Countdown to football: Elmwood

ELMWOOD 2024 Record: 0-10 (0-8 BVC)Head coach: J.T. Bates, 1st yearKEY GAME: Sept. 5, at home with Leipsic. Elmwood will be undergoing some transitional changes this season. T.J. Bates has replaced Greg Bishop as head coach. The graduation of 10 players and last year's small junior class means a lot of young players will be front and center. Even the schedule – Evergreen in Week 1 and then Eastwood last year; Lakota first and then Huron this year – is different. Elmwood's first three games are at home, though. That should help with the transition with a new coach and a new system, with the Week 3 BVC opener with Leipsic likely being a truer indication of the team's direction and potential.INTERESTING FACT: With Elmwood replacing Eastwood with Huron in the Week 2 slot in its schedule, one of Northwest Ohio's longest-running rivalries – the Battle of the Woods – will come to an end and the Log Trophy awarded the winner will likely be shelved. The two schools, just 18 miles apart, started going head to head in the 1960s when both were members of the Northern Lakes League. The rivalry ran for almost 70 seasons, and while Eastwood had a big 48-17-1 edge in the series, recent matchups have highlighted the competitive nature of the game. In 2021 Elmwood's Mason Oliver rushed for 355 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-49 Royals win that ended a 20-game losing streak to Eastwood. A year later, Eastwood won 49-48 by breaking up a to-point conversion pass with just over a minute left on the clock. Elmwood then turned around and upended Eastwood in the Division V playoffs. Eastwood has won the last two matchups handily, 42-7 in 2023 and 49-6 last season.MAGIC NUMBER: 1. Elmwood has had some up and down seasons over the years. The Royals were 10-2 in 2021, and the following year went 12-2 and reached the Division V regional championship game. On the other end of the ledger, they were 1-9 in 2013, 2014 and 2017. Going off last year's roster, Elmwood dressed five juniors and 28 freshmen and sophomores, so they will be young and inexperienced again this season. What young and inexperienced teams need most, especially coming off an 0-10 season, is a win, even one. That's something they can build ion. ELMWOOD2025 SCHEDULEDate Opponent Home/AwayAug. 22 Lakota H 29 Huron HSept. 5 Leipsic* H 12 Ada* A 19 Liberty-Benton* H 26 Pandora-Gilboa* AOct. 3 Arlington* A 10 Riverdale* H 17 Van Buren* H 24 McComb* A*Blanchard Valley Conference games