OTTUMWA — It’s not unusual for high school football teams to find themselves going up against new district opponents. In fact, it happens every other season.

It’s also not a rarity for teams to move up or down in classification. That also gets reviewed every couple of years.

But even by normal standards, there is definitely some dramatic shifting that has gone on leading up to this season.

All 11-player classes will see some dramatic differences with the total number of district opponents. Class 3A, 2A and 1A districts will move from eight to seven teams while several teams move to Class A to make up the 64 squads that make up the eight different eight-team districts.

For several area teams, there’s a new feel of excitement to this season. New rivals are about go head-to-head with some teams looking to chase a new postseason berth in a new class with hopes of chasing down a new state title in 2012.

Like with most changes, this year’s new district alignments are drawing a variety of reactions from area coaches.

“I think any time you get to see new faces, it’s kind of an exciting time,” Pekin head coach Joe Donovan said. The Panthers move down from Class 1A to A and will compete with seven new opponents in District 6. “I think our kids are pretty excited about it.”

“We’re definitely going to stick a little closer to home this season,” Cardinal head coach Adam Hadenfeldt said of the Comets’ new-look district. Despite being one of the few area teams to remain in the same district as last season, Cardinal gets new company in Class 1A, District 6 with defending 2A state champ Iowa City Regina, Sigourney-Keota and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont among the squads moving down a class this year.

“I feel like top to bottom it’s the toughest district in the state,” Hadenfeldt added. Class 1A, District 6 also keeps West Branch, who — like Iowa City Regina — made it to the UNI-Dome after advancing all the way to the state semifinals.

”This is a very tough district with Regina and West Branch being the favorites,” E-B-F head coach Eric Kellar said.

E-B-F and S-K are among the area teams hoping to improve this season. The Savage Cobras and second-year head coach Jared Jensen missed out on the postseason by a game last season following S-K’s perfect run to the 2010 Class 2A state quarterfinals, while E-B-F narrowly missed out on a winning season, going 4-5 last year after a 2-0 start.

Cardinal, meanwhile, feels like they’ve stepped up a class by simply staying put. Coming off a 2-7 campaign, the Comets replace 1A opponents like Pekin, Highland and Van Buren for four teams that battled for postseason berths in Class 2A last year.

“Our schedule certainly wasn’t easy last year, but you put some of these teams that were in 2A last year and this district is going to definitely be a challenge,” Hadenfeldt said. “Our guys are excited for that challenge. We know nothing will be easy. Nothing will be handed to us, but if we can put it together it will feel great because we’ll have earned it.”

The Comets’ former Class 1A, District 6 foes have dropped down and will battle each other in Class A competition this season. Van Buren, who is in its second season of resurrection under head coach Richard Wiegand, will continue to rebuild its depth with winning Class A squads such as Lisbon, Lone Tree and WACO.

Both Pekin and their third-year head coach will see some familiar faces in the new Class A, District 6. The Panthers will face former district rivals North Mahaska and Pleasantville in district play this season while Donovan will face Montezuma, the team he coached to the Class 1A state championship game in 2005.

“I never thought it would happen when I first came here,” Donovan said about the potential of coaching against the Braves for the first time, which will happen on Oct. 5. “You just have to roll with it. I’ve got a great history with that team and have some very good memories there.”

Two teams that won’t be in any need of renewing acquaintances will be Albia and Davis County, who will remain rivals in Class 2A, District 6. It will be the only holdover rivalry in that district, however, as the Blue Demons and Mustangs are the only two teams to be left in the district with five new opponents (Bondurant-Farrar, Clarke, CMB, Interstate 35 and PCM) filling in the departing Mediapolis, Mid-Priaire, Sigourney-Keota, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, West Burlington and Central Lee.

Albia head coach Jerry Staton, who will be on the sidelines for his 50th season at the helm of an Iowa high school football team this fall, talked about the changes.

“There are some advantages in staying in the district you’re in and moving into a new district,” Staton said. “I do like having natural longtime rivalries. You don’t get that when you move to different opponents.”

On the positive side, however, is the unique offensive set that will make Albia especially difficult for their new district rivals to prepare for.

“A lot of schools have gone to the spread offenses, so it’s pretty easy to prepare for that,” Staton said. “It’s not as easy for other teams to prepare for our pistol offense. We’ll get ready for our new opponents. They’ll have a tough time preparing for us.”

The pistol offense helped Albia score a runner-up finish in Class 2A, District 6 and a 7-3 season last year. Davis County also had success last year, going 6-4 and making the playoffs despite losing senior starting quarterback Josh Martsching. The Mustangs will look to build another successful year with new head co-coaches Joe Rasmussen and Todd White leading the charge.

Not all local teams will have to prepare for a brand new set of opponents in district play. Class 3A, District 7 features five returning teams with Centerville and Fairfield along with Fort Madison, Keokuk and Mount Pleasant back to battle for the four postseason berths.

Fairfield, who saw Mike Schenck return as head coach last year, will look to improve on a 5-5 season that saw the Trojans make the postseason despite district setbacks to Oskaloosa, Pella and Keokuk. The Big Reds will look to continue improving under their second-year head coach, former Iowa City Regina state championship coach Chuck Evans, after going 2-7 last season.

Washington and Williamsburg will move into Class 3A, District 7 in place of Chariton and state qualifiers Pella and Oskaloosa. Those three squads move to District 8, joining defending district champ Carlisle along with Knoxville, Norwalk and Winterset.

One other local district that won’t see much shifting is Eight-Player, District 5, which will feature three-time state qualifier Moravia, Tri-County, Twin Cedars and Seymour battling again with Melcher-Dallas and Meskwaki Settlement. One big change will be HLV moving out of 11-player on the Class A level.



NEW AREA FOOTBALL DISTRICTS

Starting 2012 Season

CLASS 4A

Division 3

Ankeny Centennial (no varsity until 2013 season); D.M. Hoover; W.D.M. Dowling Catholic; Marshalltown; Mason City; Ottumwa.

CLASS 3A

District 7

Centerville; Fairfield; Fort Madison; Keokuk; Mount Pleasant; Washington; Williamsburg.

District 8

Carlisle; Chariton; Knoxville; Norwalk; Oskaloosa; Pella; Winterset.

CLASS 2A

District 6

Albia; Bondurant-Farrar; Clarke (Osceola); Collins-Maxwell/Baxter; Davis County; Interstate 35 (Truro); PCM (Monroe).

CLASS 1A

District 6

Cardinal (Eldon); Eddyville-Blakesburg; Iowa City Regina; Sigourney-Keota; Wapello; West Branch; Wilton.

CLASS A

District 5

Danville; Highland (Riverside); Lisbon; Lone Tree; New London; Van Buren (Keosauqua); WACO (Wayland); Winfield-Mount Union.

District 6

BGM (Brooklyn); English Valleys (North English); Lynnville-Sully; Montezuma; North Mahaska; Pekin (Packwood); Pleasantville; Southeast Warren.

EIGHT-PLAYER

District 5

HLV (Victor); Melcher-Dallas; Meskwaki Settlement; Moravia; Seymour; Tri-County (Thornburg); Twin Cedars (Bussey); Wayne (Corydon).



FINAL 2011 AREA DISTRICT FOOTBALL STANDINGS

(District record, overall record)

CLASS 4A

CIML METRO

y-DM Lincoln        5-0    8-1

x-DM East            4-1    4-5

x-Ottumwa            3-2    3-6

DM Roosevelt        2-3    3-7

DM North              1-4    1-8

DM Hoover            0-5    1-8

CLASS 3A

DISTRICT 7   

y-Pella            7-0    8-1

x-Oskaloosa        6-1    7-2

x-Keokuk            5-2    7-2

x-Fairfield         4-3    5-4

Mt. Pleasant         3-4    4-5

Centerville        1-6    2-7

Fort Madison        1-6    2-7

Chariton            1-6    1-8

CLASS 2A

DISTRICT 6

y-Mediapolis        7-0    9-0

x-Albia            6-1    7-2

x-Mid-Prairie        5-2    6-3

x-Davis County    4-3    6-3

Sig-Keota            3-4    4-5

E-B                2-5    4-5

W. Burlington        1-6    2-7

Central Lee        0-7    1-8

CLASS 1A

DISTRICT 6   

y-Alburnett        7-0    9-0

x-West Branch        6-1    7-2

x-Pekin            5-2    5-4

x-North Cedar        4-3    6-3

Wapello            3-4    5-4

Highland            2-5    3-6

Cardinal            1-6    2-7

Van Buren            0-7    1-8

CLASS A

DISTRICT 6

y-BGM                6-0    7-2

x-L-S                5-1    7-2

x-Iowa Valley        4-2    6-3

x-Belle Plaine    3-3    3-6

North Mahaska        2-4    3-6

HLV                1-5    2-7

Montezuma            0-6    1-8

EIGHT-PLAYER

DISTRICT 5   

y-Melch-Dallas    7-0    9-0

x-Moravia            6-1    8-1

x-Twin Cedars        4-3    4-5

x-Tri-County        4-3    5-5

Mesk. Sett.        3-4    4-6

Grandview-PB        3-4    3-6

Harmony            1-6    1-8

Seymour            0-7    0-9

y-District Champion; x-State Qualifier