Kickoff for the 2015 Wolverine Conference season is here.

Dowagiac and Edwardsburg will open the season on the road tonight with the Chieftains heading to Vicksburg and the Eddies to Allegan.

Both games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

 

Dowagiac at Vicksburg

The Bulldogs were 8-3 last season and finished third in the Wolverine Conference East Division.

Vicksburg won its opening round playoff game against Three Rivers (14-13), but was defeated by Wolverine Conference West Division champion Edwardsburg in the Division 4 District championship game 34-6.

Gone from that team are all-conference performers Dalton Ketelaar (quarterback) and defensive lineman Jarrad Whited.

Key returners for the Bulldogs are Seth Benson (running back/linebacker), Nick Wallace (running back) and Keegan Frisbee (offensive tackle/defensive end.

Dowagiac was just 3-6 last year and missed the playoffs for only the second time in 10 years.

The Chieftains have plenty of holes to fill with only four starters back on offense — Reid Adams (offensive line), Collin Dussel (offensive line) Austin Taggart (wide receiver) and wing back Erik Walker.

Returning on the defensive side of the football are Josh Lamphere, Nate Ward, Jared Hatch, Ronnie Payne and Logan Eby.

Dowagiac did not face Vicksburg last season. The Chieftains are 6-2 against the Bulldogs since joining the Wolverine Conference in 2006.

 

Edwardsburg at Allegan

Allegan was 0-9 last season and replaced its head coach with Josh Lucas.

The Tigers have not won more than two games since 2011 and face a challenge again this season opening with Edwardsburg, Three Rivers, Vicksburg, Dowagiac and Plainwell.

The Eddies, who were 11-2 least season and reached the Division 4 state semifinals, pounded Allegan 72-6 last season. This will be the second meeting between the two schools since Edwardsburg joined the Wolverine Conference in 2012.

The Eddies look to pick up last season when they scored 44.2 points per game and rolled up 5,599 yards in total offense.

Edwardsburg had 401 of those yards against the Tigers.

Back for the Eddies are all-conference performers Dante Razzano (quarterback) and Isaiah Miller, who carried the ball six times for 121 yards and two touchdowns last season against Allegan.

Miller was an all-state selection with 1,721 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns.

Returning for Edwardsburg on defense are Razzano (defensive back), Austin Cline (linebacker), Zach Plummer (defensive line), Terek Curtis (defensive line) and Chad Durham (defensive line).

Razzano was all-state with 50.5 tackles and five interceptions.