For the 2021 and 2022 football seasons South Tama will play in Class 3A District 3 and Meskwaki Settlement will play in Class 8 District 4. Pictured are South Tama's Logan Schmidt (15) and Payton Vest (2) and Meskwaki Settlement's Zayton Weninger-Brown. -- News Chronicle File Photos

Following Thursday’s regular meeting of the IHSAA Board of Control, district and group assignments for the 2021 and 2022 football seasons were announced.

South Tama will compete in Class 3A District 3 with one carry-over opponent from last season’s 2A district, Center-Point Urbana. The Trojans finished in the middle of their district last year with wins coming against Saydel, Union and Vinton-Shellsburg.

District 3 projects to be led by West Delaware and Independence who were both state qualifiers last year, although neither team made a deep run into the tournament.

Class 3A teams will play nine regular season games with 16 teams qualifying for the playoffs.

With a slate of five district opponents, South Tama will have the opportunity to schedule four non-district games to round out their regular season schedule. Assuming the Grinnell and South Tama wish to continue their trophy game tradition, that leaves three games up for grabs, in hopes of finding reasonable competition and travel distance.

District 3 brings with it a significant travel schedule with no opposing schools located closer than 60 miles to Tama.

Last season’s non-district slate brought South Tama it’s first win in over two seasons, a 55-6 victory over Saydel.

Other similarly sized, non-district teams with similar records located closer than 60 miles include: Union Community, Vinton-Shellsburg, Waterloo East and Benton Community.

Full 2021 schedules are anticipated to be announced some time in April.

Class 3A District 3 (2020 record)

Center Point-Urbana (3-5)

Charles City (0-6)

Hampton-Dumont/CAL (3-5)

Independence (6-2)

South Tama County (3-5)

West Delaware (10-2)

The Meskwaki Warriors will play in Class 8 District 4 along with a number of familiar competitors including GMG, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Colo-NESCO and Collins-Maxwell.

Don Bosco Catholic and Gladbrook-Reinbeck look to be the district pre-season favorites as both teams were state qualifiers last year.

8-Player teams will play eight regular season games with 32 playoff qualifiers. The Warriors will have two additional non-district games to schedule this spring and may see a third if the team does not qualify for the playoffs and wishes to play a ninth regular season game.

Class 8 District 4 (2020 record)

Collins-Maxwell (4-5)

Colo-Nesco (2-6)

Don Bosco Catholic (9-1)

Dunkerton (2-4)

Gladbrook-Reinbeck (9-1)

GMG, Garwin (0-8)

Meskwaki Settlement (3-5)

Following the one-year assignments in 2020, district assignments are effective for a two-year cycle.

8-Player schools will play eight regular season with 32 teams qualifying for the playoffs. Teams not qualifying for the playoffs will be permitted to play a ninth regular season game.

The 2021 football season will be the first with a new seventh classification (Class 5A), approved in January by the Board of Control to reduce the disparity in enrollment in the IHSAA’s largest class of football, and to increase the number of participating teams and student-athletes in the postseason across all classes.

Class 5A’s group and success model format is based on information outlined in February 2020, before COVID-19 related changes were made in July to the IHSAA’s football scheduling and postseason.

Below are the statewide Class 3A and Class 8 district assignments announced Friday by the IHSAA.

CLASS 3A DISTRICTS (2021 & 2022)

DISTRICT #1

Bishop Heelan, Sioux City

Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley

Carroll

MOC-Floyd Valley

Sergeant Bluff-Luton

Sioux Center

DISTRICT #2

Algona

Ballard

Gilbert

Humboldt

Nevada

North Polk

DISTRICT #3

Center Point-Urbana

Charles City

Hampton-Dumont/CAL

Independence

South Tama County

West Delaware

DISTRICT #4

Assumption, Davenport

Benton Community

Central DeWitt

Maquoketa

Mount Vernon

Vinton-Shellsburg

DISTRICT #5

Fairfield

Grinnell

Keokuk

Solon

Washington

West Burlington/Notre Dame

DISTRICT #6

ADM, Adel

Atlantic

Creston

Harlan Community

Knoxville

Saydel

CLASS 8 DISTRICTS (2021 & 2022)

DISTRICT #1

Ar-We-Va, Westside

Glidden-Ralston

Kingsley-Pierson

Newell-Fonda

River Valley, Correctionville

Siouxland Christian

St. Mary’s Catholic

DISTRICT #2

Bishop Garrigan Catholic

Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire

Harris Lake-Park

North Iowa, Buffalo Center

Northwood-Kensett

St. Edmond, Fort Dodge

West Bend-Mallard

DISTRICT #3

Clarksville

Janesville

Riceville

Rockford

Tripoli

Turkey Valley, Jackson Junction

West Central, Maynard

DISTRICT #4

Collins-Maxwell

Colo-Nesco

Don Bosco Catholic

Dunkerton

Gladbrook-Reinbeck

GMG, Garwin

Meskwaki Settlement

DISTRICT #5

Calamus-Wheatland

Central City

Central, Elkader

Easton Valley

Edgewood-Colesburg

Kee, Lansing

Midland, Wyoming

Springville

DISTRICT #6

English Valleys, North English

HLV, Victor

Iowa Valley, Marengo

Lone Tree

New London

Tri-County, Thornburg

WACO, Wayland

Winfield-Mt. Union

DISTRICT #7

Baxter

BGM, Brooklyn

Grand View Christian

Melcher-Dallas

Montezuma

Twin Cedars, Bussey

Woodward Academy

DISTRICT #8

Lamoni

Martensdale-St. Marys

Moravia

Mormon Trail, Garden Grove

Murray

Seymour

Southeast Warren, Liberty Center

DISTRICT #9

Bedford

East Mills

East Union, Afton

Fremont-Mills, Tabor

Griswold

Lenox

Stanton

DISTRICT #10

Audubon

Boyer Valley, Dunlap

CAM, Anita

Coon Rapids-Bayard

Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton

West Harrison, Mondamin

Woodbine