2023 NWO High School Conference Realignment Guide
Volume 2 Issue 31
2023 has a lot of high schools in new places. Over a dozen schools have realigned in some way. Realignment at this scale hasn’t been seen in our area in over a decade. Here is a conference-by-conference breakdown to prepare you for this school year.
Blanchard Valley Conference
The BVC lost two and gained one. Elmwood will be joining the conference after a dozen seasons in the NBC where they were founding members. Leaving the BVC is Cory-Rawson, who has been a member for the entirety of their school’s history, and North Balitmore, who joined in 2014. Both Cory-Rawson and North Baltimore will be joining the Northwest Central Conference. Also of note, Vanlue will not be competing in the conference in football.
Teams: Arcadia, Arlignton, Elmwood, Fin. Liberty-Benton, McComb, Pandora-Gilboa, Riverdale, Van Buren, Vanlue.
Buckeye Border Conference
The BBC has not changes for this season. This league does not sponsor football.
Teams: Edon, Fayette, Hilltop, Holgate, Montpelier, North Central, Pettisville, Stryker
Catholic High School League
All five major Toledo catholic schools have joined the Detroit-based CHSL. The CHSL features many schools which are split into divisions for boys and girls. Not all teams will be listed are there are too many.
Teams: Toledo Central Catholic, Notre Dame Academy (Girls), St. Francis (Boys), St. John’s (Boys), St. Ursula (Girls)
Firelands Conference
The conference has no member changes but New London will not field a football team.
Teams: Ash. Crestview, Mapleton, Monroeville, New London, Norwalk St. Paul, Plymouth, South Central, Western Reserve
Green Meadows Conference
The GMC has no changes for this season.
Teams: Antwerp, Def. Ayersville, Def. Tinora, Edgerton, Fairview, Hav. Wayne Trace, Hicksville, Paulding
Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference
Highland will begin play as a football member after all other sports joined last season.
Teams: Caledonia River Valley, Clear Fork, Galion, Highland, Marion Harding, Marion Pleasant, Ontario, Shleby
Midwest Athletic Conference
The MAC has no changes for this season.
Teams: Anna (FB only), Coldwater, Delphos St. John’s, Fort Recovery, Maria Stein Marion Local, Minster, New Bremen, New Knoxville, Parkway, St. Henry, Versailes
Northern Buckeye Conference
The NBC will have realignment for the first time in the conference’s history. Elmwood has departed for the BVC and Woodmore has left for the SBC-River. Joining the NBC will be Maumee from the NLL and Oak Harbor from the SBC-Bay.
Teams: Eastwood, Fostoria, Genoa, Lake, Maumee, Oak Harbor, Otsego, Rossford
Northern Lakes League
The NLL has seen a huge shake-up. All the public schools, minus Lima Senior, from the TRAC have joined to create an 11-school league. The NLL also lost founding member Maumee who left for the NBC. With eleven schools the NLL will utilize two divisions, named the Buckeye and Cardinal, to split the conference between bigger and smaller schools.
Buckeye Div. - Anthony Wayne, Findlay, Perrysburg, Sylvania Northview, Whitmer
Cardinal Div. - Bowling Green, Fremont Ross, Napoleon, Oregon Clay, Springfield (Buckeye Div. for FB), Sylvania Southview
Northern 10
Although only with 8 schools, the N10 has no changes for this year.
Teams: Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Carey, Colonel Crawford, Mohawk, Seneca East, Upper Sandusky, Wynford
Northwest Central Conference
The NWCC has added two members, Cory-Rawson and North Baltimore from the BVC. The brings the conference to 10 members for all sports.
Teams: Cory-Rawson, Crestline (FB Only), Hardin Northern, Lima Perry, North Balitmore, Ridgedale, Ridgemont, Temple Christian (No FB), Upper Scioto Valley, Waynesfield-Goshen
Northwest Conference
The NWC didn’t have any movement this year, but things will be shaking up by next school year with the departure of Ada and Leipsic.
Teams: Ada, Allen East, Bluffton, Columbus Grove, Convoy Crestview, Delphos Jefferson, Leipsic, Lincolnview (No FB), Spencerville
Northwest Ohio Athletic League
The NWOAL had no changes this year.
Teams: Archbold, Bryan, Delta, Evergreen, Liberty Center, Montpelier (Wrestling only), Patrick Henry, Swanton, Wauseon
Putnam County League
There are no changes to the PCL this year. The PCL does not sponsor all sports. Columbus Grove, Leipsic and Pandora-Gilboa are members of the PCL and their respective league for all sports offered.
Teams: Columbus Grove, Continental, Fort Jennings, Kalida, Leipsic, Miller City, Ottoville, Pandora-Gilboa
Sandusky Bay Conference
There was a lot of movement for the SBC. Oak Harbor departed for the NBC. Woodmore joined this year in the SBC-River after departing the NBC. Bellevue will move down to the Bay Division for football only while Vermilion will move down for all sports. Willard moved down to the River for football only. And all soccer schools will not have division but instead play in one large league with just one match against each school.
Lake Division - Bellevue, Clyde, Norwalk, Perkins, Sandusky, Tiffin Columbian
Bay Division - Bellevue (FB Only), Edison, Huron, Margaretta, Port Clinton, Vermilion, Willard
River Division - Danbury (No FB), Fremont St. Joseph, Gibsonburg, Hopewell-Loudon, Lakota, Margaretta (FB Only), New Reigel (No FB), Old Fort (No FB), Sandusky St. Mary’s (No FB), Tiffin Calvert, Willard (FB Only), Woodmore
Toledo Area Athletic Conference
There were no changes in the TAAC this season.
Teams: Cardinal Stritch, Edon (FB Only), Emmanuel Christian (No FB), Hilltop (FB Only), Maumee Valley Country Day (No FB), Montpelier (FB Only), Northwood, Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian (No FB)
Toledo City League
Lima Senior has joined the TCL this year after the demise of the TRAC.
Teams: Bowsher, Lima Senior, Rogers, Scott, Start, Waite, Woodward
Western Buckeye League
The WBL had no changes this season.
Teams: Celina, Defiance, Elida, Kenton, Lima Bath, Lima Shawnee, Ottawa-Glandorf, St. Marys Memorial, Van Wert Wapakoneta
Leading Updates
Colin White (Ottawa-Glandorf) commits to Ohio State basketball.
Notable Game Updates
On August 6th Chris Bassitt (Curtice/Genoa) earned the win for the Blue Jays over the Red Sox.
On August 6th Natasha Howard (Toledo/Waite) had 24 points in a Wings loss to the Sky.
On August 6th Zia Cooke (Toledo/Rogers) had 10 points in a Sparks win over the Mystics.
On August 9th Jase Bowen (Northwood/Toledo Central Catholic) went 3-for-6 with a home run and 4 RBIs for the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers.
Interesting Reads
Back in Toledo, Rockets linebacker Gant has never been happier playing football
After injury-shortened rookie season, Tycen Anderson is full go for the Bengals
Sylvania Athletic Hall of Fame to add 11 individuals, 2 teams
Ottawa-Glandorf's Colin White commits to Ohio State men's basketball
How we got here: Timeline for conference realignment in Toledo area
Experienced Southview football team looks to take another step forward
Kruse triplets help raise level of intensity for Liberty Center football
St. Francis, St. John's hockey programs to join new statewide league
Just For Fun
First Fall Team State Champion from each county
Allen - 1981 Allen East Boys Cross Country
Auglaize - 1982 Minster Girls Cross Country
Crawford - 1985 Galion Football
Defiance - 1975 Def. Ayersville Boys Cross Country
Erie - 1987 Perkins Boys Cross Country
Fulton - 1978 Archbold Volleyball
Hancock - 1974 Findlay Boys Cross Country
Hardin - 2001 Kenton Football
Henry - 1997 Liberty Center Football
Huron - 1974 Norwalk Football
Lucas - 1934 Toledo Scott Boys Cross Country
Marion - 1952 Marion Harding Boys Cross Country
Mercer - 1985 St. Henry Volleyball
Ottawa - 1979 Woodmore Boys Golf
Paulding - 1992 Antwerp Volleyball
Putnam - 2003 Columbus Grove Football
Sandusky - 1970 Lakota Boys Cross Country
Seneca - 1976 Tiffin Calvert Boys Golf
Van Wert - 2020 Van Wert Football
Williams - 1991 Hilltop Volleyball
Wood - 1979 Perrysburg Volleyball
Wyandot - 1975 Carey Football