DEEP BALL … Archbold receiver Morgan Harris goes between two LC defenders and pulls down a 34-yard reception in the first quarter.
PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
NWOAL SHOWDOWN … Aranjer Krieger makes a move after the catch for the Bluestreaks in last Friday’s NWOAL showdown with Liberty Center.
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
ARCHBOLD (October 24, 2025) – For the first twenty minutes of the first half, the underdog Archbold Bluestreaks went toe-to-toe with powerhouse Liberty Center in building a 14-0 lead.
From that point on, the Tigers put to bed any thoughts of an Archbold upset. Liberty Center would get a touchdown just before halftime to start a run of 33 unanswered points for a 33-14 win at Bluestreak Stadium.
The victory was their 45th-straight regular season win, clinched a fourth-straight NWOAL title, and secured their fourth-straight 10-0 regular season.
The teams exchanged missed field goals on their opening possessions and after Archbold quarterback Maddox Pinter coughed up the football, the Tigers were in business at the Archbold 18-yard line following the turnover.
Archbold’s defense stiffened though by forcing a three-and-out which resulted in another Liberty Center missed FG to keep the game scoreless.
Archbold’s next drive would move to the 23-yard line of the Tigers after converting on a fourth-and-one with a 30-yard Pinter to Anderson Bentley completion.
On the next play, Pinter’s pass to the end zone was intercepted by Kaden Sonnenberg for the second Archbold turnover of the first stanza.
The Bluestreaks would get the ball back just three plays later as Liberty Center quarterback Kaden Kreinbrink would throw an interception to give Archbold the ball at the LC 46-yard line.
A 15-yard late hit penalty against the Tigers and a 16-yard run by Ryder Ryan put Archbold at the Tigers’ 14 where on third down, Pinter found Bentley on a screen pass for a touchdown to give Archbold a 7-0 lead with 8:56 to go in the first half.
The Tigers responded with a ground-and-pound drive with junior running back Garrison Kruse carrying the load.
On the tenth play of the drive, the Tigers fumbled at the Archbold two-yard line for their second turnover of the night and Archbold quickly turned that into points.
Two run plays took the ball out to the 15-yard line and Pinter would hit Ryan streaking down the sideline on a wheel route for an 85-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Archbold with 4:13 left in the half.
Liberty Center’s drive to end the half was a preview of things to come. A 16-yard pass to Kruse started the drive but a combination of Thomas Mohler and Kruse on the ground culminated in a 13-yard TD run by Mohler to cut the Archbold lead in half with :43 to go in the second quarter.
Liberty Center continued with the momentum on their second possession of the second half as Kruse galloped 90 yards on the first play after an Archbold punt to deadlock the game at 14-14 with 7:01 left in the third quarter.
Archbold would turn it over on the first play of their next drive as Mohler intercepted Pinter at the Archbold 37-yard line.
Seven straight runs by the Tigers moved the ball to the Bluestreak four-yard line but the Streaks were able to hold and force a 21-yard field goal by Max Walker to give LC their first lead of the night at 17-14.
The Tigers’ defense then turned in their biggest play of the night. Logan Sifuentes picked off a screen pass by Pinter over the middle on third down for the fourth Archbold turnover of the night.
Starting at the Archbold 40, Liberty Center needed just four plays to find pay dirt as Mohler took it in from five yards out for a 24-14 lead.
After an Archbold punt, the Tigers slammed the door as Mohler scampered 57 yards for his third score of the night and a 31-14 Tiger lead.
The Tigers capped off their 33-point run with a safety after tackling the Archbold punter in the end zone on a dropped snapped in the closing minutes.
Liberty Center outgained Archbold 469-294 on the night, with 420 on the ground, led by Kruse with 233 on 21 carries and Mohler with 155 on 18 totes.
Pinter hit on 16 of 28 passes for the Streaks for 254 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Ryan had three catches for 92 yards and Morgan Harris grabbed six passes for 89 yards.
Both teams had already clinched playoff spots coming into the game as both teams earned first round byes.
The Tigers will be the No. 1 seed in Division V, Region 18 and host the winner of the Oak Harbor-Eastwood game in the second round on November 7.
Archbold (8-2) will be the third seed in Division VI, Region 22 and host the winner of the Seneca East-Woodmore game also on November 7.
LCHS 0 7 10 16 – 33
AHS 0 14 0 0 – 14
A – Bentley 14-yd pass from Pinter (Sauder kick)
A – Ryan 85-yd pass from Pinter (Sauder kick)
LC – Mohler 13-yd run (Walker kick)
LC – Kruse 90-yd run (Walker kick)
LC – Mohler 5-yd run (Walker kick)
LC – Mohler 57-yd run (Walker kick)
LC – Safety
Source: The Village Reporter
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