Bayside chatter: Early season predictions

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The Silver Bay Mariners football team returns a number of skilled players as every starter from last season returns. On offense you have a backfield of seniors Luke Thun, Cody Larson, and Holden Panetti and junior Kyle Blood. On the line it's senior Baruch Fischer, juniors Leif Maxwell, and Preston Westerlund and sophomores Chad Smuk and Michael Klofstad. All of these players will also be playing on the defensive side of the ball. Others that will see a lot of action will be senior Daniel Wilson, sophomore Luc Small, and freshman Jordan Fralich. Hopefully some others will develop quickly and also be a factor enabling some rest for the weary.

In the newly formed Great North Conference, Northwoods(Cook & Orr) have to be considered the preseason favorite. But then again Bigfork, Cherry, Littlefork-Big Falls, Mountain Iron-Buhl, and Silver Bay could also be a factor in the run for the conference title. In the preseason, everything can be a lot of conjecture and guess work as you don't know for sure who didn't come out, who is injured, and who is ineligible. Section five should have Floodwood and McGregor as the favorites as defending state champion Cromwell returns just one starter.

Babbitt-Embarrass merged with Tower-Soudan to form the Northeast Range Nighthawks, the Mariner's first opponent this season. Tower-Soudan finished at 2-7 last season and Babbitt was 1-8. The Mariners defeated Babbitt 39-14 last year. Tower-Soudan students had an option of either Northeast Range or Northwoods.

Tags: silver bay, two harbors, schools, football, mariners