News

BUCKEYE DIVISION

BROOKVILLE BLUE DEVILS

Coach: Jay Fullenkamp

2025: 10-2

2026 opener: at Parkway, Aug. 21

Brookville begins a new era without moving far from the formula that produced another double-digit-win season. Jay Fullenkamp takes over after Mike Hetrick retired following 25 seasons as head coach. Fullenkamp has spent 27 years teaching and coaching in the district and previously coordinated a defense that helped Brookville reach six consecutive postseasons. The Blue Devils went 10-2 last season, winning their first eight games before falling to Valley View, then beating Fenwick in the playoffs before losing to CHCA. Brookville rushed for more than 3,300 yards last season, with DJ Moore and Jake Lenser each approaching 1,000 yards. Maintaining that physical rushing identity while adjusting to new leadership will be the early storyline. 

Need to know: Brookville has a new head coach, but Fullenkamp’s long history inside the program should make the transition considerably smoother than a typical coaching change.

CARLISLE INDIANS

Coach: Josh Koogle

2025: 10-3

2026 opener: vs. Milton-Union, Aug. 21

Carlisle’s challenge has changed after a breakthrough season. The Indians went 10-3 in 2025 and reached a Division V regional semifinal while producing one of the SWBL’s most explosive offenses. Running back Alex Collins returns after leading the league with 1,566 rushing yards, giving Carlisle an established centerpiece after an offseason that brought change elsewhere in the backfield. The Indians amassed 2,885 rushing yards and 2,377 passing yards last season, finishing among the league leaders in both categories. Carlisle’s 2025 run included wins over Oakwood, Waynesville and Franklin before a 40-36 postseason loss to North Union. The Indians are no longer trying to prove they can contend. The question is whether they can turn last season’s breakthrough into sustained success. 

Need to know: Collins gives Carlisle one of the league’s premier returning offensive weapons after a 1,566-yard junior season.

EATON EAGLES

Coach: Brad Davis

2025: 2-8

2026 opener: vs. Greenville, Aug. 21

Eaton enters 2026 searching for ways to turn competitive stretches into victories. The Eagles finished 2-8 last season, beating Richmond and Madison, but several losses showed they weren’t far away. Eaton took 10-win Brookville to overtime before falling 29-28 and lost 21-17 to Waynesville the following week. The schedule again provides an immediate measuring stick, beginning with Greenville before games against Richmond and Talawanda. League play includes road trips to Oakwood, Valley View and Carlisle. A program that struggled to generate consistency in 2025 has evidence that it can compete with the division’s better teams. Finishing those games is the next step. 

Need to know: Eaton finished only 2-8, but its one-point overtime loss to 10-win Brookville showed the Eagles were more competitive than the record suggested.

MADISON MOHAWKS

Coach: Evan Crim

2025: 1-9

2026 opener: at Preble Shawnee, Aug. 21

Madison enters Evan Crim’s second season focused on raising expectations after going 1-9 during the first year of a rebuild. The Mohawks’ lone victory came 32-15 against Blanchester, while a young roster endured a difficult Buckeye Division schedule that included Brookville, Valley View and Carlisle. Crim has emphasized rebuilding the program’s physical identity, accountability and leadership after Madison endured several lean seasons following its 2018 regional championship run. Senior Ethan Ketchum figures prominently in that leadership effort, while Noah McCracken is among the younger players Madison can continue developing. The immediate goal is progress — becoming more competitive snap to snap and turning another offseason in Crim’s system into tangible results. 

Need to know: Year 2 under Crim is about converting the foundation established last season into more competitive Friday nights.

OAKWOOD LUMBERJACKS

Coach: Jay Lane

2025: 6-4

2026 opener: at West Carrollton, Aug. 21

Oakwood was one of the Buckeye Division’s most intriguing teams last season. The Lumberjacks opened 5-0 before losing 20-19 to eventual champion Valley View and finished 6-4. Oakwood generated the SWBL’s most productive passing attack statistically, with Zach Lutz throwing for 2,460 yards and Michael Woeste leading the league with 972 receiving yards. The Lumberjacks scored at least 28 points in each of their first five games and showed an ability to stretch defenses that contrasted with many of the league’s run-heavy attacks. The issue was finishing against the division’s strongest teams: Oakwood lost consecutive games to Valley View, Brookville and Carlisle. Becoming more consistent against the contenders could determine whether Oakwood moves from dangerous to championship-caliber. 

Need to know: Oakwood started 5-0 last season and finished 6-4, making performance against the Buckeye’s top teams the key to taking another step.

VALLEY VIEW SPARTANS

Coach: Matt King

2025: 11-2

2026 opener: at Coldwater, Aug. 21

Valley View again sets the standard in the Buckeye Division. The Spartans recovered from a 49-48 overtime loss to Coldwater in last year’s opener to win 11 consecutive games, sweep their six division contests and advance to a Division IV regional semifinal. Valley View rushed for 2,849 yards and 42 touchdowns, while Brodie Hopkins led the team with 893 yards on the ground. Quarterback Brody Gibbs threw for 1,278 yards and the Spartans repeatedly showed their versatility during the run, winning shootouts and defensive battles. Valley View’s only other loss came 41-14 to Indian Hill in the regional semifinal. The schedule starts with another trip to Coldwater and includes early tests against Franklin and Bellbrook before the Buckeye race begins in earnest. 

Need to know: Valley View won 11 straight games after losing its 2025 opener and remains the team everyone in the Buckeye Division is chasing.

WAYNESVILLE SPARTANS

Coach: Ben Johnson

2025: 4-6

2026 opener: vs. Clinton-Massie, Aug. 21

Waynesville has a proven playmaker to build around as it tries to climb back toward the top of the division. Junior wide receiver Tyce Rutledge returns after earning honorable mention All-Ohio recognition following a season in which he caught 43 passes for 792 yards and five touchdowns. Waynesville finished 4-6 last year, but its passing offense produced 1,534 yards behind quarterback Gregory Marlow. The Spartans will be tested immediately with Clinton-Massie, Greeneview and Hillsboro among their first three opponents. Johnson enters his sixth season at Waynesville with a program that has already experienced league-title and postseason contention during the current upperclassmen’s careers. More consistency around Rutledge could make the Spartans a difficult matchup in the Buckeye race. 

Need to know: Rutledge, an honorable mention All-Ohio receiver as a sophomore, gives Waynesville a legitimate game-changing threat.

SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION

BELLBROOK GOLDEN EAGLES

Coach: Jeff Jenkins

2025: 6-5

2026 opener: at Tippecanoe, Aug. 21

Bellbrook remains one of the Southwestern Division’s most established programs despite a 6-5 finish last season. The Golden Eagles started 2-3 against a difficult nonleague schedule before winning four of their final five regular-season games, including victories over Edgewood, Monroe, Oakwood and Ross. Their season ended with a Division III playoff loss to Alter. Bellbrook has qualified for the postseason seven times in eight years and entered last year’s playoffs having won at least one postseason game in five consecutive seasons. Jenkins’ program has made deep postseason runs before, including two regional-final appearances, so expectations extend beyond simply making the playoffs. The 2026 schedule again provides an immediate test with Tippecanoe, Bellefontaine, Valley View and Chaminade Julienne before league play. 

Need to know: Bellbrook has developed into a postseason regular and should again be squarely in the Southwestern Division championship conversation.

EDGEWOOD COUGARS

Coach: Matt Root

2025: 4-6

2026 opener: at Oak Hills, Aug. 21

Edgewood is returning to familiar roots under a familiar face. Matt Root, a former Cougars quarterback, takes over after a 4-6 season with plans to restore the physical, Wing-T identity long associated with the program. Edgewood showed flashes last year, beating Fenwick, Chaminade Julienne, Ross and Monroe, while Brody O’Banion rushed for 896 yards to finish among the league leaders. The Cougars were also competitive in losses to Southwestern champion Franklin and Buckeye champion Valley View. Root inherits players who have experienced varsity football and has emphasized toughness and consistency as the foundation for the transition. Edgewood opens at Oak Hills before facing Miamisburg, Badin and Fenwick, giving the Cougars little time to ease into the new system. 

Need to know: Root is bringing the Wing-T and a physical identity back to Edgewood as the former Cougars quarterback begins his first season as head coach.

FRANKLIN WILDCATS

Coach: Brad Childers

2025: 4-6, Southwestern champion

2026 opener: vs. Butler, Aug. 21

Few teams had a stranger path to a championship than Franklin last season. The Wildcats started 0-5 before beating Monroe, Bellbrook, Ross and Edgewood in succession to finish unbeaten in Southwestern Division play and capture their first league championship since 2019. Brad Childers accomplished it in the first year of his second stint as Franklin’s head coach. The challenge is different in 2026 after the graduation of a 19-player senior class that drove last year’s turnaround. Franklin must replace experience while carrying the expectations that come with defending a championship. The front of the schedule again offers little margin for error with Butler, Valley View, Fenwick and Talawanda among the early opponents. 

Need to know: Franklin went from 0-5 to league champion last season; repeating will require a much younger roster to handle the target that comes with that title.

MONROE HORNETS

Coach: Brad Hunt

2025: 2-8

2026 opener: at Loveland, Aug. 21

Monroe begins a new chapter with a coach who already knows the program. Longtime assistant Brad Hunt takes over after the Hornets finished 2-8 and went winless in Southwestern Division play for a third consecutive season. Hunt retained much of the existing staff, allowing Monroe to make a coaching transition without completely starting over schematically. The focus is restoring what Hunt sees as traditional Monroe football — physical, aggressive play from the opening whistle through the finish. The Hornets produced wins over Ponitz and Eaton last season but scored seven points or fewer in four of their final five games. Improving that consistency, particularly offensively, is central to Monroe’s turnaround effort. 

Need to know — Hunt isn’t measuring Year 1 by a specific win total; the priority is making Monroe a physical, aggressive football team again.

ROSS RAMS

Coach: Kenyon Commins

2025: 3-7

2026 opener: at Wyoming, Aug. 21

Ross enters 2026 with considerably more experience than it carried a year ago. The Rams finished 3-7 last season, but many younger players were forced into significant roles because the roster included only seven seniors. This year’s group includes 20 seniors, several of whom have played varsity football since their freshman or sophomore seasons. Ross also brings back Eric Geiser as offensive coordinator, with Commins looking for greater diversity after years built primarily around the triple option. The Rams still rushed for 2,194 yards last season, third-most among the SWBL teams listed in the league statistics. Experience along with a refreshed offensive approach gives Ross reason to expect improvement in Commins’ 11th season. 

Need to know — Ross jumps from seven seniors last season to 20 this fall, giving Commins one of his most experienced groups in recent years.

The Southwestern Buckeye League boys soccer season begins with familiar contenders at the top and several teams hoping returning talent can close the gap.

Monroe and Oakwood captured division championships last fall, while Bellbrook, Waynesville and Dayton Christian finished close behind. The league enters 2026 with significant turnover among its leading scorers, creating opportunities for a new group of players to emerge.

Monroe went unbeaten in Southwestern Division play last season, finishing 9-0-1 in the league and 12-4-2 overall. Bellbrook was right behind at 8-1-1 and finished 14-3-2 overall. Talawanda placed third at 5-5, followed by Ross, Franklin and Edgewood. 

The Hornets will have to replace Caden Gronostaj, who graduated after producing 45 points and a league-best 15 assists. Bellbrook also lost one of the SWBL’s most productive finishers in Sean Markland, who scored 18 goals as a senior.

That turnover could make the Southwestern Division one of the league’s more intriguing races.

Talawanda went 8-10 overall despite its .500 league record, while Franklin finished 7-7-4. Ross and Edgewood will look to make moves after combining for four league victories last season.

Oakwood was perfect against Buckeye Division competition in 2025.

The Lumberjacks went 7-0 in league play and 14-4-2 overall, finishing one game ahead of Waynesville, which went 6-1 in the division and 12-8 overall. Dayton Christian wasn’t far behind at 5-2 and finished 11-6-2.

Oakwood also returns goalkeeper Carson Franklin, who was a junior last season and recorded 9.6 shutouts, the second-highest total in the SWBL. Dayton Christian could have sophomore goalkeeper Cole Woodall back after he posted nine shutouts and 125 saves as a sophomore.

Brookville might have the league’s biggest returning offensive weapon.

Sam Seitz produced 51 points as a sophomore last season, finishing second in the SWBL behind teammate Branson King. Seitz scored 19 goals and added 13 assists for a Brookville team that went 13-4-2 overall. King graduated after leading the league with 59 points and 23 goals. 

Several of the SWBL’s other top scorers are also gone. Valley View’s Cy Morris and Franklin’s Ousmane Guisse each scored 21 goals as seniors, while Monroe’s Gronostaj and Bellbrook’s Markland were among the league’s five highest scorers.

That leaves Seitz as the most accomplished returning scorer from last year’s leaderboard and gives Brookville a proven centerpiece as it attempts to climb from its 3-3-1 Buckeye Division finish.

Goalkeeping could also play a significant role in the division races.

Carlisle’s Jake Fox led the SWBL with 207 saves as a junior last season, while Eaton’s Joel Appledorn recorded 183 saves as a sophomore. Edgewood’s Alex Hulshult had 170 saves as a sophomore, giving all three teams experienced keepers returning to programs looking to improve their position in the standings.

Oakwood remains the standard in the Buckeye after running through league play without a loss, while Monroe enters the fall defending a Southwestern championship earned without a league defeat.

The challengers aren’t far away. Bellbrook won 14 games last season, Waynesville won 12 and Dayton Christian won 11. Brookville won 13 despite finishing fourth in its division.

With many of last season’s biggest offensive names gone, the 2026 SWBL race could ultimately come down to which teams replace those goals the quickest — and which returning players are ready to become the league’s next stars.

The Southwestern Buckeye League girls soccer season enters 2026 with defending champions looking to stay at the top, plenty of proven talent returning and several programs looking to close the gap.

Oakwood and Ross set the pace last fall.

Oakwood swept through the Buckeye Division at 7-0 and finished 18-3-1 overall, while Ross and Bellbrook shared the Southwestern Division championship with matching 9-1 league records. Ross finished 17-3-1 overall.

Both races could have a different look this season after graduation took several of the league’s most productive players, including Valley View’s Hayden Sorrell, Waynesville’s Chloe Dunford, Bellbrook’s Mara Donnerberg and Dayton Christian’s Essie Moore.

Sorrell led the SWBL with 53 points and 22 goals, while Dunford finished with 51 points on 19 goals and 13 assists.

Ross has one of the league’s top returning offensive threats in Ava Bush.

Bush broke onto the scene as a freshman with 18 goals and 11 assists for 47 points, ranking third in the SWBL. Her return gives the Rams a proven scorer as they attempt to defend their share of the Southwestern title.

Ross also returns goalkeeper Mia Michel, who recorded an SWBL-best 18 shutouts as a sophomore.

Bellbrook must replace Donnerberg’s 18 goals and 43 points after sharing the division championship with Ross. Goalkeeper Danielle Heiny returns after recording six shutouts as a sophomore.

Monroe could be a team to watch after finishing third at 4-4-2 in league play and 7-7-4 overall. Goalkeeper Kendall Atha recorded six shutouts as a freshman.

Talawanda finished 3-5-2 in the division, followed by Franklin at 1-7-2 and Edgewood at 1-9.

Oakwood remains the team to catch after going unbeaten in SWBL play and winning 18 games overall.

The Lumberjills return an important piece in goal with Camryn “Shady” Camacho, who recorded 17 shutouts as a junior.

The chase behind Oakwood was tight last season. Brookville finished 5-2 in league play, Waynesville went 4-2-1 and Valley View finished 4-3. Eaton wasn’t far behind at 3-2-2.

Valley View must replace the league’s leading scorer in Sorrell, but Madison Schmidt returns after leading the SWBL with 20 assists as a junior.

Waynesville faces a similar challenge after losing Dunford, while Eaton returns Autumn Gillenwater, who recorded 13 assists as a junior, and goalkeeper Miley Moore, who posted six shutouts as a sophomore.

Dayton Christian finished 2-5 in league play, followed by Middletown Madison at 1-5-1 and Carlisle at 0-7.

Carlisle goalkeeper Annie Steckel returns after leading the SWBL with 325 saves as a junior.

Bush headlines the returning offensive talent after producing 47 points during her freshman season. Schmidt gives Valley View one of the league’s premier playmakers, while Gillenwater provides Eaton with another proven creator.

The SWBL also returns considerable experience in goal. Michel and Camacho combined for 35 shutouts last season, while Atha, Heiny and Moore have already established themselves at the varsity level.

Oakwood, Ross and Bellbrook enter 2026 with championships to defend. With several of last season’s leading scorers gone, however, the opportunity is there for a new group of players — and perhaps a new contender or two — to emerge.

Congratulations to Madison junior Logan Andersen on being the Champion of the Brookville Golf Invitational at Beechwood Golf Course!