By Frank Vajcner
Time for a visit to my alma mater for our next stop in the schedule analysis series. Last season, Ida took things to another level in the second half, even in losses. How does the schedule shape up for Jeff Potter’s fifth season?
2021 Schedule:
Aug 26: @ Airport
Sept 2: @ Whiteford
Sept 10: @ Dundee
Sept 17: Clinton
Sept 24: Hudson
Oct 1: @ Hillsdale
Oct 8: @ Onsted
Oct 15: Blissfield
Oct 22: Columbia Central
Gut-Check Game: Blissfield. Last season, the Blue Streaks put the fear of God into the Royals not once, but twice, as both a regular-season meeting and a playoff meeting went down to the end before Blissfield escaped with a win. Special mention to a trip to Hillsdale, as Baumgarten Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Blue Streaks, as well as a trip to Whiteford in Week 2.
Trap Game: at Dundee. Last year’s edition of the Backyard Brawl was unfortunately a COVID casualty. While the Blue Streaks were the better team on paper last season, you always throw the records out in a rivalry game. Throw in that this game falls at the end of a three-game road swing, coupled with it being a week before reigning Division 6 State Runner-Up Clinton comes to town, and this could be a tricky game for Potter and company.
Snoozer: Onsted went 0-7 last season, including a 56-20 drubbing by the Blue Streaks. Enough said.
Non-Conference Challenge: Ida will hit the road for both out-of-conference games. The Streaks will travel to Carleton to face Airport in Week 1. The Jets are coming off of a 4-4 season. The following week is a trip to Ottawa Lake to face Whiteford. The Bobcats went 6-3 last season, and have made the playoffs each of the last nine years.
Notable: The trip to Airport is a rematch of a 2019 meeting, which the Jets won 37-24…Ida and Whiteford will meet for the first time since 1976. Both schools were members of the same conference from 1959 until 1974. They were in the old River Raisin Conference until 1972, before jumping to the now-defunct Michigan-Ohio Border Conference in 1973…This is the first season since 2014 where both non-conference opponents are from Monroe County…The Streaks play three straight Monroe County opponents to open the season…The last time Ida opened with three straight on the road was 2016.
Frank’s Thoughts: Ida is definitely making a case for playing one of the more arduous schedules of teams we cover. The first six opponents all finished with a record of .500 or better, and a Week 8 showdown with Blissfield could loom large if the Blue Streaks can get through with one loss or less in the LCAA portion of the schedule.
Thoughts from Gary: While Clinton and Blissfield should take a step back this year(however slight in the case of Clinton), this is still a very good schedule. Love the opener vs Airport.
Thoughts from Chris: The LCAA is always a tough schedule, but opening the season with three straight on the road before hosting perennial power Clinton in week 4 makes the schedule even tougher.