What a fun turnaround last season for the Harbor Springs football team in year one of the Erik Slifka era leading the program.
The Rams finished the season with a 5-4 record and wasted no time snapping an 0-26 stretch as the 2025 season began at Ottawa Stadium.
Now, the hard part comes in keeping progress moving.
Harbor Springs gets a new league slate of games in the rebuilt Northern Michigan Football Conference, while keeping Lakeview as their only non-league opponent.
When looking at the 2026 Rams’ schedule overall, here’s what is standing out.
Flipping the script again
The script during the 2025 season certainly went through a major flip. Going from zero wins over three years to five last season, it’s obvious.
But when you’re counting wins on the 2026 schedule, the Rams have more work to do in changing recent history against opponents.
If they can win the games they did a year ago – JoBurg, Lakeview and Oscoda – then that leaves likely two or three more needed to make the playoffs.
So, start looking. Tawas should be one, so that’s four. The next pool of games then comes out of Glen Lake, Frankfort, Benzie Central, Mancelona and East Jordan, four playoff teams from a year ago.
That’s the next step for Harbor Springs, picking off regular conference contenders.
The Week 5 trip to Benzie Central might be one of the biggest games of the year for the Rams.
It’s actually their first-ever meeting and one where Harbor should match up pretty well. It could also be part of what could be a three-game win stretch, sandwiched between Tawas and Lakeview.
They haven’t won three straight since 2019.
Those three games will act as a major factor in how the season goes for the Rams, particularly how the final third goes.
Catch them while you can
It’s a bit of an odd setup this season for the Rams. Everything comes in twos.
They begin the year with two Thursday games on the road. They head home for two, hit the road for two, then again have two more at home.
It remains to be seen how it’s to Harbor Springs’ liking, but the negative is that there’s only four home games in a nine-game schedule. That’s just how seasons shake out sometimes.
It’s actually a solid mix of home and away games as far as opponents go. They’ll get Frankfort and Mancelona at home, though road trips to Glen Lake and East Jordan will be challenges.
All come downs to East Jordan?
It’s been touched on that this is a more difficult schedule than last season for the Rams.
Morley-Stanwood and Farwell, who each earned three wins last season, are games that won’t be found on the 2026 schedule.
Because of that, it’s hard to say where the Rams will do their best work at becoming a playoff team.
With East Jordan waiting in Week 9, could it all come down to the Red Devils for the postseason?
EJ took a 30-14 final a year ago, part of a five-game win streak over the Rams, with few playing out closer than that.
But, when both of these teams are competitive, it’s a great rivalry with some great games. A 34-33 Harbor Springs victory to begin the 2019 season was one of the best.
There’s a lot to look forward to in this final regular season matchup of 2026. EJ might be fighting for a conference title and Harbor could be battling for the postseason.
The added bonus is a rivalry victory.
2026 Harbor Springs Football Schedule
Thur. Aug. 27 — at Oscoda, 7 p.m.
Thur. Sept. 3 — at Maple City Glen Lake, 7 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 11 — vs. Frankfort, 7 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 18 — vs. Tawas, 7 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 25 — at Benzie Central, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 2 — at Lakeview, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 9 — vs. Mancelona, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 16 — vs. Johannesburg-Lewiston, 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 23 — at East Jordan, 7 p.m.
Reach Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com and follow him on X @DrewKochanny and Instagram @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Harbor Springs’ football schedule gets tougher in 2026, but Rams much improved
Reporting by Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY Network
