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topicnews · August 29, 2024

The most important questions before the opening soccer match between Inland Lakes and Onaway

The most important questions before the opening soccer match between Inland Lakes and Onaway

ONAWAY – Thursday night will be fun.

As odd as it may sound, and knowing how long I’ve lived here, I’ve never personally covered an Inland Lakes-Onaway football game. Last year, of course, that was the plan, but things stalled after the Cardinals forfeited.

But now the two M-68 rivals will face off in Onaway, as the powerful Bulldogs, who finished runner-up last season with eight players, return several outstanding players, while the Cardinals have solid talent of their own and new head coach Micah Bailey.

Here are three questions I have before Thursday’s game at 7 p.m.

Do the Cardinals have a chance to slow down IL’s offense?

If the Cardinals want any chance of pulling off an upset, they must find a way to limit Inland Lakes’ offense, which has been an overwhelming force in recent years.

Led by first-team quarterback Aidan Fenstermaker, the Bulldogs have weapons all over the place, including Andre Bradford, Mitch Crawford, Wyatt Hanel and others. Combined with a stellar offensive line, that makes for a well-oiled offensive machine.

We’ll find out early if the Cardinals have what it takes to slow down one of the most potent and efficient offenses in 8-man football. Onaway has good players on that side of the ball, but going up against Inland Lakes is a tough challenge for any team out there.

Will Onaway’s playmakers be successful against the Bulldogs?

We know how the Bulldogs are set up offensively, but the Cardinals have dangerous offensive players of their own.

They include junior quarterback Brady Gapczynski, who had a solid season as a thrower as a junior. He is joined by junior running back Trenton Soik and senior offensive linemen Levi Rigot and Billy Gasch, who hope to win the battle at the line of scrimmage against Inland Lakes’ physical defense.

A quick start is crucial for the Cardinals, and if they can do that, they could make it exciting.

Which playmaker will have the biggest night?

On the Inland Lakes side, it would be easy for me to choose Fenstermaker, Bradford or Mitch Crawford, but from what I saw last week, the Bulldogs have young players who will be hitting the ground running this fall. The two who impressed me the most at a recent practice game were young players Wyatt Hanel and Ty Kolly. Hanel had several runs for touchdowns and Kolly caught a couple of touchdown passes. Since these two look more like playmakers, it’s a tough choice for Inland Lakes.

For Onaway, the challenge is replacing the exceptional playmaking trio of Brendon Brewbaker, Jackson Chaskey and Justin Kramer-St. Germain, all of whom were seniors. If anyone has a big night, I think it will be Gapczynski, who has a great arm and can be an effective runner. Soik is another threat.

No matter who it is, if the Cardinals want to beat their rivals, they will have to put on a remarkable game.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at [email protected]Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

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