Spencerville won the Northwest Conference 2017-18 “Don Bachman Award of Excellence”.  This is the first time Spencerville has accomplished this feat since the establishment of the award in 2005.  This award recognizes the school in the conference that exhibits the highest level of consistent excellence in conference-sponsored sports and scholastic bowl competition each school year.

The Bearcats compiled a total of 76.5 points with Crestview (75.0) and Bluffton (72.0) finishing second and third respectively.  Points are awarded and accumulated each year based on conference standings in all sports and the NWC scholastic bowl competition.

The award was started during the 2005-06 school year to honor longtime Northwest Conference commissioner/secretary, Don Bachman, who served in that position for more than thirty years before passing away late in 2005.

This year Spencerville earned three outright NWC titles in Golf, Football and Softball.  In addition to the conference championships, the Bearcats had second place finishes in Girls’ Track, Girls’ Basketball and Scholastic Bowl competition.  The conference sponsors 14 sports in addition to the scholastic bowl tournament.

Other NWC champions/co-champions were Ada (Volleyball, Academic Team), Allen East (Girls’ Soccer, Wrestling), Bluffton (Girls’ Soccer, Boys’ Soccer), Columbus Grove (Boys’/Girls’ Track, Girls’ Basketball, Girls’ Cross Country), Crestview (Boys’ Basketball, Baseball), Delphos Jefferson (Baseball), Lincolnview (Baseball, Boys’ Cross Country).

The final order of finish for the 2017-18 school year is as follows:

1. Spencerville 76.5
2. Crestview 75.0
3. Bluffton 72.0
4. Columbus Grove 70.0
5. Lincolnview 66.5
6. Paulding 62.5
7. Ada 61.5
8. Allen East 50.0
9. Delphos Jefferson 43.0