Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
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The team didn’t win a state championship or a regional championship, but Oak Harbor football proved its worth by making history and going toe-to-toe with some of the top teams the area has to offer.
The Rockets won their third consecutive league title for the first time in program history, winning the Northern Buckeye Conference in each of the last two seasons and the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division title in 2022. Unfortunately, Oak Harbor’s season came to an end recently in a Division V regional semifinal as the Rockets lost a heartbreaker, 24-21, to Liberty Center, finishing 13-1.
It wasn’t the luckiest of draws for the Rockets as the four best teams in Region 18 — Oak Harbor, Liberty Center, Edison and Eastwood — were all ranked in the top 10 of the final AP Poll.
Things work out like that sometimes.
It was an instant classic as both teams battled with one tie and four lead changes. The Tigers took the lead for good on a 1-yard touchdown run by Waylon Rentz with 3:03 to play before Oak Harbor drove to the Liberty Center 26-yard-line with just over a minute to play. But linebacker Stephen Brogan intercepted a pass at the 15, effectively ending the game.
Quarterback Michael Lalonde, who rewrote the program’s record books, finished his career by going 9-of-19 for 150 yards while running 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Lalonde will leave the program having completed 420-of-561 passes, good for 74% for 5,749 yards to go with 61 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions for his career. He also ran 134 times for 830 yards and 14 scores.
He holds five passing records — touchdown passes in a season (61); career passing yards (5,749), touchdown passes in a season (25), passing yards in a season (2,215) and touchdown passes in a game (four).
Lalonde, who was also a defensive back, where he earned all-Ohio honors last year, started three years at quarterback, and he leaves right up there with the likes of Jac Alexander and Chad Schwartz.
There was a special camaraderie with the team this year.
“This season, more than any other, everybody played for each other. Everyone was really focused on the team goals instead of individual goals,” said Lalonde. “And everyone would do whatever it would take. That’s what made this season special.”
Lalonde, like his teammates, Carson and Jacob Ridener, were three-year starters.
“Winning a league title three times in a row, which hadn’t been done in Oak Harbor history, showed how football has been lately here (dating back to 2019, when they won a league title and a regional title). Our freshman year wasn’t very good, but winning back-to-back-to-back league titles got us back on the right track, and hopefully it keeps going.”
It was Mike May’s 17th season leading the Rockets.
In the last seven seasons, the Rockets have gone 66-15 (.815), won five league titles and a regional championship, advanced to at least the regional semifinals four times, made it to the playoffs six times and have a 28-game, regular-season winning streak.
The highlight of the season was defeating Eastwood, 31-27, in week nine, to clinch at least a share of the NBC title. And it was not without its drama.
In the game’s closing seconds, Eastwood quarterback Drew Luidhardt connected with Dayquan Oliver on a quick slant for 11 yards to get the Eagles to the Rocket 4-yard-line with 5.7 seconds to play, but two quick passes to Andre Lewis were just out of his reach, and Oak Harbor (9-0, 6-0) held on for the victory.
The final drive began when Eastwood took over at its own 28 with 1:33 to play, and Luidhardt hit Oliver and Lewis on quick slants, respectively, the first one for 11 yards and the next for 16 to put the Eagles at the Rocket 45. Luidhardt hit Lewis on a 4-yard out route, and he was tackled inbounds, forcing Eastwood to use its second timeout with 48 seconds.
An incomplete pass was followed by a nice pass over the middle to Oliver for 26 yards, and Oak Harbor defensive back Tyler Thompson saved a touchdown, tackling Oliver at the 15 and setting things up for the finish.
The game-winning drive for Oak Harbor started with 4:02 remaining at its own 34. Quarterback Michael LaLonde hit Wyatt Augsburger for six yards, and then Carson Ridener ran for six yards and a first down.
The next play was one that will stick out as LaLonde threw deep for Thompson, who appeared to take the ball away from Lewis at the last second for a 32-yard gain. Who actually caught the ball might be in the eyes of the beholder, but it was close, nonetheless.
Perhaps Lewis and Thompson had split possession, and 50/50 goes to the receiver.
Carson Ridener ran for six yards on first down, putting the Rockets at the 8, and LaLonde ran it in on a draw for the touchdown. Fulton Krupp’s extra point made it 31-27 with 1:34 to play.
Make no mistake, just because Oak Harbor didn’t win a regional championship doesn’t mean they weren’t one of the best teams in the state — the final Div. V AP Poll had them ranked fifth. In fact, this group ranks right up there with the 1984 and ’99 teams of yesteryear, plus the ’06 and ’19 teams, the latter three winning regional championships. “I don’t think I’d want to play for any other coaching staff. Every coach wanted us to be the best player and the best man you can be,” said Lalonde. “Most of them are teachers and have children, and they would help us watch film, and make sure we’re doing all right; you can trust them to talk to. Every single one of them cares, and it was a privilege (playing for them). One of the reasons I wanted to go out there and win was for our coaches.”
Lalonde said he appreciated the support of the community.
“It’s kind of surreal, just to go out there and know the whole community is behind you,” said Lalonde. “That’s who you’re playing for, more than yourself and the team, and for the town. I think Oak Harbor is the best of the best when it comes to supporting the team.”
Seniors on the team include Lalonde, the Rideners, Thompson, Brayden Butzin, Brady Losie, Ethan Branum, Peyton Stewart, Logan McKitrick and Jaxson Overmyer, plus Brayden Wallace, who was the manager.
“Our bond was like a group of brothers,” said Overmyer, a WR/DB who tore his ACL in the opener against a 44-6 win over Bowsher. “No matter what adversity we faced, we pushed through together.
“I had no choice but to step up and change my role because I care more about the team than myself. I’ve been playing with these guys for years and want the best for them, no matter what my role is,” he said.
Overmyer’s father, Jason, was an assistant coach with the team, and his brother, Judson, graduated two years ago. He says he’ll remember celebrating with his teammates, moments in the locker room, bus rides home, sharing the field with his brother in his sophomore season, and having his dad as a coach and mentor throughout his entire career.
Overmyer had high praise for May and his assistant coaches.
“I've admired them for many years, ever since I was a ball boy for the team. They show up every day with enthusiasm and a commitment to improving the team,” Overmyer said. “Throughout this process, they've been some of the most supportive people in my corner. It feels more like a family than a team, but when work needs to be done, they get it done.”
Carson Ridener was with Lalonde in the backfield; and Travis Bouyer, who sustained a concussion in the loss to Liberty Center and missed most of the game, and Butzin split time as the H-back. The wide receivers were a combination of Thompson, Losie and Wyatt Augsburger and Cooper Schultz, among others.
The offensive line featured a stout group with Alex Rife as the left tackle, flanked by Ryder Lindsay, McKitrick, Jacob Ridener and Isaac Schulte, who broke his leg in practice three days before the game against the Tigers. Hayden McGee filled in for Schulte in the final game.
“I think Isaac might’ve wanted it more than anyone else on the team,” said Lalonde. “Looking on, he’s going to be a problem for other teams. He deserves recognition for how he carried his team. I think he might be all-Ohio this year.”
In addition to not having Schulte for the game against Liberty Center, the Rockets were also without Garry Brooks and Ethan Stokes, who were key contributors last season.
