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IHSAA adopts new playoff structure; Lynx, Hawks learn district fates

WEBSTER CITY – District football and the playoff structure received facelifts on Wednesday when the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s board of control approved the changes for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

With the number of playoff qualifiers dropping from 32 to 16 in each of the six classes, the IHSAA voted to change the number of districts from eight to seven in classes A, 1A, 2A and 3A. Classes 8-man and 4A will remain with eight districts.

Webster City will again be in Class 3A District 2 for the next two years, while South Hamilton will call 1A District 6 home.

District champions and runners-up in each of the new seven districts will qualify for the playoffs. In addition, two wild card entrants will also be included into the field, a suggestion that came from the Iowa Football Coaches Association.

“It’s pretty much the old format, the one we used before we went to 32 teams,” WCHS head coach Bob Howard said. “The only real difference is guaranteeing that a three-way tie will all be in the playoffs. So I like that fine.”

The IHSAA adopted a set of criteria for selecting the two at-large playoff entrants: 1. Anyone considered a district champion; 2. The best district record; 3. Head-to-head, either in district or out of district; 4. The 17-point differential (formerly the 13-point tiebreaker); 5. Random alphabet draw by IHSAA, with the closest school to that letter becoming the qualifier.

Playing seven district games will eliminate the non-district contest in the middle of the season, a move coaches were overwhelmingly in favor of. Teams will still play two non-district games in Weeks 1 and 2. Those match-ups will be chosen by the IHSAA; schools will submit a list of teams they would like to play, but there are no guarantees.

“Us and Gilbert weren’t on each others’ cards any of the six years we’ve played each other,” Howard said.

WCHS and Gilbert will now be district adversaries. Also in 3A District 2 will be Ballard, Boone, Dallas Center-Grimes, Greene County, Iowa Falls-Alden and Perry. With the addition of DC-G, Howard says the district will be a grind.

“It’s a tough district, but you play where they send you,” he said. “How the schedule shakes out is going to be a big deal.”

WCHS is coming off a historic 2015 season that included an unbeaten regular season, a district title and a berth in the state quarterfinals. The Lynx will be asked to replace a large group of seniors, including most of the backfield. Payton Kannuan, the team’s 1,000-yard wingback, will return.

“Any district, on paper, was going to be tough with who we lose,” Howard said. “But we’ll have some kids back, too.”

South Hamilton’s district came as quite a surprise to head coach Corey Klemp, who expected to be headed north. Instead, the Hawks are right in the middle of the District 6 map that includes Eagle Grove, Madrid, Manson-Northwest Webster, Ogden, Panorama, Van Meter and West Central Valley.

“I didn’t anticipate us being in the middle of (a district) geographically,” Klemp said. “It will be a pretty strong district from a balance standpoint.”

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