The 2025 NWOAL Boys Wrestling Tournament was held last Saturday at Patrick Henry High School and the Delta Panthers, led by four-time league champion Adam Mattin, took home the team title with 230 points. The Panthers placed a wrestler on the podium in all 14 weight classes, including six champions, four runners-up, three third-place finishers and one fourth place finisher.
The Wauseon Indians finished in second place with 177 points and five champions. Archbold was in third place with 126 points, Liberty Center was fourth with 112 points and two champions, Swanton took fifth with 70 points, Evergreen was sixth with 56 points, Patrick Henry was seventh with 27.5 points and one champion and Bryan finish last with 26 points.
Click on the link above to access photos from the tournament that include final standings and individual brackets. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: Delta Panthers – 2025 NWOAL Wrestling Champions
The Evergreen Vikings jumped out to a large early lead on the road against the Swanton Bulldogs and never looked back, crushing the Bulldogs on their home floor 74-49 in final NWOAL boys’ basketball game of the season. The Vikings held a 23-point lead at halftime and a 33-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter before slowing the pace down with mass substitutions.
Evergreen junior George Allendorf led all players with 31 points, including hitting five of his team’s three-pointers. Troy Manz added 13. Charlie Wood scored 14 points for the Bulldogs and Evan Reinhard had six.
The win gave Evergreen sole possession of second place in the league with a 5-2 record, two games behind the 7-0 Patrick Henry Patriots. They followed up the Friday night victory with a regular season-ending win over the Fayette Eagles to run their overall record to 15-7. Next Friday the Vikings open OHSAA Division VI tournament play at home against the Elmwood Royals.
Swanton drops to 3-4 in the NWOAL and 11-11 on the season. The Bulldogs will take on the Archbold Blue Streaks at home to begin play in the OHSAA Division V tournament.
Evergreen Vikings: 21-26-20-7 = 74 George Allendorf (31), Troy Manz (13), Will Ruetz (9), Quentin Eisel (7), John Herdman (5), Will Johnson (4), Alex Fritsch (3), Sean Rafferty (2)
Swanton Bulldogs: 12-12-10-15 = 49 Charlie Wood (14), Evan Reinhard (6), Drew Koder (5), Brady Haselman (5), Adam Lemon (5), Owen Hurst (3), Brady O’Shea (3), Giovanni Ruiz (3), Marquise Zalecki (3), Carson Lemons (2)
Click the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: Evergreen’s Quinten Eisel and Swanton’s Charlie Wood about to tip it off
Down 22-14 after a cold shooting first half, the Delta Lady Panthers caught fire in the second half and defeated the Bluffton Lady Pirates 47-42 Thursday night at home in the “Jungle” to advance to the OHSAA Division V District Semi-Finals. Delta junior Abby Todd scored 16 of her game-high 19 points in the last two quarters to lead the comeback. “It didn’t feel like we were ready to go in the first half,” said Delta coach Kelsey Gillen explaining her team’s sluggish start. “They took us out of our game. We like to push the ball and they slowed it down to their tempo.”
A quick start to the third quarter pulled the Lady Panthers withing three points and they went on to outscore the Lady Pirates 16-7 to take a 30-29 lead into the fourth. The game was tight the rest of the way as Todd hit three of her five triples to counter scores by Bluffton. Trailing 43-42 with 11 seconds remaining in the contest, the Pirates were forced to foul Keagyn Gillen in an effort to get the ball back. Gillen coldly sank both free throws and the Panthers stole the inbound pass, leading to a game-sealing layup by Kendal Sprow and 47-42 Sectional Title victory.
In addition to Todd’s 19 points, Sprow and Anna Lohman scored 12 each. Blair Utendorf led Bluffton with 14 points and Ayla Grandey added 11.
Delta improves to 19-2 and moves on to face the Paulding Lady Panthers, a 53-40 winner over the Archbold Lady Blue Streaks on the same night, at Defiance High School on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm.
Bluffton Lady Pirates: 16-6-7-13 = 42 Blair Utendorf (14), Ayla Grandey (11), Gracie Warren (8), Maelee Miller (6), Macy Schaadt (2), Jordan Schweingruber (1)
Delta Lady Panthers: 10-4-16-17 = 47 Abby Todd (19), Kendal Sprow (12), Anna Lohman (12), Keagyn Gillen (4)
The NWOAL Boys Basketball Freshmen Tournament tipped off at Swanton High School last night as the Evergreen Vikings went up against the Swanton Bulldogs. The home team employed a run and gun fast-break offense the entire contest, leading 40-13 at halftime on the way to a 56-25 victory.
Nine different Bulldog players scored in the game led by Julian Ramirez with 20 points and Eli Bolyard with 10. Gus Allendorf had 120 points for the Vikings and Landon Ricker added nine.
Swanton Bulldogs: 18-22-12-4 = 56 Juliam Ramirez (20), Eli Bolyard (10), Brayden Gearig (7), Landon Hendricks (5), Harrison Pancoast (4), Wyatt Rhodes (3), Daniel Gayman (3), Parker Wilson (2), Christian Butler (2)
The Bulldogs move on to play again on Thursday, again at Swanton High School.
Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncopuntymedia.com website.
Photo: Julian Ramirez drives in for two of his game-high 20 points.
The Swanton Local School Foundation held a “Name That Tune” event Saturday night at the Swanton Sports Center to help raise funds for the school’s Backpack Buddies Program. Click on the link above to access a few photos from the night.
The 2025 NWOAL bowling season concluded Saturday afternoon with the league’s tournament for boys and girls at River City Bowl-a-Way in Napoleon. Both the Bryan Golden Bears and the Lady Golden Bears were victorious in the tournament and both captured the overall NWOAL title which factors in the tournament finish and the regular season record.
Click on the link above to access photos and results from the tournament. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fukltoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: NWOAL 2025 Bowling Champions – Bryan Golden Bears
Down by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, the Evergreen Vikings mounted a furious comeback to defeat the visiting Liberty Center Tigers 66-63 on Friday night in the “Big House” in boys basketball NWOAL action. The Vikings outscored the Tigers 23-13 in the decisive fourth quarter, hitting 9 of 10 fouls shots with several coming in the final seconds to break a 61-61 tie and seal the game.
Troy Manz led Evergreen and all players with 21 points including four triples, two of those in the final frame to help fuel the rally. William Ruetz scored 17 and John Herdman had 12. Gavin Geahlen netted 20 points for Liberty Center while Cam Robinson added 12 and Ethan Gray scored 11.
The win improves Evergreen’s record to 4-2 in the league and 13-7 on the season. The Vikings will finish their NWOAL schedule next Friday with a trip to Swanton to take on the Bulldogs then conclude the regular season on Saturday with a home game against the Fayette Eagles. Liberty Center drops to 2-3 in the league and 8-11 overall. They play the Wauseon Indians next Friday at home.
Liberty Center Tigers:20-16-14-13 = 63 Gavin Geahlen (20), Cam Robinson (12), Ethan Gray (11), Isaiah Badenhop (5), Blake Garber (4), Grady Miller (4), Garrison Kruse (4), Max Walker (3)
Evergreen Vikings: 16-13-14-23 = 66 Troy Manz (21), William Ruetz (17), John Herdman (12), George Allendorf (8), Quinten Eisel (8)
Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: William Ruetz shoots for two of his 17 points
Brittany (Miller) Cymbolin, Evergreen High School alum Class of 2001 and longtime head girls basketball coach at Evergreen, was recognized and honored Friday night in Evergreen’s “Big House” for recently reaching the “200 Win” milestone for her career. Her 14-year career as a head coach started at Deland High School in DeLand, Florida. Brittany moved on to coach the Sylvania Northview Lady Wildcats and, shortly after that, back home to take over the Lady Vikings basketball program.
The demand for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in Fulton County has outpaced available funding, leaving critical gaps in access to these lifesaving devices. The Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Swanton are stepping up to support the Fulton County Heartathon and its mission to place more AEDs in local schools, businesses, and public spaces. Over the past year, requests for AEDs have exceeded available funds, putting lives at risk in moments when every second counts. The 2025 Heartathon goal is set at $33,200—the largest in its 51-year history—to ensure that no organization in need of an AED goes without one.
“In Swanton, we take care of our own,” said Delray Busch, Executive Director of the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce. “An AED could save the life of a student, an employee, a grandparent cheering on their grandkids at a game. We want to make sure every business, school, and public space has access to this critical equipment.” To date, more than 160 AEDs have been placed throughout Fulton County, thanks to the generosity of local donors. However, the need continues to grow. For every minute without defibrillation, a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival drops by 7-10 percent, according to the American Heart Association.
AEDs can double or triple survival rates when used promptly, yet many locations still lack access to one when needed. Shannon Shulters, Village Administrator for the Village of Swanton, emphasized the importance of community involvement. “This is about protecting the people we love—our families, our neighbors, and the visitors who come through Swanton. We are calling on our schools, businesses, and organizations to rally behind this cause and help fund more AEDs where they’re needed most, she said.”
How to Get Involved February 13, 2025 – Mark your calendars for the Fulton County Heartathon on 96.1 WMTR. From 10-11 AM, Delray Busch and Shannon Shulters will guest DJ to raise awareness and support for this life-saving initiative. Donations will be taken all day as various guest DJs join in. Donate – Every dollar raised stays in Fulton County to purchase AEDs, batteries, pads, and fund essential heart screenings. Spread the Word – Encourage local schools, businesses, and organizations to contribute and ensure every request for an AED is fulfilled. Together, we can make a difference. Let’s show Fulton County how much Swanton cares. Every second counts, and every dollar helps save a life.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Delray Busch Executive Director, Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce SwantonCC@Gmaill.com and Shannon Shulters Village Administrator, Village of Swanton admin@villageofswantonohio.us
On Friday afternoon at Delta High School, in front of family, friends and classmates, Kalleigh Mignin signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her education and golf career at Ottawa University in Surprise, Arizona. “There’s an app I use and kind of let other coaches reach out to me and Coach (Randy) Barret reached out,” said Kalleigh explaining her decision to attend a college that is approximately a 30-hour drive from home. “I’ve been golfing since I was a kid, but I really started when I was a freshman,” she added.
A lot of credit for her success, as Kalleigh will tell you, goes to her grandfather and father, both former golf coaches. “We’re super excited. She’s worked really hard to get where she’s at,” commented her father, Jon, who previously coached the Panthers’ golf team several years ago. “She’s going pretty far away which is a little bit interesting, but I’m just happy for her. She’s put in all the time and effort and all the long hours on the course and the range.”
When not being involved with the Spirit Golf Program, Kalleigh will be hard at work in the classroom majoring in Psychology.
Click on the link above to access photos from the signing. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: Kalleigh signs between mom Kirsten and dad Jon
Fulton County Ohio Media 