2022 Schedule Released

This weekend the Hobart Football team released their fall 2022 schedule. You can check it out below (it's not up on the HWSAthletics.com website just yet):

Now let's break it down. 

Initial Thoughts/Observations

The 2022 slate is basically a mirror of the 2021 one, just a flip flop of the home and away games. This was kind of expected and good news overall, because you never know when a team may back out of a game (which has happened a handful of times over the last few years - I'm looking at you SJF, so please don't do it again this year). 

The Highlights

Team 128's campaign opens with a Friday (likely night) opener against Alfred University, a solid Empire 8 opponent. Away games vs. SUNY-Morrisville and Keystone should be winnable. Saint John Fisher had a rebuilding year in 2021 (4-6), but they should be improved this season. Week 3 will be an interesting test to say the least. 

An exciting Homecoming and Family Weekend home game for the LL opener vs. Ithaca in Week 5 could / should be another night game. It was back in 2016 and this year it will once again be a highly anticipated matchup. The Bombers have a new HC on the sidelines after Dan Swanstrom went back to Penn. Ithaca JR/SR QB A.J. Wingfield as well as several other first-team All-Conference players should be back and it wouldn't surprise me if Ithaca is looked at as a preseason LL favorite. We will see. 

A bye week comes at the mid-point of the season (Week 6), which is perfect timing in my opinion. Especially with two LL road games - at RPI and SLU - directly after in Weeks 7 and 8.

Another big rematch against Union will be at home in Week 9. Union will have a new starting QB in 2022. Whether or not they reload or rebuild remains to be seen. I expect playmakers like Irabor and Ross, Jr. to be back. 

The season wraps on the road in Week 10 vs. Buffalo State (who also has a new HC) and at home for Senior Day against Rochester. I'm always a fan of the last regular season home game being at the Boz. 

The Main Issue

I know I've beaten this dead horse for a while now, but I simply cannot believe the school didn't manage to figure out a way to schedule a home game for these players and seniors on the College's 200th birthday / Bicentennial celebration weekend. Nope, it's just the longest road trip of the season. Just horrible planning by the Administration. 

Look, I get football isn't the be-all-end-all, but when you look at the recent ADOD and other fundraising results, I'd dare say this alumni base is one of the Colleges' historically most engaged and generous. Maybe this was the "only weekend" they could make it work. Either way, the schedule flip by the LL post-2020 didn't help things either, as I've written about previously on this site. Regardless, it's a huge miss and missed opportunity for the Colleges. 

Looking Ahead

We still have many months of waiting ahead, so I'll go back to recruiting news in my next few posts, but I felt the schedule release warranted a mention. I think this is a very strong slate of games and with a couple of really key games at home. Maybe this could be the season we thought we would have had in 2020 before the pandemic sunk our collective hopes?

Time will tell, and we've got a way to go before September. 

Thanks as always for reading and go Bart!