Class 4A a ‘good fit’ for Newton football

The high school football landscape will look different in the coming years.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced last week that it was adding a seventh class and the postseasons will look different as well.

Based on last year’s BEDS numbers, Newton’s Cardinals will move up to Class 4A. And barring a drastic change from last year, they should be in 4A no matter what.

There will be 36 4A schools and they will play a nine-game regular season schedule with 16 teams making the postseason.

“I like the changes,” Newton football coach Andy Swedenhjelm said. “I definitely feel like it’s a step in the right direction. The difference in enrollments in the old Class 4A was crazy.”

The new 5A class will feature the largest 36 schools in the state. The lower end of that list, based on this year’s numbers, includes Ottumwa and Urbandale. But the addition of the new Waukee high school could push Ottumwa down to 4A.

Class 4A will have the next biggest 36 schools. The two smallest schools based on this year’s numbers are Keokuk and North Polk with Indianola and Fort Dodge being a few of the largest 4A programs.

Class 3A is the next 36 largest schools after that. Some of the bigger programs in 3A could be Winterset, Harlan, Gilbert and Grinnell. Some 2020 2A programs expected to bump up to 3A include Saydel, Solon, Atlantic, Clear Lake and Mount Vernon.

Class 2A could now include two-time defending champion OABCIG as well as Panorama.

Some of the schools who could find themselves paired in a district with Newton includes Indianola, Des Moines Hoover, Dallas Center-Grimes, Pella, Oskaloosa, Carlisle and Bondurant-Farrar.

If the state sends the Cardinals south, they could be matched in a district with Mount Pleasant, Fort Madison and Ottumwa along with Oskaloosa and Pella.

Newton Activities Director Ryan Rump likes the fact that the Cardinals will likely still play teams fans are used to seeing on the schedule, and they can potentially add some new programs like Hoover, Bondurant-Farrar or Carlisle to the schedule.

“I would assume it will be six districts of six. I don’t know that yet but if that’s the case we’d get five district games and then a chance to play some traditional rivals or perhaps a PCM or Knoxville with our four non-district games,” Rump said. “Marshalltown is an option. I like that we get to play nine games. Every other year we’d get five home games and that helps the bottom line. All of that together, I think it worked out OK for us.”

Football programs in 5A, 4A and 3A will play nine games and the playoffs will include 16 teams in each class. Class 2A, 1A, A and 8-man all will have eight-game schedules and 32 playoff qualifiers.

“I am a little surprised with the 16-team playoffs,” Swedenhjelm said. “There was a ton of positive feedback in our coaches meetings about the playoff system used last year. Overall, I think being in 4A will be a really good fit for us.”

Baxter football coach Rob Luther is not sure what the changes accomplished. There will still be issues at the big-school level with mismatches.

“I am disappointed that the Department of Education told (the IHSAA) to stay away from the free and reduced and the private school stuff,” Luther said. “For us, I actually am glad they didn’t split 8-man. I like the eight games and 32 playoff teams. I hope it’s just the top four in each district as opposed to some RPI format.”

Based on this year’s BEDS numbers, PCM should remain a 2A program, Colfax-Mingo should stay at 1A, Lynnville-Sully is expected to remain in Class A and Baxter will continue to play 8-man football.

“I’m glad they are doing some things to improve it,” Colfax-Mingo football coach Jeff Lietz said. “I think it will work out well for us.”

Another announcement made by the IHSAA last week involved the state wrestling tournaments happening in February.

The IHSAA announced it was going to allow fans into the event at Wells Fargo Arena, but the number would be capped at 4,000 fans per session. Ticket prices also are going up to $15 per session leading up to the finals, which will be $20.

Also, they are not allowing cheerleaders into the event as participants.

“It’s better than nobody being in the building,” Rump said. “I haven’t gotten to talk to the cheerleaders yet. That’s a big deal for them. The highlight of their season. I am sure they are disappointed, but it’s been a year of disappointment in a lot of ways. They haven’t been able to travel like they normally do.”