JOHANNESBURG ― We’re on team three of three of our Gaylord area high school football schedule breakdowns. Next week, teams will be back on the field for the first official practices of the 2026 season. We’ve covered what Gaylord and Gaylord St. Mary are looking forward to this year ― now it’s Johannesburg-Lewiston’s turn.
It would’ve been hard to predict the past five years of JoBurg football when they left the Thirbly Field in Traverse City on Jan. 16, 2021 after the Division 8 state semifinals. One of Northern Michigan’s most consistent programs in the 2010s is now 5-38 in the last five seasons. With a new-look conference yet a familiar-looking schedule, will this be the year JoBurg returns to its winning ways?
Tawas
Aug. 27 vs. Tawas
Last matchup: Tawas 21, JoBurg 6 (Sept. 13, 2024)
A few more teams left the Northern Michigan Football Conference this offseason, prompting the league to officially ditch the divisions and reformat as a nine-team conference with an eight-game schedule. That makes this game, formerly a cross-divisional battle, a season opener and league opener for both teams.
Tawas and JL both finished 1-8 last year, making this a key battle for both teams to gauge their progress.
Benzie Central
Sept. 3 at Benzie Central
First matchup
It’s somewhat hard to believe these two programs have never crossed paths on the football field, but it will now be an annual event in the NMFC as JL heads to Bezonia in Week 2. Benzie Central went 2-7 in 2026 but had solid offensive showings against Tawas (56-0) and Oscoda (54-12).
Oscoda
Sept. 11 vs. Oscoda (Military Appreciation Night)
Last matchup: JoBurg 26, Oscoda 14 (Oct. 3, 2025)
JL got its lone win of the 2025 season at Oscoda in Week 6 last year. Now, they host the Owls in Week 3, a chance for the Cardinals to pick up a league victory in the new-look NMFC.
Frankfort
Sept. 18 at Frankfort
Last matchup: Frankfort 41, JoBurg 30 (Sept. 12, 2025)
The game against Frankfort may have been JL’s best showing in 2025, losing by just 11 points to a future playoff team. Where JL stands after Week 4 will say a lot about this team’s progression, so use this as a measuring stick matchup in about a month.
Maple City Glen Lake
Sept. 25 at Maple City Glen Lake
Last matchup: Glen Lake 49, JoBurg 6 (Oct. 10, 2025)
Maple City Glen Lake won the final NMFC-Legacy Championship and a Division 8 district championship in 2025. Now, they enter the new NMFC as a top contender to win another league title.
Mancelona
Oct. 2 vs. Mancelona
Last matchup: Mancelona 44, JoBurg 6 (Oct. 17, 2025)
The wheels had fallen off for JL by the time the Ironmen came to town, but Mancy showed just how big the gap was between the Cardinals and the top half of the league when they rolled through JoBurg late last season.
East Jordan
Oct. 9 at East Jordan
Last matchup: EJ 51, JoBurg 0 (Sept. 5, 2025)
This Week 2 shutout was a disappointment for JL’s coaches after a solid performance against Burton Bendle in Week 1. Now, JL will have more than a few weeks to prepare for a team that owns a five-game win streak over the Cardinals, but will need to bring a healthy team to EJ for a chance at an upset victory.
Harbor Springs
Oct. 16 at Harbor Springs
Last matchup: Harbor 45, JoBurg 12 (Sept. 19, 2025)
Despite the struggles of the last five years, JL could usually count on at least one league win when they played Harbor Springs. That changed in 2025, leaving the Cardinals without a league win for the first time since 2021.
The league finale for JL, this is a major final test for how far the JLHS program has progressed.
Manton
Oct. 23 vs. Manton
Last matchup: Manton 50, JoBurg 8 (Oct. 24, 2025)
JL and Manton have met in Week 9 each of the last five seasons: different matchup, same story for JL. The Rangers have won five straight over the Cardinals, last year’s 42-point victory being the most lopsided of the five matchups. JoBurg’s lone non-conference gam, this matchup featured a playoff team last year; JoBurg hopes it will feature two this season.
Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Check out the Johannesburg-Lewiston high school football schedule
Reporting by Dylan Jespersen, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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By Dylan Jespersen, The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY Network
