The Raiders will open the MSFL portion of their schedule on the road for the first two weeks, before having a four-game league homestand. With an expected home game on July 3, the homestand will total five games. They will then be on the road for two games, host a game at home, and then finish the MSFL regular season on the road.
The Raiders longest trip of the league season is their first trip on June 5. The team will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., to face the Marion County Crusaders. The Crusaders were a new entry to the MSFL last season and finished tied for third with a 6-4 league record, including 2-0 at home. The Crusaders narrowly got by the Chicago Ducks, 9-8 in the first round of the MSFL playoffs last year. They then lost in the semi-finals to the Illinois Cowboys, 20-16.
The Raiders then head south again to play the Leyden Lions on June 12. The Lions finished 5-4 in the MSFL last season, making the playoffs but being shut out by the Wisconsin Hitmen in the first round, 25-0.
The Raiders long homestand begins against an old foe, the Lincoln-Way Patriots on June 19. After taking last year off, the Patriots on back this season under the same ownership. The Patriots won league titles in 2016 and 2018.
The homestand continues on June 26 against a new entry into the MSFL, the Will County Chiefs. Following a non-league game on July 3, the Raiders host the Illini Panthers on July 10. The Panthers joined the MSFL last season. Despite high expectations from their ownership, the Panthers went just 1-7 in league play. The Raiders host another new entry into the league in the Chicago Cardinals on July 17 to finish out the homestand.
The team then begins what will likely be the toughest stretch of the season. They’ll play the two team that battled it out in the MSFL championship game in 2020 on the road in consecutive weeks. The Raiders will play the Illinois Cowboys on July 24 and the Midway Marauders on July 31. The Marauders beat the Cowboys 34-20 in the title game to finish a perfect league season. The Marauders then moved on to play in the 2020 United States Football Association AAA National Championship in Florida in January where they lost to the Brooklyn (NY) Seminoles, 13-6.
The Raiders return home to host the Chi City Ducks on August 7. The Ducks had a down year in 2020, finishing just 4-5 in the MSFL, including a 1-3 road record. The regular season then winds up with the Raiders traveling to play the Lincoln-Way Patriots.
Along with the ten MSFL regular season games, the Raiders are planning on hosting two non-league games. The first will take place on May 29 with the second game being the annual Fourth of July weekend game will which take place on July 3 this year. The team is still looking for opponents for those dates.
