Over the past decade, the Northwood Rangers have been a model of success for small schools in the area.

They’ve qualified for the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, have won the Toledo Area Athletic Conference in seven of the 11 seasons they’ve been a member of the league, including three straight times from 2007-09. The program again has great numbers as 52 players are on the varsity squad this season.

And then there’s Gibsonburg.

Northwood senior running back Tyler Mack (44) takes off behind senior Mike Schlicher (15) and junior half-back Evan Perkins (22). (Press photo by Don Thompson/picasaweb.google.com/donraechel)

The Golden Bears, who have not had a winning season in several years, are a team in a rebuilding mode.

Last season, Gibsonburg, which has 41 players on its roster, went winless in 10 games under first-year head coach Steve Reser.

The two teams will meet for the first time since 1999 when Northwood (2-1) travels to Gibsonburg (1-2) in week five.

Both teams compete in Region 18 of Division V, but feature contrasting offensive styles. The Rangers are quite simple. They like to run the ball, and they're quite good at doing so. The Golden Bears, on the other hand, run a spread offense, led by freshman quarterback Matt Tille.

Despite the fact that the spread offensive is primarily based on throwing the ball, Tille has had success running the ball this season. In Gibsonburg's last two games, he has rushed for 357 yards.

It should be noted that, from 1986 through 1999, the Rangers and the Golden Bears competed against one another in the old Suburban Lakes League before Northwood departed for the TAAC following the 1999-2000 school year.

For the Golden Bears, who migrated over to the TAAC before the season began, the move is a welcomed one, considering that they will be competing against schools that are more similar in size, which wasn’t always the case in the SLL.

For Northwood, which has gone 8-3 and 7-4 in the last two seasons, respectively, and lost in the first round of the playoffs both times, the goal is to get over the hump and win a game in the postseason. Playing in a region that features the likes of programs such as Patrick Henry, Archbold and Lima Central Catholic, the best way for them to go about winning in the postseason is to do well enough in the regular season to ensure themselves of a home game come playoff time. With one loss already at this point in the season, the margin for error is razor-thin for the Rangers.

Northwood has already had its share of close calls in this young season.

Against Delphos Jefferson in Week 1, the Rangers, after blowing a 34-14 lead in the fourth quarter, drove 80 yards to score the go-ahead touchdown, only to see it called back on a questionable penalty. They did recover, however, and Garrett Reighard kicked the game-winning field goal from 23 yards out with two seconds remaining to win it, 37-35.

Led by a stellar defensive performance in week two, Northwood beat Lake, 20-0, and, in last week's game against Hopewell-Loudon, an area powerhouse, the Rangers lost 38-7, although Northwood had six turnovers.

As for Gibsonburg, things have not gone so well for them.

They lost in week one to former SLL foe, Elmwood, 33-14, surrendering 484 yards of total offense in the process. The following week, however, the Golden Bears defeated Lakota in dramatic fashion, 19-16. In the win, the Golden Bears rallied from 10-point, second-half deficit to attain their first win in 14 tries.

Most recently, the Golden Bears fell to Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic, 27-7, to fall to 1-2 on the season.

Despite his team's struggles this season and the years preceding it, Reser remains optimistic and has a great passion to see his club succeed. He believes that, for his team to turn things around, they must focus on what it can control and worry about improving as a unit from week to week.

“Right now we are focusing on us, how to play the game from start to finish,” he said. “How to capture the lead and play with it, as well as how to come from behind, see through adversity, and capitalize on other teams' miscues, or create them by playing with high energy.

“I believe in our young men whole-heartedly.” he said. “I expect 110 percent out of them and (our) coaches.”

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