Next up in Frank’s Schedule Analysis series is the only team that failed to win a game last season. Jefferson is expected to be better, but will the schedule allow it?
Schedule:
Aug 24 Ida
Aug 31 @ New Boston Huron
Sept 7 Grosse Ile
Sept 14 @ Airport
Sept 21 Milan
Sept 28 @ Riverview
Oct 5 Flat Rock
Oct 12 @ SMCC
Oct 19 Royal Oak
Gut Check Game: Ida. The Bears roll out of the gate with a chance to make a statement against Ida. A win might be too tall of an order, despite the Bears hanging tough at Ida last season. Should an upset happen, it could be time to take the Bears seriously.
Trap Game: Yes, we expect Jefferson to be better, but when you go 0-9, expectations aren’t that high.
Snoozer: None
Non-Con Challenge: Ida. See above.
Notable: Jefferson is the lone team on the blog whose schedule alternates weekly. The Bears also join Erie Mason, Flat Rock, Riverview, and Summerfield as teams who play the same opponents as last season.
Final Analysis: This is another team looking to forget a bad season. Nobody is saying Jefferson is going to go from basement dweller to contender in one year, but it’s definitely reasonable to expect improvement from last season.
Thoughts from Chris: I agree with Frank, week 1 for the Bears is a huge game and could set the tone for the season. I certainly wouldn’t expect a repeat of last season and wouldn’t be surprised if Jefferson had a winning record this year.
Thoughts from Gary: I’m really looking forward to Jefferson’s opener vs Ida at home. It’s just one game but it may tell us where both teams are at this season. We all know Jefferson was 0-9 but the Bears could have easily been 3-6 or 4-5. Looking at the schedule, I don’t think it’s far fetched to see Jefferson start off at 2-2 with the latter half of the season being a bit tougher. Road games at Riverview, SMCC and D2 Royal Oak, leave the Bears with one of the tougher schedules in the league.
Jefferson might win 1 game this year..
Things go in cycles with many schools and programs. The question is, when will Jefferson be on the upswing of that cycle?
Ohhh 20 years ago we were talking Jefferson winning state and HL titles