Wolverines, Bears Tangle In Search of Their First Victory of 2026

Scouting the Bears

The Cambridge Bears will be in the friendly confines of the Cambridge campus on Friday as Woodstock comes calling. The Bears had a week off to regroup after an opening-season loss. Cambridge struggled to generate much offense in its opening matchup. Quarterback Marcus Turk was harassed throughout the night and was sacked three times. Turk finished 10 of 20 for 68 yards.

Brooks Malone led the way for the Bears on the ground, rushing for 47 yards on 15 carries. Turk has also seemed to develop some rapport with receivers Jon Oreface and Peyton Brogdon, and Cambridge will likely need that connection to continue to develop if the Bears are going to find more success through the air.

The bye week should give Cambridge an opportunity to make some adjustments offensively, and getting Malone more involved could be a major part of the game plan.

Scouting the Wolverines

The Woodstock Wolverines are looking to shake off a heartbreaking loss to their neighborhood rival. The Wolverines got a big day from quarterback Graham Burmeister, who threw for 216 yards while also rushing for 195 yards and four touchdowns. Ryland Hubbard picked up where he left off last season with eight receptions for 69 yards, while Akin Kier is turning into a solid complement at receiver. Kier caught four passes for 76 yards and Woodstock's lone receiving touchdown.

Defensively, Caleb Vigna had a big night for the Wolverines, as the safety recorded 12 total tackles and a sack. Fellow juniors Charlie Baldwin and Connor McCarthy also had big games on defense with 10 and nine total tackles, respectively, while Jabril Ba chipped in eight tackles.

Woodstock will need another strong performance from its defense, particularly against a Cambridge offense that should have had plenty of time to prepare during the bye week.

Keys to the Game

Cambridge Bears

• Get Malone going: Establishing Brooks Malone early would take some pressure off first-year starter Marcus Turk.

• Protect Turk: Cambridge has to find a way to slow down Woodstock's pass rush and give Turk time to work.

• Develop the passing game: Jon Oreface and Peyton Brogdon could be key to helping the Bears find some offensive rhythm.

• Win the turnover battle: Cambridge cannot afford to give Woodstock extra possessions against an experienced quarterback.

Woodstock Wolverines

• Let Burmeister be Burmeister: Graham Burmeister has already proven he can hurt teams with both his arm and his legs.

• Establish the run: Woodstock would love to find production on the ground outside of Burmeister.

• Pressure Turk: The Wolverines need to make Cambridge's young quarterback uncomfortable.

• Take away Malone: Limiting Malone would force Cambridge to rely more heavily on its passing game.

Pundit's Pick

The Cambridge Bears will need to get Brooks Malone going this week. That will take some of the pressure off first-year starter Marcus Turk. We know that Coach Tyler Jones is a dynamic play caller, and he would really like to get more out of the passing game. A lot of that will have to do with Cambridge's ability to slow down Woodstock's pass rush.

Meanwhile, we suspect the Wolverines will attack with Graham Burmeister. He has proven he can beat teams with his arm and through the air. Will the Wolverines be able to establish the ground game outside of Burmeister? We don't think that matters. Cambridge will be better after the bye week, but the Wolverines' experience at quarterback is the difference.

Prediction: Woodstock by 4