The football season continues to get closer, and the Mahaska Zone Network is proud to announce the 2016 Game of the Week Schedule.
The Game of the Week in 2015 featured nearly a dozen area schools for the first time ever in the regular season on the Mahaska Zone Network airwaves. This season, no less than 11 area schools will be highlighted with live play-by-play broadcasts on 104.9 FM KBOE, the KBOE mobile app, and kboeradio.com.
The action will kick off on August 26th for a huge Week 1 battle with the only two Class 4A teams in the listening area as Newton hosts Ottumwa. Both squads are looking to bounce back from rough seasons a year ago, as both teams missed the playoffs.
In Week 2, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont travels to face Sigourney/Keota in a rivalry close to home. EBF moves into Class 2A this year, and S/K is the last Class 1A team the Rockets get a chance to face before they begin district play. EBF missed the playoffs in 2015, while Sigourney/Keota lost at home in the first round.
Week 3 is interrupted by a late-season NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Richmond, but there will still be reports flowing in from area games. During the Oskaloosa broadcast on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, the KMZN mobile app, and radiokmzn.com, there will be live reports from New Sharon as North Mahaska hosts Lynnville-Sully and from Montezuma as the Braves host Pekin in an interesting matchup. Week 3 also kicks off district play for most area schools.
In Week 4, the listening area will get a chance to hear some 8-Player football, as Twin Cedars hosts Tri-County. The Sabers lost in the first round of the playoffs last year, but have room for growth. Tri-County is looking to improve on their 1-8 season in 2015 in this District 5 battle.
As we move through September, Week 5 will pit the North Mahaska Warhawks against New London in New Sharon. New London is the only non-area team slated to compete in a live Game of the Week in 2016. They just missed out on a playoff berth last year. This Class A matchup will be big for North Mahaska, who is looking to increase their win total from the two they snagged last season.
Week 6 is a rematch of a classic postseason battle in 2015, as Lynnville-Sully travels to face Pekin. The Hawks pulled a two-point upset in a back-and-forth thriller in Packwood last year in the first round. Pekin will be among the favorites to win Class A District 6, and will need a win at home against L-S if they want to accomplish that goal.
Week 7 is another NASCAR night, as the Xfinity Series takes centerstage on 104.9 FM KBOE. The late-season race is the Drive For The Cure 300 in Charlotte. While that’s going on, there will be a trio of games highlighted with reports during the Oskaloosa broadcast on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN. The reports will be coming from the PCM at EBF contest in Class 2A District 6, Louisa-Muscatine at Sigourney/Keota in Class 1A District 4, and Montezuma at North Mahaska in Class A District 6.
We’re back to normal for Week 8, and Montezuma and Cardinal will be featured. That game will be in Monte as playoff positioning will be on the line in Class A District 6.
Week 9 is currently open for the Mahaska Zone Network to select a game with playoff implications to round out the regular season schedule.
That makes the full schedule look like this:
Week 1 – Ottumwa at Newton
Week 2 – Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont at Sigourney/Keota
Week 3 – Reports from Lynnville-Sully at North Mahaska and Pekin at Montezuma
Week 4 – Tri-County at Twin Cedars
Week 5 – New London at North Mahaska
Week 6 – Lynnville-Sully at Pekin
Week 7 – Reports from PCM at EBF, Louisa-Muscatine at S/K, and Monte at NM
Week 8 – Cardinal at Montezuma
Week 9 – OPEN DATE
The 2016 season will be full of action and tight playoff races in all six classes. We’ll be following all season long with the Mahaska Zone Network Game of the Week on 104.9 FM KBOE, the KBOE mobile app, and kboeradio.com.