Countdown to football: Liberty-Benton

LIBERTY-BENTON 2024 Record: 10-2 (7-0, BVC)Head coach: Scott Garlock (10th year, 102-25)KEY GAME: Aug. 29, at Columbus Grove. L-B beat Grove 24-13 in 2021, the first meeting between the two schools. But the Bulldogs have dominated the last two matchups, outscoring L-B 66-28 in winning two straight. Whether a small D-VI or a big D-VII, Grove has attained an elite status by making three straight trips to the state semifinals. With L-B leaving the BVC for the bigger-school Northern Lakes League next season, this contest might serve as a good challenge before the Eagles make that jump.INTERESTING FACT: It will be a transitional year at Liberty-Benton as the school competes for the final time as a member of the Blanchard Valley Conference. The school accepted an invitation to join the Northern Lakes League and will be a member of that league's Cardinal Division beginning with the 2026-26 school year. Most notable will be the size of the schools. With an OHSAA-determined enrollment of 366 (163 boys, 203 girls) Liberty-Benton was by far the biggest school in the BVC, but will be the smallest school in the NLL Cardinal Division that includes Springfield (397-437—834), Sylvania Southview (406-408—814), Fremont Ross (400-400—800), Bowling Green (344-330—674) and Napoleon (236-200—436) – currently comprise the Cardinal Division. Cross-over games might also see L-B going up against NLL Buckeye Division schools like Toledo Whitmer (843 boys, 777 girls, 1,620 total), Perrysburg (649-629—1,278), Findlay (642-551—1,193), Anthony Wayne (546-521—1,067) and Sylvania Northview (495-488—983). Oregon Clay (424-422—846), which won the Cardinal Division title in football last fall, is switching places with Springfield in the Buckeye Division this year under an alternating formula to balance the big school division in football.MAGIC NUMBER: 9. Liberty-Benton averaged almost 37 points a game last season. The strength of the Eagles, though, was a defense that held nine opponents to a touchdown or less and allowed a fraction over nine points a game. Some of the key cogs in that defense are back, too, including defensive backs Seth Elchert and Reid Irwin, linebackers Austin Collert and Zach Elchert and defensive end CJ Barbara. Elchert intercepted eight passes and Irwin picked off four. Collert led the team with 83 tackles, Zach Elchert had 78 and Barbara had 64, including 26 tackles for loss. 2025 SCHEDULEDate Opponent Home/AwayAug. 22 Ottawa-Glandorf H 29 Columbus Grove ASept. 5 McComb* H 12 Riverdale* H 19 Elmwood* A 26 Arlington* HOct. 3 Pandora-Gilboa* A 10 Leipsic* H 17 Arcadia* A 24 Van Buren* A*Blanchard Valley Conference games