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The song, “Here we go again” has kept playing in his head. Swami says it is perfect for the first weekend of the football season. But the last couple of years, things have not gone as the good old days. First, 11-man football squads went down to 8 for the majority of the teams, which is good. But with dwindling class sizes, means teams might have a few players on the sidelines as substitutes. With the limited roster, everyone had to play both offense and defense; now the game offers excitement on every play. The All-Knowing-One believes it is good and a lot more action. Then a couple of weeks ago, Swami learned that a couple of schools have dropped football all together for the upcoming season. Here seniors were getting ready for their final high school season, only to have the rug pulled out from underneath them. What is happening, a short time ago, the level of competition made it hard for players to crack the starting lineup. Now you cannot field a team for one or two years? The All-Knowing-One feels for these seniors; no one should have to go through this. One can only think back, when it happened to Alpena. The Wildcats still have not recovered;
it was not for a lack of players, but budgetary problems.
Swami hopes this is not a sign of things to come, not being able to play the games of fall. Athletes put too much time and effort, to show case their ability under the Friday night lights. So, the All-Knowing-One has collected his thoughts, for the first games of the season, so with here we go again playing in his head, he is ready to see what this week brings…..
ALPENA (0-0) at BOYNE CITY (0-0) – Friday – 7:00 p.m. – Alpena takes to the road for its first of three straight games, before returning to the friendly confines of Wildcat stadium. Boyne City played spoiler in the opener against Alpena taking a hard-fought 18-13 win. The Wildcats would like to return the favor over the Ramblers. Alpena will get some offensive help with an addition of a transfer quarterback, who hopefully can add to the Wildcat offense which was a run/pass option offense. Hopefully it will be the addition that the Wildcats need to get to the point of a winning season. Defenses will be on alert that they cannot stand pat as in years gone by, and will have to be on the lookout for anything and everything offensively. The running game should be that much harder to contain, as running backs will have one option run hard and find the holes, with Andrew Szymoniak leading the way. Swami feels the offensive line will be improved, with that in mind; he feels the ball will move down the field, thus keeping the defense fresh. A nice staple, the Wildcats have is at wide receiver, Xavier Szymoniak, Greyson Srebnik, MacGregor McClintic, Gavin Ross and Eion Eades all vying for playing time.
Meanwhile, the Ramblers are looking to improve also, despite going 6-4 last season, which included a playoff game. They will have to do it with new faces at quarterback, in addition to filling holes in the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Quarterback position will be turned over to junior Drew Bryant, who saw limited action for the Ramblers a year ago. Boyne City will also have to reconstruct their offensive and defensive lines, as Hyker McKenney is the only returning lineman on either side of the ball. The one asset the Ramblers have going for them the backfield is intact with Jamie Joseph and Bryun Hauger return. Boyne City used the pass to move the ball, the receiver that produced a big chunk of the receiving is Ben Stanek, who had a remarkable season with 25 yards per catch. Swami feels with the loss of talent, Boyne City will be hard pressed to duplicate last season.
The All-Knowing-One sees improvement in the Wildcats overall. The only thing presents a problem, Swami has to say the murderous schedule, which includes Big North Conference champ Gaylord at home. While road trips to Cadillac and Escanaba on the second and third week of the season could cause problems. Swami does feel if Alpena can take two of the three, then he has no doubts for the Wildcats. The only drawback will be to learn from a play that goes wrong, a missed tackle or penalty, not to let it compound, shake it off. Swami has seen in years gone by, when one wheel came off the wagon, everything came to stretching stop and momentum went to the opposition.
Swami Sez: Alpena 20, Boyne City 14.
ROGERS CITY (0-0) at ONAWAY (0-0) – Thursday – 7:00 p.m. – There is no better way to start of the season with a Rogers City versus Onaway matchup. The Hurons saw their season go down the tubes after a 4-0 start, only to have five straight losses make for a losing season. Injuries can be a deterrent to any team; the Hurons experienced that at the turn of the season. With injuries, Rogers City just wasn’t the same team. This year the Hurons are hoping to avoid the injury bugaboo. Rogers City returns their starting eight on offense, and has seven of eight on the defensive side. In addition, overall numbers have increased to 18, which means the Hurons will have valuable backups; they can plug in case of an unforeseen injury. Swami has to say Rogers City will be a force this season and improvements will propel them to a winning season.
Onaway is working on the same goal a winning season, the Cardinals have lost that winning edge, which has plunged them into three straight losing seasons, they feel this is the season for them. Senior Zach Schmoldt and sophomore Chris Pauly are looking forward to filling the gap of Lelin Splan, in the backfield, and let’s not forget about Kayson Jarvis, making presence felt also in the running combination. With a backfield set, defenses will have a trio of options to be watching out for. Pauly could also play quarterback. Phineas Benson will also be counted on offensively, after a successful junior year at tight end. This very well could be the year that the offense can sustain long drives. Caleb Booms will anchor the line and is bolstered by some big bodies.
The Cardinals would like nothing better than to get off to a fast start before entering play in the new Bridge Alliance Conference. The Cardinals have circled the opener as a reminder of last season’s game against the Hurons, which ended in a lopsided loss. Setting the stage for another long year. The All-Knowing-One has to say this could be the game of the week, given all the variables that are on both sides of the ball, but both teams. The All-Knowing-One has to say the team that can move the ball up and down the field, getting into the endzone, will be winning the game. He says both have the ability, but the one that puts up more defensive stops will do it.
Swami Sez: Rogers City 16, Onaway 14.
OSCODA (0-0) at HARBOR SPRINGS (0-0) – Thursday – 7:00 p.m. – Oscoda is looking to rebound after a 2-7 season, whereas Harbor Springs is looking to improve on a 5-4 season, which ended with a first-round playoff loss. The Rams broke a three-year losing stretch and are out to prove it was just not a one-year thing. Harbor Springs will have basically the entire squad back, in hopes of making a playoff run. A lot of the success on offense goes through the quarterback and the Rams feel they have a good one in second year starter Thaddeus Cosens. In addition, the Rams have a one-two punch in the backfield of Jimmy Calnen, and Chaz Brainerd. While Cosens has the option of throwing to Luke Dickinson or Jared Johnston, who line up on either end of the line. Add in basically a returning line, one would have to say the Rams are looking to make a statement in the Northern Michigan Football Conference.
Oscoda is part of the same conference this year and out to prove last season, is not what Owl football is all about. Five of the seven losses, the Owls suffered were by the smallest of margins. A couple of plays on either side of the ball could have changed the Owls record vastly. That was last year’s season, let’s fast forward to the present.
Last season, the Owls were heading to a win in week 8 against the Rams, but a couple of let downs cost them the game. This is where, this year’s team comes into play, the All-Knowing-One feels with the competitiveness of this season, adding new faces; the Owls will not revert back to what got them in trouble. If the Owls play with the same intensity and limit their mistakes, Oscoda could be off on the right foot. Looking at the schedule, the All-Knowing-One has to say it is not an easy schedule, but it is one the Owls should be competitive. Weeks six features a home game against a tough Glen Lakes team, then road games the final two weeks of the season with Mancelona and Frankfort could either make the Owls season or put them relatively in the same position as last. With the improvement this season, Swami says all three are winnable games.
Swami Sez: Harbor Springs 30, Oscoda 20.
HILLMAN (0-0) at INLAND LAKES (0-0) – Friday – 7:00 p.m. – Hillman would like nothing better than post a win against perennial powerhouse Inland Lakes. The Tigers are faced with replacing some valuable assets especially on offense, at key positions from last year’s squad. The Tigers are looking for incoming senior class to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball, in the form of wide receivers, running back and quarterback. Inland Lakes is just the opposite, being offensively, but it is the defense that has holes that need to be filled. Hillman will have to take care of business on the road, before returning home against a tough opponent in Mio, to open up the North Star Conference schedule.
Landon Fenstermaker is a big-time player for Inland Lakes, he also has the ability to make big time plays, on offense. This season it may be a two-way street, Fenstermaker might be under center which would make him even more dangerous in defending. Being All-Conference, it is easy to say why he is very productive, in terms of rushing the ball and an agile pass receiver out of the backfield. He is a valuable asset on defense, playing outside linebacker, because of his closing speed and a nose where the ball is going when playing the position. To say, the Bulldogs are a one-dimensional player team on defense is far from the truth. Collien Maves plays outside linebacker, but on the other end of the line. He also has the ability to know where the ball is going and the speed to stop the ball carrier for little or no gain on the play. Likewise, Maves has put up solid
numbers in the backfield, while being the number two option on offense. Damian Bradford is the third Bulldog that is counted on to make a large contribution as well, from the defensive lineman stance. Swami says the Bulldogs may have three solid players on both ends of the ball, both offensively and defensively, But success is going to depend on the remaining five players. This is why the All-Knowing-One says the Bulldogs might be strong, but not as they were as a team, when they went 9-0 last season.
Swami Sez: Inland Lakes 35, Hillman 22.