2024 Schedule Analysis: Huron Chiefs

By Frank Vajcner

We now head to the banks of the mighty Huron River for a look at the Chiefs. Tom Hoover’s bunch closed the season on a three-game winning streak to finish with a winning record for a second straight season. What will the schedule reveal about the third year of the Hoover regime?

2024 Schedule:

Aug 30: @ Livonia Churchill

Sept 6: @ SMCC

Sept 13: Milan

Sept 20: @ Riverview

Sept 27: Jefferson

Oct 4: @ Airport

Oct 11: Grosse Ile

Oct 18: Flat Rock

Oct 25: Detroit Henry Ford

Gut-Check Game: The Chiefs open with three of the first four on the road, and all three road contests are unforgiving. I’ll save Churchill for a later section. The opener is followed by a visit to the friendly confines of Navarre Field. While the Chiefs have won their last two trips there, they have only defeated the Falcons four times in program history. The Week 4 trip to Riverview also looms large, as the Chiefs have not defeated the Pirates since 2016. If the Chiefs can take two of those three contests, they will be in the conversation for being the best in the Huron League.

Trap Game: Both Milan and Jefferson have a case to be potential stumbling blocks, as they follow SMCC and Riverview respectively. Hoover will need to keep his team focused in both spots.

Snoozer: Henry Ford went 3-6, with wins over three PSL bottom feeders. The Chiefs defeated the Trojans 29-8 last season.

Non-Conference Challenge: First and foremost, mistakes were made with what I said about Churchill last year. The Chargers were 4-6 last season, but qualified for the playoffs.

Fun Facts: The War for the Oar against Flat Rock has become an entertaining matchup in the past few seasons, as the last two meetings have been decided by a single point, and six of the last eight meetings decided by one score…The Chiefs will conclude the regular season with three straight home games.

Thoughts from Frank: The Chiefs will need to continue the momentum they built at the end of last season to get through an early gauntlet. If they get through the first four at 2-2 or better, you can consider the Chiefs to be a playoff team.