2010 football schedule set with non-district additions

Schools all around the state of Iowa took one step closer to football season with 2010-11 schedules being set in stone late last week.

While seven of the nine regular season games were already established with the release of district assignments on Feb. 2, Fairfield has added Central Clinton and Davis County to the non-district slate. The announcement officially squashes hope of a match-up with rival Washington, which has been played out virtually since the schools began athletic competition. The Demons have drawn Mid-Prairie and Keokuk for non-district games.

?It?s a little bit surprising, but every team in our district wanted to play them,? said Fairfield head coach Mike Schenck. ?I don?t think we were one of their top two choices, and travel-wise, it makes sense to match them up with Keokuk.?

Coaches submit a list of five schools they want to face in non-district play, ranking them one through five before letting the athletic association make the final call. Schenck requested Washington, Williamsburg, Davis County, Clear Creek-Amana and Benton Community.

After being a part of Fairfield?s Class 3A district in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Davis County dropped down to Class 2A but now make a return to the Trojans? schedule for the season opener. Fairfield licked Davis County by a combined score of 99-15 in those two seasons, but Central Clinton enters as a bit of a wild card. Aside from a 2007 playoff match-up, which Central Clinton won in shoot-out fashion 69-41, there isn?t much history between the two teams.

?I know we played them two years ago, and I looked up that they were 5-4 last year. Other than that I?m not too familiar with them.? Schenck said. ?But with Davis County, we have a little better understanding. They?re kind of filling out a new staff right now, but our seniors played them as freshman so we have a bit of a background.?

2009 Davis County head coach David Lukens is now the defensive coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan.

While Schenck is happy with his schedule overall, the home and away draws haven?t done the Trojans any favors. The two non-district games will both be at Trojan Stadium this fall, but in 2011 Fairfield will be forced to start the season with two games as visitors. Fairfield is the only team in all of Class 3A that doesn?t split its two season openers between home and away.

In addition, Fairfield will face Mount Pleasant and Pella ? two teams that figure to be near the top of the District 7 standings ? on the road in 2010.

?You like to play at home, but you have to think about what you?ll be in for next year to start the season. It also would?ve been nice to have Mount Pleasant or Pella at home ? those are going to be tough games in the district,? said Schenck. ?But overall, it?s a good schedule and we?re happy with it.?

Fort Madison, Chariton, Oskaloosa, Centerville and Keokuk fill out the district schedule for Fairfield, which also excludes Washington because of the assignments that puzzled coaches earlier this month. The Demons were placed in District 6 and also miss out on a rivalry just as fierce as the one with Fairfield by not playing Mount Pleasant.

?What?s more shocking is that Washington doesn?t have us or Mount Pleasant. I don?t know how the state can do that,? Schenck said. ?It?s disappointing that we don?t get a chance to play each other.?

The Panthers may be the most upset because they are now left without a shot at revenge after last fall?s 21-20 loss to Washington that came on a final minute field goal and ultimately kept them out of the playoffs. Both Washington and Mount Pleasant coaches listed each other as top choices to play in non-district action, but the athletic association didn?t fulfill their request.

?It was a huge disappointment for both of us,? said Mount Pleasant head coach Bob Jensen. ?We?d listed each other as our No. 1 choice to play non-district, and the state assigned us somebody else. It?s very disappointing.?

Mount Pleasant will face Clear Creek-Amana and Williamsburg in non-district play.

Washington head coach Jason Ganoe requested Mount Pleasant, Mid-Prairie, Fairfield, Keokuk and Pella for non-district opponents receiving two of his top four choices.

?I don?t blame the state,? he said. ?I?m not mad at them. They don?t hate us. I don?t think it?s a personal vendetta. The job that they have is daunting, and I wouldn?t want to be in their shoes. There?s no way they can possibly keep everybody happy. We?re dealt these cards and now we play them.?

With all hands now officially dealt, teams will begin play with week one of the high school football season set for Aug. 27.