2023 Schedule Analysis: Erie Mason Eagles

By Frank Vajcner

It’s time to stop at Eagle Drive. Erie Mason put another feather in their cap with a third straight playoff appearance in 2022, which hadn’t happened since 1999-2003. Will the schedule allow for a fourth straight trip to the postseason?

2023 Schedule:

Aug 25: @ Jefferson

Aug 31: Dundee

Sept 8: @ Northwood (OH)

Sept 15: Ottawa Hills (OH)

Sept 22: Summerfield

Sept 29: Whiteford

Oct 6: Quincy

Oct 13: @ Reading

Oct 20: @ Sand Creek

Gut-Check Game: I don’t mean to state the painfully obvious, but September 29 should be circled by Steve Bowers. That’s when the defending State Champions in Whiteford come to town. This will be the perfect opportunity to make a statement, as the Bobcats have outscored the Eagles 248-42 in the last six meetings. You can also make a case for a visit from Dundee in Week 2, as the Eagles have lost 32 straight against LCAA teams. There’s also a Week 8 road trip to Reading (more on that later).

Trap Game: Summerfield fits the bill, as the Bulldogs come to town a week before Whiteford does. A Week 9 road trip to Sand Creek could also be tricky, as the Eagles survived a scare last season against a 2-7 Aggies squad. Throw in that this one follows the trip to Reading, and it fits the bill for a letdown spot.

Snoozer: Last year’s nail-biter keeps Sand Creek out of this category. So Quincy gets the nod here. The Orioles were 2-7 last season, and have not had a winning season since 2018. And before anyone says anything about Jefferson, let me get there in the next section first.

Non-Conference Challenge: With the Tri-County Conference down to just four members for 11-man football, there’s a lot to cover in the out-of-conference. So for the respective TCC schools on the blog, I’ll do this a little different.

• Jefferson: The Bears may have only won one game, but former Eagles’ coach Rob Beaudrie is now the head man in Newport. Bowers was his defensive coordinator.
• Dundee: The Vikings have made the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. See gut-check game for more.
• Northwood: I haven’t found much info on the Rangers, other than this game is part of an alliance between the TCC and the Toledo-Area Athletic Conference.
• Ottawa Hills: See above, though the Green Bears did defeat Adrian Madison 35-7 last season.
• Reading: These may not be your older brother’s Rangers, but they are still a tough team, and Barre Field is one of the toughest small-school fields to play at. This is also part of a schedule alliance with the Big 8.

Notable: This will mark the first year the Eagles will have faced Big 8 schools on the gridiron…It will also be the first year since 2019 that they will have faced Dundee when both schools were in the LCAA…The Eagles will play four straight home games in Weeks 4-7.

Final Thoughts from Frank: The schedule has some interesting quirks, including the opener vs. Jefferson, which I like as an under-the-radar game early. Playoff points should come from Whiteford, Dundee, and Reading. A win against one of those three will go a long way.

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