Crawford 15: No. 9 and 10 boast experience to lead the youth

Editor's Note: This is the third of a series.

We head back to the links and onto the basketball court this week in the Crawford 15.

League titles and lengthy postseason trips are the goals for this week's inclusions.

Let's see who earned spots in this week's Crawford 15.

More: Crawford 15: No. 11 and 12 eager to take a big step forward

More: Crawford 15: No. 13-15 are eager to exceed expectations in spring and fall

10. Wynford Golf

2021 Record: Girls (3rd in Northern 10) & Boys (3rd in Northern 10)

You'd be hard-pressed to find a better golf program in the greater area this upcoming fall than Wynford's – boys and girls have their sights set on glory.

Starting with the girls, they've been knocking on the door for the past few seasons but Colonel Crawford would not let them in. Now with a new wave of Eagles playing alongside their few returners, it's Wynford that boasts one of – if not the most – veteran squads in the area.

It all starts with senior Jordyn Alspach whose 44.43 nine-hole average was third-best in the Northern 10 behind Colonel Crawford's Lucy Myers (43.86) and Upper Sandusky's Liv Gier (43.93) and these three will duke it out again this season for supremacy in the league. Alongside Alspach will be classmates Melanie Johnson (56.38) and Kyliana Bennett (56.29), junior Gabby May, and sophomores Addison Lust and Allie Burris.

Outside of their two losses to league champion Colonel Crawford, the Royals lost their other two matches by a combined one stroke – one decided by a tiebreak. Last year Wynford had its first ever district qualifying team and gained valuable experience playing at one of the most difficult district tournaments in the state. Coach Sean Weisenauer is hoping that little taste of the postseason is enough to make his team hungry for more this year.

And on the boys side, Wynford surprised a lot of teams last season without a single senior on the roster. The Royals went 5-2 in league play and placed third overall led by talented sophomore Weston Prenger whose 43.88 average as a freshman ranked 10th in the league. He's not alone, either, as rising junior Micah Greene was a mere one-hundredth of a stroke behind him (43.89) – both landed on the N10 second team – while senior Dylon Robinson (46.00) and sophomore Drew Johnson (48.22) were honorable mentions.

Wynford has never won a league title in golf – boys or girls – since joining the Northern 10 ahead of the 2015 season. But the Royals find themselves in a prime position to end that drought this fall and could make it a clean sweep.

9. Buckeye Central Girls Basketball

2021-22 Record: 26-2 overall, 16-0 Northern 10 (state semifinalist)

What a season it was for Buckeye Central last winter. The Buckettes made a run to the Division IV state semifinals before ultimately falling to state champion Waterford and boasted the Player of the Year in the state of Ohio along with the school's first ever four-time All-Ohioan.

But those players are now gone and it's time for a new generation to step into the limelight. If there's one thing Buckeye Central knows how to do, it's reload rather than rebuild.

Rising seniors Kate Siesel (6.4 ppg), Ryley Kantzer (5.6 ppg), Kennedy Deppen (5.0 ppg), Sydney Wurm (4.9 ppg), Paige Collene (1.3 rpg) and Kaitlyn Best will be expected to lead a younger group of girls. Nevaeh Metzger, Ella Evak, Kimmy Biglin and Mara McDougal are a few names that should see a big increase in court time this winter.

Though eyes on a state title likely won't be the case this season, the Buckettes will want to defend their N10 title and look to make it seven consecutive district championships come March. Anything after that is just the icing on top of what would be another phenomenal season.

Honorable Mention

Colonel Crawford Football

2021 Record: 10-2 overall, 6-1 Northern 10

Unprecedented back-to-back playoff appearances is how the last two seasons have gone for the Eagles and that included a league title in 2020 along with a quartet of postseason wins.

Gone is first team All-Ohio running back Lincoln Mollenkopf who left with more school records rushing than he didn't, as with a number of skill players and some key members of the line.

But returning is quarterback Kam Lohr (1,274 yards, 14 touchdowns), backup running backs Matt Clinard (685 yards, 12 touchdowns), Tanner Dyer (186 yards, three touchdowns and Micah Thomas (97 yards, three touchdowns), and dynamic playmaker Trevor Vogt (10 receptions, 144 yards) out wide.

And a number of returning linemen including honorable mention All-Ohio Parker Ketterman who is going to be a menace to opposing teams on both sides of the ball.

It will be another brutal season in the N10 with so much parity at the top, but it shouldn't surprise anyone if Colonel Crawford is battling for a league title over the final weeks of the season.

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Crawford 15: Experience to lead the youth for No. 9 and 10