Little change in football district alignment

There will be little change in the composition of Class A District 1 for the next two high school football seasons. Districts for 8-Player through Class 4A and groups for the 5A schools were announced by the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) on Monday.

Six of the teams which competed in District 1 in the past will do so in 2023 and 2024. They are Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, Akron-Westfield, Alta-Aurelia, Gehlen Catholic, MMCRU and South O'Brien. The newcomer to the district is Sibley-Ocheyedan, which competed in Class 1A District 1 in 2021 and 2022.

Hinton will take S-O's place and compete with Lawton-Bronson, MVAOCOU, OABCIG, Ridge View and West Sioux. Emmetsburg and Sioux Central are in District 2.

Class 2A District 1 will be made up of Central Lyon/George-Little Rock, Cherokee, Sheldon, Unity Christian, West Lyon and Western Christian. Okoboji, Spirit Lake and Estherville-Lincoln Central are assigned to District 2.

Class 3A District 1 will be comprised of Bishop Heelan Catholic, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, Carrol, MOC-Floyd Valley, Sergeant Bluff-Luton and Sioux Center.

Denison-Schleswig, Fort Dodge, LeMars, Sioux City West, Spencer and Storm Lake make up District 1 in Class 4A.

Most area 8-player teams are assigned to District 2, which includes Bishop Garrigan, Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire, Harris-Lake Park, North Iowa, Northwood-Kensett, Rockford and West Bend-Mallard. Remsen St. Mary's and Newell-Fonda will be in District 1.

According to the IHSAA, the 2023 football season will be the first with a socioeconomic factor added for classifications. The adjustment will reduce 40 percent of a school's free or reduced lunch (FRL) count from their annual enrollment to determine their final classification number.

Schedules for the next two seasons will be announced by the IHSAA at a later date.