.
“Some leagues get caught up in the present and future, but I think what has kept the NWOAL around for so long is the tradition from the past,” added Hieber starrred on the Patriots' 1997 Division III state basketball championship team, and quarterbacked PH to back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons in football (1996-97). “There are rivalries that date back several decades, and when you think about disbanding a league with such a storied history, you sort of lose those memories and traditions.”
This history is valued across the league.
“Many of the current head football coaches in the league now coach at their hometown school,” said Delta football coach Nate Ruple, who also played football for the Panthers. “…It's a great atmosphere every Friday night which makes it a lot of fun for the players, coaches, and members of the community.”
From the players to the coaches to the administrators to the communities, the NWOAL has been a quality operation.
“In my short time with being an athletic director at Patrick Henry, one thing that sticks out to me is the way that all eight schools' administrations communicate and work together,” said Luke George, a former Patriots football player.
“If we have issues, questions, or concerns, there is always someone there to help within the league. The way that our schools communicate with each other brings a sense of loyalty to one another, and pride in being a part of the NWOAL.”
First Published September 27, 2023, 4:29 p.m.
