Polar Bears need to stay healthy

CASTALIA — All football teams strive to stay healthy, but that is more important than ever this season at Margaretta. The Polar Bears will suit up just 35 players — including 11 freshmen — on a team that was hit hard by injuries last year before rebounding to make the playoffs in Division VI. "We've had a good summer. Guys paid the price in the weight room and all those good things," Margaretta coach Gary Quisno said. "We feel good about the year, but our numbers are down. There's 35 on our roster and that's by far the lowest we've ever had. "We got a good group of lettermen coming back, but we temper that will the fact that they got a lot of experience on a 4-6 football team so we're gonna try to get back on the winning side." Margaretta does have 10 seniors this year, up from three, so that's a positive. The Bears started 0-4 last year against a gauntlet of playoff teams that finished the 2025 season with a combined record of 35-12. The schedule isn't as daunting this season and Margaretta will play seven SBC River Division games with the addition of Northwood to the conference. Quisno has 16 letterwinners on the roster and the Bears won three of four after the rough start. Margaretta hung with powerful Hopewell-Loudon in the regular season and shut out Tiffin Calvert and Lakota. "It took us awhile to recover, but once we did we played pretty well," Quisno said. "We've got some experience and there are (young) guys who will play. I think we have enough Friday night players if we can keep them healthy. The young guys underneath them need to develop." Margaretta, one of the few area teams to play on real grass, will play on a new surface after the entire Duck Pond was reseeded. Offense The Bears return plenty of talent at the skill positions. Senior quarterback Jake Bouy threw for 739 yards last season and missed a couple games due to injury. "He started most of the year for us last year. He's gone to some camps and put some time in. He's looking good," Quisno said. "Like a lot of kids, he had a good track season. He has good foot speed, a good high jumper. He has some athletic ability and we'll ask him to run the ball a little more than we did last year." Bouy will take snaps under center in the Wing-T offense. Margaretta used a shotgun snap last year. "Just going back to maybe what I know best," Quisno said. "We've got a nice set of experienced running backs. We can highlight three of them plus the quarterback." Leading rusher Judah Keller returns after gaining 531 yards on the ground and scoring seven touchdowns. The tailback/fullback, who will enter his fourth season as a varsity standout, also missed time last year due to injury. "He's one of the most physical players I've been around," Quisno said. "He loves that part of it. He's one of our leading tacklers last year and this will be his fourth year as a starter. He's got great experience. Great leader, one of our captains." Jake Bouy and senior Brett Miller are the other captains. Tyson Bailey, a 206-pound junior, is another running option. He rushed for 310 yards and three touchdowns and also threw three touchdown passes when injuries moved him to quarterback. "Tyson Bailey is a good athlete and can play any of those running back positions," Quisno said. "He even played a little quarterback for us last year. He's that kind of athlete. He's got all the tools." Junior Carter Luzader, a backup quarterback, also will get some carries at running back. Senior Zack Buoy and sophomore Jace Berg add depth at running back. "All those guys have had success in other sports and did a nice job for us last year," Quisno said. Junior Kale Bailey and Luzader return as the top wide receivers. Bailey, a big split end target at 6-foot-3, caught 34 passes for 544 yards and three touchdowns last year. "He's a nice, big target," Quisno said. "Another track kid who's had some success. He's looked good." Luzader had 20 catches for 280 yards and three scores. Zack Buoy and junior Mason Reinbolt are other options at receiver. Mason Kromer, a 215-pound junior, will line up at tight end. Senior Cohen Gahler also plays tight end. Landon Weyer, a 250-pound junior, will start at left tackle while senior Robbie Cox holds down the right tackle position. Miller, Mason Yetter and Tyler Johnson will rotate at guard. Camden Hineline is the starting center and will be backed up by Miller. Senior Wyatt Goodrich started last year at guard and is another reliable lineman. "There's a lot of experience there," Quisno said. "We block angles more than anything. It's a gap scheme. We've got guys blocking down, kicking out with a little misdirection." Defense Weyer, Kromer and Goodrich will anchor the 3-4 defense on the line. Weyer was credited with 63 tackles and four quarterback sacks last year. Yetter, Hineline and 275-pound senior Camden Plumley, who is new to the program, provide depth on the defensive line. Miller heads up the linebackers after leading the Bears with 99 tackles last year. Tyson Bailey is another inside linebacker. Gahler (55 tackles, two sacks), Zack Bouy (60 tackles), Berg and Johnson will get playing time at outside linebacker. In the defensive backfield, Luzader and Keller are returning safeties. Keller made 87 tackles last year and Luzader made four interceptions. Mason Reinbolt and Kale Bailey will start at cornerback and Zack Bouy also can help in the secondary. Zack Bouy will be the punter and Jake Bouy, who did not miss an extra point last year, will handle placekicking duties. "I like our chemistry. The juniors and seniors are a close group," Quisno said. "They get along and push each other. We're cautiously optimistic. Obviously depth is a concern. If the injury bug hits it could derail things for us. "That's been the only disappointing thing so far — the kids who didn't come out and the numbers. We're in that low ebb in terms of kids coming out." 2025 schedule Aug. 22: at Vermilion, 7 p.m. Aug. 29: Western Reserve, 7 p.m. Sept. 5: Brookside, 7 p.m. Sept. 12: at Willard, 7 p.m. Sept. 19: Northwood, 7 p.m. Sept. 26: at Woodmore, 7 p.m. Oct. 3: at Hopewell-Loudon, 7 p.m. Oct. 10: at Tiffin Calvert, 7 p.m. Oct. 17: Lakota, 7 p.m. Oct. 24: Gibsonburg, 7 p.m. 2024 results (4-7) Vermilion 26, Margaretta 0 Western Reserve 42, Margaretta 14 Mohawk 36, Margaretta 14 Edon 41, Margaretta 7 Margaretta 26, Woodmore 7 Hopewell-Loudon 16, Margaretta 7 Margaretta 10, Tiffin Calvert 0 Margaretta 35, Lakota 0 Gibsonburg 14, Margaretta 7 (OT) Margaretta 50, Willard 14 Playoffs Hopewell-Loudon 43, Margaretta 8 2025 roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 1&emsp;Judah Keller&emsp;RB/DB&emsp;6-0&emsp;182&emsp;123&emsp;Zack Bouy&emsp;RB/DB&emsp;6-0&emsp;158&emsp;124&emsp;Brayden Ballard&emsp;WR/DB&emsp;5-4&emsp;114&emsp;95&emsp;Tyson Bailey&emsp;TE/LB&emsp;6-2&emsp;206&emsp;116&emsp;Vinny Barnette&emsp;RB/DB&emsp;5-2&emsp;110&emsp;97&emsp;Troy Pooch&emsp;QB/DB&emsp;5-11&emsp;151&emsp;108&emsp;Kale Bailey&emsp;WR/DB&emsp;6-3&emsp;168&emsp;1110&emsp;Gavin Grahl&emsp;QB/LB&emsp;5-10&emsp;166&emsp;911&emsp;Jake Buoy&emsp;QB/DB&emsp;6-0&emsp;175&emsp;1212&emsp;Caleb Reedy&emsp;RB/LB&emsp;5-9&emsp;152&emsp;913&emsp;Mason Kromer&emsp;TE/LB&emsp;6-1&emsp;215&emsp;1115&emsp;Lucas Greenawald&emsp;RB/DB&emsp;5-9&emsp;140&emsp;917&emsp;Carter Luzader&emsp;RB/DB&emsp;6-0&emsp;176&emsp;1119&emsp;Landon Starr&emsp;RB/LB&emsp;5-8&emsp;195&emsp;920&emsp;Tony Ramon-Quintero&emsp;RB/DB&emsp;5-7&emsp;138&emsp;1021&emsp;Hunter Grahl&emsp;WR/DB&emsp;5-11&emsp;175&emsp;1226&emsp;Cohen Gahler&emsp;TE/LB&emsp;6-1&emsp;202&emsp;1233&emsp;Mason Reinbolt&emsp;WR/DB&emsp;5-11&emsp;159&emsp;1143&emsp;Jace Berg&emsp;RB/LB&emsp;5-10&emsp;197&emsp;1050&emsp;Kaleb Weyer&emsp;OL/LB&emsp;5-6&emsp;145&emsp;952&emsp;Brett Miller&emsp;OL/LB&emsp;6-0&emsp;196&emsp;1253&emsp;Landon Weyer&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;6-1&emsp;250&emsp;1155&emsp;Tyler Johnson&emsp;OL/LB&emsp;6-0&emsp;174&emsp;1156&emsp;Robbie Cox&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;6-0&emsp;208&emsp;1263&emsp;Mason Yetter&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;5-11&emsp;222&emsp;1265&emsp;Camden Hineline&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;6-0&emsp;230&emsp;1167&emsp;Gavin LaMarca&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;5-8&emsp;250&emsp;1070&emsp;Wyatt Goodrich&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;6-0&emsp;180&emsp;1272&emsp;Connor Williams&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;5-4&emsp;182&emsp;974&emsp;Weston Conrad&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;5-5&emsp;182&emsp;975&emsp;Auden Lehrer&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;5-10&emsp;175&emsp;976&emsp;Camden Plumley&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;6-3&emsp;275&emsp;1278&emsp;Scottie Macek&emsp;OL/DL&emsp;6-3&emsp;228&emsp;1083&emsp;Landen Bettis&emsp;TE/LB&emsp;5-11&emsp;155&emsp;988&emsp;Brendyn Huber&emsp;TE/DL&emsp;5-11&emsp;214&emsp;10&emsp;