2023 Schedules
- Thread starter Redraider906
- Start date
Schools were also told in that email that non-district priority list will be made public, so hopefully we're able to see what teams each school listed. Should be interesting to see which schools were hoping for an easy schedule and who was willing to play up a class or play against tough competition for non-district.
Schedules are posted.
Good non-district for Mepo playing Columbus Comm., Sigourney-Keota and Iowa City Regina. All teams in smaller class, but still good teams and playoff teams. Wish we could get SK at home, but it’s there again. Seems like we’ve always played there.
Good non-district for Mepo playing Columbus Comm., Sigourney-Keota and Iowa City Regina. All teams in smaller class, but still good teams and playoff teams. Wish we could get SK at home, but it’s there again. Seems like we’ve always played there.
Who's got the toughest non-district schedule? At a quick glance it would be hard to find tougher non-district schedule than Class 1A MFL MarMac and Dike New Hartford.
MFL Non-District
2A Crestwood (2022 2A Quarterfinalist)
2A Waukon (2022 2A District Champion)
2A New Hampton (2022 playoffs, top returning rusher in 2A)
Dike NH Non-District
1A Grundy Center (2022 A State Champion)
1A West Branch (2022 1A semifinalist)
2A Osage (2022 playoffs)
MFL Non-District
2A Crestwood (2022 2A Quarterfinalist)
2A Waukon (2022 2A District Champion)
2A New Hampton (2022 playoffs, top returning rusher in 2A)
Dike NH Non-District
1A Grundy Center (2022 A State Champion)
1A West Branch (2022 1A semifinalist)
2A Osage (2022 playoffs)
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West Branch has a good non-district.
3A Williamsburg (2A state runner-up)
1A DNH (district runner-up, won a playoff game)
1A Waterloo Columbus (district runner-up, won a playoff game).
Actually kind of surprised they’d play two potential playoff opponents in non-district play. I would have like Mepo to play them.
Ol Butch knew something when he submitted his list. Leaving behind some Easter eggs I think with these picks he sent in before his passing. In the past he hasn’t had this tough of non district I can remember.
RIP Butch I hope your intuitions are right. Going to be a fun year, and he will have the best seat in the house.
RIP Butch I hope your intuitions are right. Going to be a fun year, and he will have the best seat in the house.
Underwood has 2 tougher games with VM and Kuemper.
PC with Grundy, PCM and DMC is on the rise.
Grundy has DNH, AP and PC. All 1A but all contending for a district titles. They also are not putting many miles on the bus this year. 30 miles is the longest trip.
West Sioux is fairly tough even though HMS is Class A. Other 2 are Good class 2A.
PC with Grundy, PCM and DMC is on the rise.
Grundy has DNH, AP and PC. All 1A but all contending for a district titles. They also are not putting many miles on the bus this year. 30 miles is the longest trip.
West Sioux is fairly tough even though HMS is Class A. Other 2 are Good class 2A.
Ankeny's non-district games: Dowling, Valley, Southeast Polk, Johnston, Ankeny Centennial.
They play all four of last year's 5A semifinalists plus their cross-town rivals. Not sure you could make a tougher one.
They play all four of last year's 5A semifinalists plus their cross-town rivals. Not sure you could make a tougher one.
City High plays Joliet Catholic out of Illinois, a program that has won 15 state titles. That seems like a big time challenge. Personally I wish that a few more of our best 5A programs would step out of state to see how they match up with schools from other states.
Trying to apply some numbers to it...
*Champ (10), Runner-Up (8), Semifinalist (6), Quarterfinalist (4), Round of 16 (2), Round of 32 (1)
*+/- 1 for each class difference
Using 4A as the guinea pig, I get:
21 - Western Dubuque (Xavier-4A champ, N Scott-4A semi, W Delaware-3A R16, Wahlert-2A SF)
18 - Waverly-Shell Rock
17 - Lewis Central
17 - Norwalk
16 - Bondurant-Farrar
Eight teams in 4A have all 4 non-district games against 2022 playoff teams:
Spencer, Decorah, Waverly-SR, Western Dubuque, Bondurant-Farrar, North Polk, Lewis Central, Norwalk
Will look at other classes later to see how those shake out.
Class 3A:
*4 teams have all 4 non-district games against playoff teams: Sioux Center, Hampton-Dumont/CAL, Mount Vernon, Nevada
Point totals based on above formula:
18 - Williamsburg (Xavier-4A champ, West Branch-1A SF, Ft Madison-4A R16)
17 - Sgt. Bluff-Luton (Harlan-3A champ, LeMars-4A R16, SC East-5A R16)
15 - Humboldt
14 - Assumption
14 - Harlan
Class 2A, so 3 ND games instead of 4.
11 teams have all 3 ND games against 2022 playoff squads:
CLGLR, Unity, New Hampton, NFV, Mediapolis, IF-A, PCM, Union, West Marshall, Van Meter, DM Christian
Point totals:
13 - Union (Mount Vernon-3A 2nd, W Delaware-3A R16, AP-1A R16)
13 - Van Meter (Humboldt-3A SF, DMC-2A R32, Underwood-1A SF)
13 - DM Christian (Van Meter-1A CH, Pella Chr-1A QF, Clarke-2A R32)
11 - West Lyon
11 - PCM
10 - CLGLR
11 teams have all 3 ND games against 2022 playoff squads:
CLGLR, Unity, New Hampton, NFV, Mediapolis, IF-A, PCM, Union, West Marshall, Van Meter, DM Christian
Point totals:
13 - Union (Mount Vernon-3A 2nd, W Delaware-3A R16, AP-1A R16)
13 - Van Meter (Humboldt-3A SF, DMC-2A R32, Underwood-1A SF)
13 - DM Christian (Van Meter-1A CH, Pella Chr-1A QF, Clarke-2A R32)
11 - West Lyon
11 - PCM
10 - CLGLR
Class 1A (3 ND games)
20 of the 48 teams have their ND card full of 2022 playoff teams, including all of D5 (6), most of D3 (4), and half of D6 (3).
Point totals:
18 - Dike-New Hartford (Grundy-A champ, W Branch-1A SF, Osage-2A R16)
15 - Emmetsburg (CLGLR-2A champ, ELC-2A R32, Sheldon-2A R32)
14 - West Sioux (CLGLR-2A champ, HMS-A QF)
13 - West Branch
13 - Pella Christian
12 - Aplington-Parkersburg
12 - Underwood
20 of the 48 teams have their ND card full of 2022 playoff teams, including all of D5 (6), most of D3 (4), and half of D6 (3).
Point totals:
18 - Dike-New Hartford (Grundy-A champ, W Branch-1A SF, Osage-2A R16)
15 - Emmetsburg (CLGLR-2A champ, ELC-2A R32, Sheldon-2A R32)
14 - West Sioux (CLGLR-2A champ, HMS-A QF)
13 - West Branch
13 - Pella Christian
12 - Aplington-Parkersburg
12 - Underwood
Skipping A because of the uneven/minimal number of ND games (some with 1, some with 2), 5A because every game is technically ND, and 8P because it's self-contained.
Finishing this totally unscientific exercise by ranking 1A-4A by average point totals (points / ND games):
6.00 - Dike-New Hartford (1A)
5.25 - Western Dubuque (4A)
5.00 - Emmetsburg (1A)
4.67 - West Sioux (1A)
4.50 - Waverly-SR (4A)
4.50 - Williamsburg (3A)
4.33 - Union (2A)
4.33 - Van Meter (2A)
4.33 - DM Christian (2A)
4.33 - Pella Christian (1A)
4.33 - West Branch (1A)
4.25 - Lewis Central (4A)
4.25 - Norwalk (4A)
4.25 - Sgt. Bluff-Luton (3A)
4.00 - Bondurant-Farrar (4A)
4.00 - Aplington-Parkersburg (1A)
4.00 - Underwood (1A)
Finishing this totally unscientific exercise by ranking 1A-4A by average point totals (points / ND games):
6.00 - Dike-New Hartford (1A)
5.25 - Western Dubuque (4A)
5.00 - Emmetsburg (1A)
4.67 - West Sioux (1A)
4.50 - Waverly-SR (4A)
4.50 - Williamsburg (3A)
4.33 - Union (2A)
4.33 - Van Meter (2A)
4.33 - DM Christian (2A)
4.33 - Pella Christian (1A)
4.33 - West Branch (1A)
4.25 - Lewis Central (4A)
4.25 - Norwalk (4A)
4.25 - Sgt. Bluff-Luton (3A)
4.00 - Bondurant-Farrar (4A)
4.00 - Aplington-Parkersburg (1A)
4.00 - Underwood (1A)
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The list of all teams that was made public was very interesting in who put what teams on their lists. I noticed a few teams in each class that seemed to be on everyone's list and some teams that were on very few lists. You could tell who was looking for wins and who was looking to play tough games.
I think for the most part teams looked for rivals and teams in their area. Avoiding some really good teams. There are some teams who were looking for an easier opponent. It is interesting who people chose and didn't. For the most part teams predicted to make a deep run or historically make deep runs were avoided.
I see alot of 1A teams scheduling class A teams more than class 1A teams sched class 2A teams. I also saw on twittwer that Webster City was only on 1 other teams list and non of the other 3 teams had them on their list in 3A. Do they still run the single wing and thats why nobody wants to play them?
The state probably got tired of them always asking to play down a class.West Branch got zero teams in its top 5. It will now have to travel to Waterloo Columbus for the second consecutive season.
Well done, IHSAA. You done poked the Bear(s) !!!
West Sioux only had 1 team on their list, then they stuck them playing CLGLR (class larger champion) when they did not even list them. Playing a champion up a class. The one I could not figure out is Treynor and PC putting each other as #3 and not getting each other. SK having to play up a class with no aparent connection to PCM. Having Van Meter go all the way up to Humbolt? There seems to be at least 2 non district games that made sense, but then for a lot of teams, that 3rd one is a head scratcher.
Beef bowl (WL vs. CLGLR) last game of the year is interesting. Especially since these two have seen each other in the playoffs the last few years.
The state sent out an email stating that they tried their best to match up schools on their list, however when there are some schools that do not have anyone list them, and most 1A schools wanting to play class A schools the state openly stated that there were going to be schools who would be playing schools not on their list.
If you look at the schools that prancing ponies mentioned they are all schools who have had a ton of success, and I am sure the state is more willing to send West Sioux to play CL/GLR then they are another 1A school in the area. I'm not saying that it is fair, but everyone has to play someone.
If you look at the schools that prancing ponies mentioned they are all schools who have had a ton of success, and I am sure the state is more willing to send West Sioux to play CL/GLR then they are another 1A school in the area. I'm not saying that it is fair, but everyone has to play someone.
I agree. What do you do if no one wants to play you? Not much you can do. However, I would think that schools that list each other fairly high would get those games given to them since they probably discussed it before. The matchups that confuse me, are the games that pair schools from different classes and different goegraphical areas that did not list each other. Unless they were just desperate to get someone a game. I do think the association did a pretty good job at keeping the rivalries in place that have been there for the last quite a few cycles.
I do think the state did try to put in more competative games with the poorer team in class 1A. For the most part they scheduled weaker competition against each other.
I think also if you look at the lists not everyone filled out their list completely or only putting down a few teams on their list so if any of them got somebody they didnt want then thats on them. For the most part if you and another school matched each other as #1s you got each other after that it was all up in the air. Also in class A i think is the only class that had 2 districts with 8 teams so those 16 teams only got 1 non district game and with those districts being close I'm sure they had the same teams picked for non district as others so that made it difficult for them as well as others wanting to schedule them. I think if you look at the lists the good teams or the traditional good teams have good teams on their list for the most part, I think the state actually looked at what would be good games also no matter the class or the travel.
A couple interesting things I noticed:
South Hamilton and Grundy Center each had one another 3rd on their priority list, yet the state gives South Hamilton West Marshall again? West Marshall and South Hamilton had each other 5th IIRC, so I found that a little ridiculous. (South Hamilton-Grundy Center would've been an absolute battle, I would've loved it)
Madrid and Ogden each had one another 2nd on their priority list and the series got booted. I know the state said that the volume of A-1A matchups was far too high to make it feasible but I think it's ridiculous to take away that intra-county rivalry.
South Hamilton and Grundy Center each had one another 3rd on their priority list, yet the state gives South Hamilton West Marshall again? West Marshall and South Hamilton had each other 5th IIRC, so I found that a little ridiculous. (South Hamilton-Grundy Center would've been an absolute battle, I would've loved it)
Madrid and Ogden each had one another 2nd on their priority list and the series got booted. I know the state said that the volume of A-1A matchups was far too high to make it feasible but I think it's ridiculous to take away that intra-county rivalry.
You noticed who WB at #2 on their list, right? Evidently Mepo didn't want to keep the budding rivalry alive.
Actually Williamsburg had WB on their list and North Linn, East Buchanan and Mediapolis all had Regina on their list
Grundy Center also matched East Buchanan at #2 on each others list but that one is not happening either and that was another 1A vs A that would have been a good one.
