By Staff
Fall sports is just getting under way, but I have enjoyed what I have seen so far.
I haven't had a chance to get out to see each team practice, or in the case of the golf team, play, but I know this is going to be a fun year for Dowagiac athletics.
It will also be a bitter sweet year as the Chieftains make their final trip through the Big 16 Conference.
There have been some exciting times since Dowagiac joined the league three years ago and I have made some new friends that I won't see very often when the Chieftains head to the Wolverine Conference in 2006.
There is an excitement surrounding the Chieftain athletic programs as they prepare for their final fall sports season in the West Division.
There is a bounce in the step of the football program which is hoping that it can improve enough to qualify for the playoffs.
Mike Stanger and his staff are focused on returning the Dowagiac football program back to prominence and I fully expect that they will.
There is talent on this team and now it is just a matter of making the proper adjustments and getting the players into the right positions to make this a winning squad.
It will be tough for the Chieftains as this year's schedule is one of the toughest I have seen Dowagiac play in all the years I have been covering the program.
The girls' basketball team has a new coach in Greg Blomgren and some real nice talent.
Dowagiac won a handful of games last year and is looking to take a big step this season under Blomgren's direction.
Don't be surprised to see Dowagiac make a run late in the season and perhaps even challenge for a district championship.
Dowagiac hopes to repeat as a regional champion in girls' tennis.
The Chieftains won their first ever title last fall and made their first state finals appearance.
With nearly every one back it appears Dowagiac is poised for a repeat performance.
Another team looking to repeat its performance from last year is the golf squad which qualified for the state finals in 2004.
Van Johnson has a young, but talented squad and Dowagiac is looking to win golf's first ever district title this year.
Dowagiac is also the defending district champion in soccer. The Chieftains won the school's first championship last year and with a load of talent back from that squad, should be a contender again this season.
I look for Dowagiac to open a few eyes this season in the Big 16 West Division and perhaps upset one of the king pins.
I don't know exactly what to expect from the cross country program, but you can get an early look at the squad on Saturday at the Niles Stampede.