Ottawa-Glandorf’s Grant Schroeder tries to get past Wapakoneta’s Nate Metzger during a game at Wapakoneta last season.
Don Speck | The Lima News
OTTAWA — It’s been a while since anyone looked at Ottawa-Glandorf’s record at the end of a football season and found only two wins.
Coming off a 2-8 season, the Titans aim to put last year behind them this fall and hopefully get back to the business of being a contender in the Western Buckeye League and collecting playoff points.
“We competed in every game. We just were young. Physically we were out-sized. But our kids battled in every single game. Hopefully, we used that as a motivator in the offseason,” Ottawa-Glandorf coach Ken Schriner said.
While the Titans’ wins in 2022 were over a winless Bath team and a 1-9 Kenton team, they were competitive in losses by a single score against Wapakoneta, Celina and Defiance, all of whom finished in the top half of the WBL standings.
O-G made some changes in its offseason program. Schriner, in his 28th year as O-G’s head coach hopes to see results from that on the field.
“We had a great offseason program. School-wise we hired a strength and conditioning coach, which really changed what we did in the offseason. We’re faster, we’re stronger. We’ve changed our bodies. Hopefully, we’re going to see some good things this year,” he said.
The Titans have six returning starters on offense and four starters back on defense.
Junior Peyton Kuhlman, who became the starting quarterback during last season, will have that job from day one this year.
“He’s a little bit stronger. He reads things better. We have pretty high expectations for what he’s doing.” Schriner said.
“He had a good preseason. We only had three 7 on 7’s. I’m not a big 7 on 7 guy but he really did some nice things in those 7 on 7’s. My concern is depth. We don’t have a lot of depth so we have to be a little bit careful with him. We don’t want get crazy.”
Kuhlman passed for 893 yards and four touchdowns last season. Grant Schroeder was the leading receiver with 24 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns.
Guards Connor Kitchen and tackle Austin Haley are returning starters on the offensive line. Will Gulker is the first-team center and Hayden Kaufman is at the other tackle.
Dylan Siefker is the backup center, Trevor Strite backs up both guards and Derek Brown is the backup tackle.
Grant Schroeder will start at the Y receiver position and Dane Duling is the leader to play the X receiver position in the Titans’ spread offense. Griffin Seimet also could play at X. At the Z position, Ethan Metzger and Jordan Metzger “are interchangeable,” Schriner said. Alec Schroeder and Nick Ellerbrock are the H backs and Vinnie Brinkman and Grant Evers are the tailbacks.
On the defensive line, Haley at nose guard and Kitchen at end are returning starters. Hayden Kaufman is the other starting end. Niese is the back-up nose guard and Gulker and Griffin Beckett are back-ups at end.
Alec Schroeder was the starting middle linebacker last season until suffering a knee injury. Jayden Stechschulte is the weak side linebacker and also the back-up quarterback. Brinkman is the strong side linebacker. Zeke Mendez, Kaiden Fenbert and Strite are back-ups. Grant Schroeder and Duling are the outside linebackers with Mason Vogt as the back-up.
Grant Evers and Griffin Seimet are the cornerbacks and Jordan Metzger is the free safety. Ethan Metzger backs up the cornerbacks and Logan Maas is the back-up safety.
Tyler Hohenbrink is the kicker and Kitchen is the punter.
“A lot of guys are playing two ways. We’re trying to develop depth as much as we can with the younger guys,” Schriner said.
O-G will open at home against Eastwood on Aug. 18.
TEAM PROFILE
Coach: Ken Schriner (28th season)
Division: V
Last year’s record: 2-8 (2-7 WBL)
Key returnees: Grant Schroeder (Sr., WR/DB), Connor Kitchen (Sr., OL/DL), Cooper Niese (Sr., OL/DL) Jordan Metzger (Sr., WR/DB), Alec Schroeder (Sr., RB/LB), Nick Ellerbrock (Sr., RB/LB), Tyler Hohenbrink (Sr., K), Peyton Kuhlman (Jr., QB), Austin Haley (Jr., OL/DL, Vinnie Brinkman (Jr., RB/LB), Ethan Metzger (Soph., WR/DB)
Top newcomers: Trevor Strite (Sr., OL/DL), Griffin Seimet (Sr., WR/DB), Wes Schroeder (Sr., OL/DL), Grant Kahle (Sr., OL/DL), Dane Duling (Jr., RB/LB), Grant Evers (Jr., WR/DB), Hayden Kaufman (Jr., OL/DL), Jayden Stechschulte (Jr., RB/LB), Derek Brown (Soph., OL/DL), Jayden Guerra (Soph., OL/DL), Will Gulker (Soph., OL/DL), Logan Maas (Soph., WR/DB), Kaiden Fenbert (Soph., RB/LB), Masen Vogt (Soph., WR/LB)
2023 schedule
(Kickoffs scheduled for 7 p.m.; subject to change)
Aug. 18 — at Eastwood
Aug. 25 — at Kenton
Sept. 1 — Wapakoneta
Sept. 8 — at Elida
Sept. 15 — St. Marys
Sept. 22 — Bath
Sept. 29 — at Van Wert
Oct. 6 — at Celina
Oct. 13 — Shawnee
Oct. 20 — Defiance
