Game-by-game breakdown the Johannesburg-Lewiston 2023 football schedule
JOHANNESBURG ― It's no secret the past two years of Johannesburg-Lewiston football have not been up to the program's usual standards.
From 2011 to 2020, JoBurg experienced sustained success; they qualified for the playoffs in all but one season during the 10-year stretch, went 82-25 overall and made it all the way to the Division 8 state semifinals in 2020.
In the two years that have followed, however, the program has been plagued by injuries, dwindling numbers of players to work with and younger rosters in general, all factoring into the team's 1-17 combined record from 2021 to 2022.
However, there is hope this will be a turnaround season to get the program back to its winning ways.
The Cardinals' 2023 schedule will look largely the same as it did in 2022, with some notable additions and subtractions as the Northern Michigan Football League lost some of its members. Coming in with a more experienced roster in 2023, JL hopes to be back in contention to top the e they used to dominate.
Johannesburg-Lewiston
Results in 2022: 1-8 overall regular season record, 1-5 in NMFL-Legacy
Schedule Breakdown
Friday, Aug. 25 vs. Harbor Springs
JoBurg will have the opportunity to start the 2023 season on the right foot as they face Harbor Springs, the only win on the Cardinals' resume from last year.
The 36-18 victory in week eight snapped JL's 17-game losing streak and, maybe more importantly, proved to themselves that they still had enough in the tank to compete in their division, even during a down year.
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A similar week-one victory could give the Cardinals the momentum they need to be competitive throughout the regular season.
Thursday, Aug. 31 @ East Jordan
With the reigning NMFL-Legacy Champions St. Ignace moving down to 8-man football this season, the Red Devils of East Jordan may now be the team to beat.
EJ finished third in the final 2022 standings with a 4-2 record while defeating Frankfort, a team they lost to during the regular season, in a first-round playoff matchup.
For JoBurg, how they compete in this game will show how far the program has come in a year's time.
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Friday, Sept. 8 vs. Tawas
Tawas is one of three newcomers on the JL schedule this season. The two teams last met in 2020, with JoBurg taking home a 35-0 win during the regular season before its run to the Division 8 semifinals.
Friday, Sept. 15 @ Frankfort
The Frankfort Panthers will serve as another measuring stick for the Cardinals program after they lost to the eventual division runner-ups 27-0 in week five last season.
Saturday, Sept. 22 vs. Sault Ste Marie Korah (CANADA)
Possibly the most interesting matchup on any area schedule this season, JoBurg is set to host the Korah Colts of the Sault Ste Marie Korah Collegiate & Vocational School on the Canadian side of the Sault on Saturday, Sept. 22.
Korah has won four-straight Ontario Provincial Championships and has become one of the more dominant teams in Ontario High School Football. This year, they will test the limits of what their program can accomplish by traveling across the border to take on the Cardinals.
Friday, Sept. 29 vs. Kalkaska
The last of three new opponents on JL's schedule this year, the Kalkaska Blazers and JoBurg will meet on the football field for the first time since 1981.
Only the second all-time meeting between the two Northern Michigan schools, Kalksaka did face another NMFL-Legacy school in 2022 when the Blazers defeated the Maple City Glen Lake Lakers 46-8 in week one.
Friday, Oct. 6 vs. Maple City Glen Lake
Speaking of the Lakers, Glen Lake will travel to JL for the Cardinals' final home game of the season on the first Friday of October.
Glen Lake took advantage of a JoBurg offense still trying to find its footing in week four of last season as they squeezed out a 19-0 victory.
Friday, Oct. 13 @ Mancelona
JoBurg will wrap up league play on the road at Mancelona on Friday the 13th, hoping to be back in contention for its first division title since 2020.
Mancelona won the 2022 battle 44-22, a higher-scoring affair than a run-dominant team like JL would like to be in. Hopefully for the Cardinals, their Wing-T offense will be running on all cylinders by the time week eight rolls around.
Friday, Oct. 20 @ Manton
JoBurg and Manton will meet on the final week of the regular season for the third straight year, with the Rangers winning the previous two matchups in 2021 (38-34) and 2022 (33-15).
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Game-by-game breakdown the Johannesburg-Lewiston 2023 football schedule
