Gaylord St. Mary Searches for New Week 1 Opponent

When the upcoming high school football season kicks off, Gaylord St. Mary will be in need of a Week 1 opponent.

The Snowbirds were set to take part in an 8-player jamboree that had them facing Climax-Scotts. With Climax-Scotts located in a part of the state that is in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan, St. Mary elected to remove the game from its schedule.

St. Mary’s athletic department says it feels the safest approach is to find a new opponent that is also in Phase 5. That search will offer challenges, though.

“Probably Week 1 through 3 is not written in stone because it may take some moving around between some of the ADs and schools, trying to get a one, two and three,” St. Mary coach Kevin O’Connell said. “Not only that, with travel and things like that, a team that’s relatively close that we don’t play in the regular season. That’s an issue, but not a big issue. We have an advantage more so than the larger schools do. I think it’ll be easier for us to find a Week 1 opponent.”

The 2020 season marks St. Mary’s second at the 8-player level.