With fall sports looming around the corner, Owensville High School (OHS) fans will notice some changes to schedules with the addition of seventh and eighth-grade football and to a pair of Thursday-night football games at the varsity level for Dustin Howard’s gridiron Dutchmen.

Opening their season against Cuba for the past few seasons, Dutchmen football added the defending Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3 football state champion Central (Park Hills) Rebels to kick off the 2024 campaign on Friday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m., at Dutchmen Field.

Week two will see the return of St. Francis Borgia to the regular-season slate on Thursday, Sept. 5 on the road in Washington at 7 p.m.

This will mark the first time since 2015 the Knights and Dutchmen have squared off in regular-season football action.

Long-time head coach Dale Gildehaus recently announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2024 season after 38 years roaming the sidelines in Franklin County.

Initially thinking they were going to lose Eldon, the Dutchmen were able to move their showdown with the Mustangs to week three after Warrenton dropped the Dutchmen from their schedule.

Owensville’s Thursday contest against Borgia will be the first on that night of the week since the Dutchmen and St. James Tigers piled up 155 pounds back in October of 2011 with Owensville ending up on top 80-75.

Matt Candrl’s OHS Cross Country teams will also see a change early in their schedule.

Opting not to compete at the Fleet Feet Classic in Arnold, Candrl’s orange and black harriers will open the 2024 season the Saturday after Labor Day on Sept. 7 in the New Haven Invitational Cross Country Meet at New Haven City Park.

Hannah Koppelmann’s Owensville Dutchgirl softball team will also see a change of scenery when they open their 2024 diamond campaign over Labor Day weekend.

Competing in the Peoples Bank Back to School Softball Classic at Sullivan the last several year, OHS opted to exit that tournament and head north to the Moberly Softball Tournament.

Koppelmann’s Dutchgirls will get to see different opponents that they have never faced before.

In pool play, Owensville will face Palmyra’s Lady Panthers in an orange-and-black showdown before taking on Monroe City’s Lady Panthers.

After their two pool games, Owensville could face either Mark Twain, Moberly or South Shelby when the pools cross over.

Jamie Ridenhour’s Owensville Dutchgirl volleyball team will also open the 2024 season against a new but familiar opponent.

Facing Linn over the past several years in late August, a scheduling conflict will now have the Dutchgirls opening 2024 on Wednesday, Sept. 4 against Washington’s Lady Blue Jays inside OHS’ main gym.

That will mark the first time new scoreboards purchased by the Dutchmen/Dutchgirl Athletic Booster Club and Legends Bank will be used.

Seventh and eighth-grade football will open their season at Dutchmen Field on Thursday, Sept. 12 against St. Clair’s Bulldogs at 5 p.m.