High school football sees district changes

Buckle up football fans, it's time for a district shuffle.

Two state champions switched classes, a pair of 1A powerhouses landed in the same district and plenty of other changes were made this week when the Iowa High School Athletic Associated released, then restructured its district football pairings in all classes.

Among the changes, four of the five coverage area teams switched districts, including Spencer, which will play in Class 3A District 2 after being a long-standing member of District 1.

The district switch was ultimately in name only. Six of Spencer's seven district opponents are the same as they were for the past two seasons. Estherville-Lincoln Central dropped down to Class 2A and Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, the 2A runner-up in '09, jumped back into Class 3A where the sharing program had been in the late 1990s and into the early part of the 2000s.

Most of the schools formerly representing District 8 now take over in District 1, led by state champion Harlan. Red Oak and Carroll are the new additions to that district, taking the place of ADM and Clarke.

Solon, the 3-time defending state champion in 2A moves up to Class 3A District 6, joining the likes of Benton, Grinnell, Mount Vernon, Washington, Williamsburg, South Tama and Clear Creek-Amana.

In Class 2A, Okoboji makes a logical move into District 1 after competing in District 2 recently. The Pioneers join three fellow Siouxland Conference teams, along with Estherville-Lincoln Central, Spirit Lake, Unity Christian and Western Christian.

Filling one of the voids left in District 2, defending Class A champion Southern Cal moves up two classes after joining a sharing program with Rockwell City-Lytton.

The merger affects Clay Central-Everly and Class A more than anything.

The Mavericks will have an entirely new crop of district opponents in their shift to District 1, though Clay Central-Everly is familiar with a few of its district partners.

The Mavericks previously played Akron-Westfield and Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn in non-district, while running into both Woodbury Central and Le Mars Gehlen in the '09 postseason. West Sioux drops down from 1A to complete the six-team district.

Three of Clay Central-Everly's district opponents stayed in District 2, two of them combined and moved up to 2A, and Newell-Fonda dropped down to 8-Man.

Sioux Central also made a district shift and will face arguably the most daunting district schedule of any of the five coverage area teams.

The Rebels landed amongst a who's who of tradition-rich high school football teams in Class 1A with its move to District 2.

At the top of the heap in the district are Emmetsburg and West Lyon, who share 11 state football championships between them.

Emmetsburg and West Lyon squared off for the 1A state championship two years ago when the E-Hawks were sent into the East side of the bracket. Emmetsburg claimed its ninth title; West Lyon failed to win its third.

West Lyon has lost to the state champion in each of the past three playoff seasons -- the Wildcats dropped a 3-point contest to Council Bluffs St. Albert in Council Bluffs last year.'

Also included in 1A District 2 are Harley-Melvin-Sanborn, Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer and, returning to a sharing program for the first time since the 1990s, Alta/Aurelia. Alta had played in Class A, Aurelia was an 8-Man team prior to the sharing program.

Ruthven-Ayrshire is the lone coverage area team to remain in the same district.

District 2 in 8-Man remains largely unchanged from the past two seasons -- fellow Cornbelt Conference team Corwith-Wesley-Luverne moves into the district, while Laurens-Marathon moves to District 1.

All eight teams in 8-Man District 2 belong to the Cornbelt Conference, including West Division rivals Armstrong-Ringsted, the defending 8-Man champion, Graettinger-Terril and Harris-Lake Park.

District Football Assignments

3A District 1

Atlantic, Carroll, Creston, Glenwood, Harlan, Council Bluffs Lewis Central, Red Oak, Winterset.

3A District 2

Sioux City Heelan, Denison-Schleswig, Le Mars, MOC-Floyd Valley, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Spencer, Storm Lake.

3A District 3

Algona, Ballard, Boone, Clear Lake, Hampton-Dumont, Humboldt, Nevada, Webster City.

3A District 4

Charles City, Crestwood, Decorah, Independence, Oelwein, Waukon, Waverly-Shell Rock, West Delaware.

3A District 5

Anamosa, Center Point-Urbana, Central Clinton, Maquoketa, Marion, La Porte City Union, Vinton-Shellsburg, Western Dubuque.

3A District 6

Benton, Clear Creek-Amana, Grinnell, Mount Vernon, Solon, South Tama, Washington, Williamsburg.

3A District 7

Centerville, Chariton, Fairfield, Fort Madison, Keokuk, Mount Pleasant, Oskaloosa, Pella.

3A District 8

A-D-M, Carlisle, Dallas Center-Grimes, Knoxville, Newton, Norwalk, Perry, Saydel.

2A District 1

Central Lyon/George-Little Rock, Estherville-Lincoln Central, Okoboji, Sheldon, Sioux Center, Spirit Lake, Unity Christian, Western Christian.

2A District 2

Cherokee, East Sac County, JSPC, Kuemper Catholic, Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto , Missouri Valley, Odebolt-Arthur/Battle Creek-Ida Grove, Southern Cal/Rockwell City-Lytton.

2A District 3

Central Springs, Clarion-Goldfield, Waterloo Columbus, Denver, Forest City, Iowa Falls-Alden, New Hampton, Osage.

2A District 4

Dyersville Beckman, Cascade, Jesup, MFL, Mar-Mac, Monticello, North Fayette, South Winnesheik, Sumner-Fredericksburg.

2A District 5

Camanche, Columbus Junction, Durant-Bennett, Iowa City Regina, Louisa-Muscatine, Tipton, West Liberty, Wilton.

2A District 6

Albia, Central Lee, Davis County, Eddyville-Blakesburg, Mediapolis, Mid-Prairie, Sigourney/Keota, West Burlington.

2A District 7

Collins-Maxwell-Baxter, East Marshall, Gilbert, North Polk, Roland-Story, Fort Dodge St. Edmond, South Hardin, West Marshall.

2A District 8

Bondurant-Farrar, Clarinda, Clarke, Colfax-Mingo, Interstate 35, PCM-Monroe, Pella Christian, Shenandoah.

1A District 1

Hinton, IKM-Manning, Lawton-Bronson, Manson-NW Webster, Prairie Valley, Ridge View, West Monona, Westwood.

1A District 2

Alta/Aurelia, Emmetsburg, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer, Sibley-Ocheydan, Sioux Central, South O'Brien, West Lyon.

1A District 3

AGWSR, Aplington-Parkersburg, Dike-New Hartford, Garner-Hayfield, Lake Mills, Nashua-Plainfield, Saint Ansgar, West Fork.

1A District 4

BCLUW, Eagle Grove, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Hudson, Ogden, South Hamilton, Woodward Academy, Woodward-Granger.

1A District 5

Bellevue, Clayton Ridge, Maquoketa Valley, Northeast, North Linn, Starmont, Turkey Valley, Wapsie Valley.

1A District 6

Alburnett, Cardinal, Highland, North Cedar, Pekin, Van Buren, Wapello, West Branch.

1A District 7

Central Decatur, Des Moines Christian, Mount Ayr, Nodaway Valley, Panorama, Pleasantville, Wayne, West Central Valley.

1A District 8

Audubon, Clarinda Academy, Griswold, Logan-Magnolia, Council Bluffs St. Albert, Treynor, Tri-Center, Underwood

A District 1

Akron-Westfield, Clay Central-Everly, Le Mars Gehlen, Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn, West Sioux, Woodbury Central.

A District 2

Belmond-Klemme, Algona Garrigan, North Iowa, Northwood-Kensett, Southeast Webster-Grand, West Hancock.

A District 3

Colo-Nesco, GMG, Grundy Center, Newman Catholic, North Butler, NUH-Cedar Falls, Rockford.

A District 4

Central, Don Bosco, East Buchanan, Edgewood-Colesburg, North Tama, Postville, Valley Community.

A District 5

Danville, English Valleys, Lisbon, Lone Tree, New London, WACO, Winfield-Mount Union.

A District 6

Belle Plaine, B-G-M, H-L-V, Iowa Valley, Lynnville-Sully, Montezuma, North Mahaska.

A District 7

Earlham, Guthrie Center, Madrid, Martensdale-St. Mary's, Southeast Warren, Van Meter.

A District 8

A-H-S-T, Bedford, Corning, Elk Horn-Kimballton/Exira, Riverside, West Harrison

8-Man District 1

Kinglsey-Pierson, Laurens-Marathon, Newell-Fonda, Remsen-Union, River Valley, Granville Spalding, Remsen St. Mary's, Whiting.

8-Man District 2

Armstrong-Ringsted, C-W-L, Graettinger-Terril, Harris-Lake Park, North Sentral Kossuth, Ruthven-Ayrshire, Twin River Valley, West Bend-Mallard.

8-Man District 3

CAL, Clarksville, Janesville, Northeast Hamilton, Riceville, Tripoli, Ventura, Woden-Crystal Lake-Titonka.

8-Man District 4

Central City, Dunkerton, East Central, Lansing Kee, Midland, Olin, Preston, Springville, West Central.

8-Man District 5

Grandview Park Baptist, Harmony, Melcher-Dallas, Meskwaki Settlement, Moravia, Seymour, Tri-County, Twin Cedars.

8-Man District 6

Adair-Casey, Ankeny Christian Academy, CAM, East Union, Lamoni, Lenox, Mormon Trail, Murray.

8-Man District 7

Ar-We-Va, Boyer Valley, Charter Oak-Ute, Coon Rapids-Bayard, East Greene,Glidden-Ralston, Walnut, Woodbine.

8-Man District 8

East Mills, Essex, Fremont-Mills , Hamburg/Farragut, Sidney, South Page, Stanton, Villisca.

Changing Classes

From 4A to 3A

Newton

From 3A to 2A

Clarke, Estherville-Lincoln Central, Forest City, Iowa Falls-Alden, JSPC, New Hampton.

From 2A to 1A

IKM-Manning

From 1A to A

Belle Plaine, Belmond-Klemme, Edgewood-Colesburg, Grundy Center, Guthrie Center, Iowa Valley , Riverside, West Hancock, West Sioux.

From Class A to 8-Man

Boyer Valley, Fremont-Mills, Kinglsey-Pierson, Midland, Newell-Fonda, Riceville, River Valley, Tripoli.

From Class A to 1A

AGWSR, Cardinal, Highland, Treynor, Wapsie Valley.

From Class 1A to 2A

Denver, Durant-Bennett, Eddyville-Blakesburg, Interstate 35, Pella Christian, South Winnesheik, Fort Dodge St. Edmond.

From 2A to 3A

Center Point-Urbana, RockValley/Boyden-Hull, Solon, Red Oak.

Schools by Class

Class 4A -- 47

Class 3A -- 48

Class 2A -- 48

Class 1A -- 48

Class A -- 52

8-Player -- 65