Editor’s note: Information for this article was provided from michigan-football.com and only goes back to 1950.
ESCANABA –Who’s ready for some football?
Escanaba recently unveiled its 2024 varsity regular season schedule. All games Here’s who the Eskymos will collide with this season:
Week 1
@ Kingsford, 8/29/24, 7 p.m.
The Eskymos trip down US-2 for a road game with a familiar foe in the Flivvers. The former GNC football rivals last met in 2022, a 49-8 Esky loss.
Kingsford will be without reigning U.P. Player of the Year Eli Rouse and U.P. Defensive Player of the Year Noah Johnson, who both graduated and will be playing at the college level in 2024. Look for this game to feature some Week 1 blues mixed with plenty of intrigue.
Week 2
@ Cadillac, 9/6/24, 7 p.m.
The Eskymos and Vikings met for the first time ever in 2023, a 43-36 Cadillac win which saw Esky furiously rally back in the closing moments. This will also kick-off Big North Conference action for both squads and will be the first of two trips over the Mackinac Bridge.
Week 3
vs. Petoskey, 9/13/24, 7 p.m.
The Eskymos get their first of three-straight home games on Sept. 13. Esky is 8-5 all time against Northmen, but suffered a 50-0 loss in Petoskey a year ago. Look for a much closer game, especially with the Northmen hitting the road for the first time after home games against Greenville and Bay City Western.
Week 4
vs. Sault Ste. Marie, 9/20/24, 7 p.m.
The Blue Devils lose talent to graduation and make the three-hour drive for Escanaba’s homecoming game.
This will be the 35th meeting between the two with the Eskymos holding a 25-9 all-time record despite dropping the previous two meetings 67-19, including a 21-0 loss in the Soo a year ago.
Week 5
vs. Grayling, 9/28/24, 4 p.m.
This will be the second all-time meeting between the Esky and Grayling and the first time these two play in the U.P.
Esky dropped last season’s meeting 37-30 in Grayling. Set your calendar’s properly, because this game, parent’s night, is set for a 4 p.m. Saturday kick-off instead of a traditional Friday night game.
Week 6
@ Marquette, 10/4/24, 6:30 p.m.
The Eskymos will have one less day of rest, but will still have plenty of U.P. and Big North Conference implications. The Eskymos lead the all-time series 44-19-1, but Marquette has emerged victorious in the last six meetings.
Week 7
@ Gaylord, 10/12/24, 6 p.m.
Esky leads the all-time series 4-3, but the Blue Devils won last year’s meeting 38-8 en route to an 11-1 record and a district title before falling to Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 33-7 in Division 3 Regional finals.
This road game will also be a Saturday night showdown and the last of two regular season trips over the bridge.
Week 8
vs. Alpena, 10/18/24, 7 p.m.
Esky knocked off the Wildcats 28-25 without the sophomore quarterback Nolan Bink in 2023. Emotions will run high with this game serving as Esky’s Senior night.
Week 9
@ Gladstone, 10/25/24, 7 p.m.
The granddaddy of them all falls on Week 9 once again. The Braves own a three-game winning streak over the Eskymos for this first time in one of the U.P.’s premiere rivalries. Will that change in 2024? Only time will tell, but the 2024 season starts on Aug. 29.