LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Last season, the Tribe put together their first winning campaign since 2021.

Now, Shawnee is looking to build off of last year, and take the next step in 2026 — with a new voice leading the way on the sidelines.

The Shawnee football team went 8-4 last season and finished tied for second in the Western Buckeye League.

But there's a new man leading the program. A 48-year veteran and 2026 Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer, Bob Olwin, takes over the program. Coach Olwin has had many stops along the way, most recently spending the past six years at Edon.

"I was ready for a change after six years being at Edon. They get a strong commitment from me to them and the community and as a staff, we're going to work our butt off to put them in a position to be successful," said head coach Bob Olwin.

And Shawnee is looking to build off that success.

2025 saw the Indians post their highest win total since 2004, while their second-place finish in the conference was their best since they were the runner-up in the 2009 WBL standings.

"We think we're coming into this year better prepared. We got a new coach, a little harder these two days have been, better conditioned, better disciplined, and we're excited to see how it is. We definitely got the talent. The talent's there. It's just got to put it on display," said Shawnee senior middle linebacker and running back Cameron Barker.

The projected starting quarterback for the Indians is junior Brogan Rayer.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time. It'd be great to lead this team. I've always been like a good passer, but recently I've gotten a lot faster working on if I have to like run. So I think that has really boosted my quarterback play, you know, just being able to run if nothing's there," said Rayer.

Shawnee will open up the season versus their longtime rival Lima Central Catholic.

"All summer, this is we've been ending practice with "Beat LCC" and I think this is where everybody's just super excited for this and they're all ready to come out," said Rayer.

And after their second-place finish in the WBL in 2025, the Indians believe this could be the year they bring the gold back to Shawnee.

"Think the WBL is pretty even. You got like Celina, Van Wert, Wapak, St. Marys' always be good. All of them, it's going to be a pretty even match, so we're excited. We think we actually have a chance this year in the WBL. We believe if we can play a full game and get in those big games, you know, come down the stretch, we got a tough stretch, 7, 8, 9, and we believe if we can play those games well, we'll be good to go," said Barker.

As the season approaches, Shawnee will continue to work on all phases of the game and according to head coach Olwin, it starts with the way the Indians prepare for every practice and every rep.

"We got to work on a few things, cleaning some things up offensively, got to clean some things up defensively and special teams wise, but they're likable kids. They just need to practice like a champion every day, every rep," said Olwin.

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