DOLGEVILLE — Thanks to a shuffle in classification numbers, the Dolgeville football team will see a pair of new opponents on this season’s schedule as the Section III Class D ranks expand from eight to 11 teams.
Herkimer and Utica-Notre Dame join the Blue Devils Class D East Division this season, while Cato-Meridian will be part of the Class D North-West Division. Herkimer, Utica-Notre Dame and Cato-Meridian all dropped down to Class D after competing in Class C last season.
Defending Section III Class D champion Frankfort-Schuyler, Sauquoit Valley and Waterville also will compete in the Class D East Division.
The North-West Division includes Cato-Meridian, Beaver River, Onondaga, Sandy Creek and Thousand Islands.
Last year, there was just one division of Class D schools.
The Blue Devils shared the Class D regular-season title last season with Waterville, Beaver River and Frankfort-Schuyler after all four teams ended the regular season with 5-2 records. Frankfort-Schuyler won the Section III Class D title.
Dolgeville, which went 6-3 last season, will open its 2020 schedule at Sauquoit Valley on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. Dolgeville posted a 14-8 victory over Sauquoit Valley at home in last season’s meeting.
The Blue Devils, who lost to Frankfort-Schuyler in the Class D semifinals last season, will host Utica-Notre Dame on Sept. 19 in their home opener at Bynon Field at 1:30 p.m. The teams last met in 2015, with the Jugglers posting a 51-14 victory on their home field on Sept. 12.
In Week 3, Dolgeville is set to travel Frankfort-Schuyler for a 7 p.m. contest on Sept. 25. The Maroon Knights won last year’s regular-season meeting at Dolgeville by a 34-22 margin on Sept. 21 and also won the semifinal matchup between the teams, 45-20, at Central Valley Academy on Nov. 2.
Dolgeville is scheduled to be home for Week 4 and 5, hosting Waterville on Oct. 3 and Sandy Creek on Oct. 10. Both games are slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. Dolgeville notched a 28-0 victory at Waterville last season and notched an 8-6 win at Sandy Creek. The Blue Devils also hosted the Comets in last year’s Class D quarterfinals, recording a 30-0 victory.
Dolgeville is slated to travel to Herkimer for its Week 6 contest on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. The teams last met Oct. 6, 2016, with the Magicians edging the Blue Devils, 14-12, at Bynon Field.
In the final week of the regular season, Dolgeville is scheduled to host Onondaga on Oct. 24 at 1:30 p.m. The Blue Devils won last year’s meeting at Onondaga, 22-20, in overtime.
The top four teams in each division will advance to the Section III Class D quarterfinals, which are scheduled for either Oct. 30 or 31.
