2023 Schedule Analysis: Summerfield Bulldogs

By Frank Vajcner

I’m now off to my hometown of Petersburg, where there’s a new man in charge. Dylan Szegedi takes over as head coach at Summerfield after the departure of Alex Lipka. What does the schedule have in store for the Bulldogs?

2023 Schedule

Aug 25: @ Waterford Our Lady

Aug 31: Bronson

Sept 8: Springport

Sept 15: @ West Unity Hilltop (OH)

Sept 22: @ Erie Mason

Sept 29: @ Sand Creek

Oct 6: Union City

Oct 13: @ Quincy

Oct 20: Whiteford

Gut-Check Game: It would be too easy to say Whiteford, so I’ll go with Erie Mason. The Eagles and Bulldogs have met on the gridiron every year since 2012. The Dawgs won every meeting from 2012-18, but the Eagles have taken the last four meetings. If Szegedi wants a signature win, this would be the best place to start. Of course, a Week 9 date with arch-rival Whiteford at home will absolutely be circled on the calendar.

Trap Game: I couldn’t find much information on West Unity Hilltop, but what I do know is that the Dawgs must make a 60-mile trek to West Unity, Ohio to face the Cadets. Throw in that this falls right before the date with Erie Mason, and Szegedi will have to keep his squad focused.

Snoozer: Springport went 0-9 and got outscored 458-90 last season. Enough said.

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.

• Waterford Our Lady: The Lakers weren’t much better last year, as they went from 1-8 to 2-7. Summerfield beat them 40-12 last year.
• Bronson: The Vikings have not had a winning season since 2012. Had it not been for Springport, this would be a snoozer.
• West Unity Hilltop: See above
• Union City: The Chargers are the reigning champs in the Big 8 Conference, as they went 7-3 and qualified for the playoffs for a third consecutive year
• Quincy: The Orioles were 2-7 last season. This would also be a snoozer if not for Springport.

Notable: All non-conference opponents except for Waterford Our Lady will be first-time meetings.

Final Thoughts from Frank: There isn’t a lot of sizzle in Summerfield’s schedule. The Dawgs may have to get a win against Erie Mason, Union City, or Whiteford, and hope that the other opponents win much more than just two games in order to get back to the postseason.