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Sunday, June 20, 2010

Orrville Football - Dream Schedule

Hi....remember me? 

We're a mere 9 weeks from the opening game of the 2010 high school football season.  Plain and simple...it's time to talk football.

An easy topic today.  Make your dream Red Rider football schedule. Sounds easy right? Sort of.

Here's the 10 teams I'd have on the schedule if we were an independent. I'd love to add teams like Massillon, McKinley and the like, but let's be realistic, most years we'd lose games against D-1 schools. Sure, we'd love a shot, but 8 out of 10 years it simply wouldn't be close.

I'd want my schedule to be against tradition rich teams in NE Ohio with strong followings, and teams that, most years, will bring a lot of computer points to the table.

Here's how I'd do it.

Week 1. Louisville Leopards (NBC). Tradition rich, always talented.  Tough to play a D-2 team in Week 1, but Orrville has always scheduled up.

Week 2. Triway Titans (PAC-7).  Local rival, good crowd regardless of where it's held.

Week 3. Ashland Arrows (OCC).  Gets us on their field every other year and the Arrows are always a good matchup with us.

Week 4. Tuslaw Mustangs (PAC-7).  Local team, program on the rise, lots of recent success.  Plus their helmets rule, and they have Under Armour unifoms.

***Seriously, if Tuslaw can get Under Armour uniforms, then why can't we?

Week 5.  Dover Tornadoes (ECOL).  Big tradition, awesome stadium, cool uniforms.  Classic matchup.

Week 6.  A rotation of Canton Central Cath., Akron St. V. and Akron Hoban.  The obligatory parochial opponent.  We'd play 2 games each (one home, one away) then rotate.

Week 7. Canton Timken (PAC-7).  Probably the weakest team on the docket, but one that calls Fawcett Stadium home.  Easy computer points most years.

Week 8. Manchester Panthers (PAC-7).  That's four PAC teams.  Maybe that's a better fit than the OCC for Orrville??  Regardless, Manchester is an old AOL rival and always produces good teams.

Week 9. Any team from the Wayne County Athletic League.  This could be an open date.  Whoever is leading the WCAL after week 8 gets a shot at Orrville.  Game is held at Orrville.....no questions asked.  I get the "nothing to gain" arguement....but I'd welcome the challenge.

Week 10. Wooster Generals (OCC).  Don't fix what isn't broken.

Whaddya think?  I'd say, even in a down year, that there's 6-7 winnable games each and every year.  The flipside of that is that 6-7 could be "loseable" too.  Louisville, Ashland, the parochial game and Dover would always be tough matchups.

Other potential candidates......Mogadore Wildcats, Medina Bees, Wadsworth Grizzlies, Canton South Wildcats, Avon Lake Shoremen.  Out of the area candidates that just don't fit due to travel issues.....Ironton, Bellaire and any team from the MAC (Coldwater, Versailles, etc.)

What's your dream schedule?  Or are you perfectly happy the way things are?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. Smithville/Waynedale/Dalton
2. Ashland
3. Manchester
4. Mooney
5. Steubenville
6. Benedictine
7. C.C.C.
8. Dover
9. Triway
10. Wooster

Open against one the WCAL teams. Would be interesting game to see not to mention a good crowd. Ashland always plays Orrville tough. Manchester, despite rather knocking them out of the playoffs play them in the regular season, again.

Mooney, probably a loss, they bring a small crowd, but a good game none the less. Steubenville, now that would be a game and a big crowd.

Benedictine, I think they are D-5 now but still always good to beat parochial schools.
C.C.C. great stadium, long history with Orrville. Dover, great competition, great crowds. Triway, always fun. Wooster.

Tough schedule.

Red Rider Sports Blog (Tim Snyder) said...

Anon,
That is a tough sked. Weeks 2 through 8 would be games where we wouldn't be the favorite a lot of years.

I think 5-5 with that schedule would be an achievement.

Mooney, Steubenville, Bene, CCC, Dover is a murderers row that would give most D1 teams trouble.

Anonymous said...

Add Kettering Archbishop Alter, two time defending Div 4 State Champs to the list. As an Orrville alum, and current Alter parent, I have been dreaming of this for a long time. Was hoping to see it come true last year.

Red Rider Sports Blog (Tim Snyder) said...

I'd love it. A bit far to drive though. Always had a lot of respect for their program. The uniforms (specifically the stars on the helmet) is one of the best looks in Ohio.

Anonymous said...

I uderstand the travel issue. I hope it happens in the playoffs someday soon. Alter has hosted teams from Washington DC and Cleveland the past two years, and have traveled to away games in Michigan and Kentucky in the past. The uniforms, specifically the helmets, are good. The new road uniforms are terrible, cant read the yellow numbers (seen here in opening game...no stars yet: http://www.alterhighschool.org/cf_media2/index.cfm?g=59). But I still think the Red Riders uniform is the best I've ever seen. Still love that color combination.

Anonymous said...

Getting closer to the Alter - Orrville match up!

Anonymous said...

Week by week my Opponents:
1 Triway
2 Canal Futon Northwest Indians
3 Manchester
4 Wadsworth
5 Copley
6 Dover
7 Union Town Lake
8 Glen Oak
9 Alternating Smithville/Dalton
10. Wooster