The state high school athletic association has posted football schedules for 2016-17 (Iowa goes on a two-year rotation for class assignment and scheduling, so 2017 will be identical to 2016 except for swapping home and away games) - and it's true, Linn-Mar will play Xavier these two seasons. How's that for burying the lead?
Again, we're dealing with some significant changes compared to 2014-15. Class 3A (as well as most of the other classes) are now made up of seven 8-team districts, instead of eight 7-team districts. This means one more district game on the schedule, with the only non-district games coming in the first two weeks of the season. Additionally, only 16 teams in each class advance to the playoffs, rather than the 32 we've had since 2008. Bigger districts + fewer playoff teams = more competitive district races with more good teams finding themselves left out of the postseason.
Let's look quickly at District 3, followed by Xavier's schedule. Of the eight teams in the district, you have to figure Xavier, Decorah and Independence at least are going to be strong contenders. Xavier went 9-1 last year, and will return key starters at quarterback, tailback, and on both front lines. Decorah knocked off Xavier in the playoffs and made it to the quarterfinals, and they return a lot of experience. Independence is coming off two straight solid years, and despite first-round playoff exits in both seasons, is developing a tough program. Then you've got South Tama, moving up from 2A and an 11-1 season, and an always-solid Waverly-Shell Rock squad that's lost to Xavier in the playoffs the last two years. That's five of the eight teams that should be in the mix for the district title - Benton Community, Charles City and Vinton-Shellsburg probably, probably aren't cut out to be contenders, but one never knows until you get out on the field.
Now to the schedule for the Saints, starting with the two non-district games:
Friday August 26 - Iowa City Regina (1A) at Xavier
The Regals have won six consecutive state championships, with two losses - total! - in those six seasons. One of those losses, though, was Xavier's incredible comeback last October, when the Saints stormed back from a 35-0 halftime deficit to win the game 38-35 on a field goal as time expired. Even with the two-class difference, these two parochial schools have the makings of a solid rivalry.
Friday September 2 - Xavier at Linn-Mar (4A)
In the old MVC days, Xavier pretty much had Linn-Mar's number. The Saints beat the Lions all nine times they played prior to 2009, then avenged a 14-7 regular season loss that year with a 41-3 beatdown in the second round of the playoffs. Their last meeting was Xavier's final regular season game in the MVC, when the Saints rolled 44-14 behind Brendan Miller's school-record 271 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns. I'm sure the entire Xavier community is looking forward to playing a former MVC partner, and not the least, enjoying the excellent facility the Linn-Mar stadium offers.
Friday September 9 - Xavier at Benton Community
District play starts at Newhall, against the Bobcats. Benton Community made the playoffs last year at 5-4, after finishing 6th in their district the three years prior. Still, the Bobcats have a tough road in District 3, although pairing Benton Community and Xavier in the same district makes a ton of geographic sense (they're less than 30 miles apart).
Friday September 16 - Charles City at Xavier
After two straight road games, the Saints will alternate home and away the rest of the season. The Comets played an exciting and competitive playoff game at Xavier in 2014, but that year was an exception - Charles City won just three games combined in 2012, 2013 and 2015.
Friday September 23 - Xavier at Decorah
A long two-hour road trip faces the Saints as they look for payback for last year's unexpected playoff defeat. The Vikings look to continue their tradition of excellence with a solid core of returning players, and no doubt expect to keep a strong claim on the top of their district (district champions in 2012 and 2013, with a state 3A championship in 2012). This game could mean a lot for district rankings and playoff qualifications for this season.
Friday September 30 - Independence at Xavier
Xavier gets perhaps their two toughest district rivals back-to-back, as Independence won 6 games in 2014 and 8 games last year. The Mustangs also share with Xavier an unexpected early 2015 playoff exit at the hands of Decorah, as the Vikings took down Indee in the first round before knocking off Xavier last year.
Friday October 7 - Xavier at Waverly-Shell Rock
The Go-Hawks have played two tough, physical playoff games at Saints Field the past two seasons, with Xavier barely holding on for a 14-7 win last year. Now the Saints have to go to Waverly, where the Go-Hawks hope to continue their streak of playoff appearances and build on their 55-37 record since 2007.
Friday October 14 - Vinton-Shellsburg at Xavier
It's the second District 3 team with the Vikings mascot, but this one doesn't quite have the tradition of Decorah. I don't believe Vinton-Shellsburg has ever qualified for the playoffs, and haven't finished above fifth in their district since at least 2011. Former Cedar Rapids Jefferson coach Jim Womochil has led the Vikings since 2012, but has only managed 10 victories in four years.
Friday October 21 - Xavier at South Tama
A trip west on Highway 30 to end the season, against a team that had great success in Class 2A the past two seasons. The Trojans went 19-4 with three playoff wins, adding to their 9-3 season as a member of Class 3A in 2012 (2013 was a down year, as they finished sixth in their district). Will the Trojans continue their path of excellence after moving up a class? Could this regular season finale have a tremendous impact on playoff qualifications and district finish? It very well might.
With the reduction of playoff teams to 16, the postseason schedule is now a much more sane one-game-per-week affair. As far back as at least 2006 (and perhaps several years earlier), Iowa's high school football playoffs featured a first-round game on the Wednesday after the last regular season Friday game; then a second game on the following Monday; with a third game for the survivors on that upcoming Friday (or Saturday, in some classes and some seasons). That's a grueling four games in two weeks, and parents, coaches and administrators were understandably concerned about injuries and just the overall well-being of players (not to mention the impact on school days, with games and travel scheduled on school nights). Unfortunately, with the dual requirements of needing five rounds to get through a 32-team field and UNI's demand that the high school association be finished by the week before Thanksgiving, there wasn't much wiggle room to fix that.
So, the reduction in playoff qualifiers. That took an entire round out of the playoffs, and allows teams to play a full 9-game regular season, plus four rounds of playoffs, all a week apart, and still fit in the required late August/mid November window.
This year's games: First round - Friday October 28
Quarterfinals - Friday November 4
Semifinals - (3A) Thursday November 10
Championship - (3A) Thursday November 17
