Glenwood Homecoming Pushed Back To Sept. 25-26

The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA)is revising schedules for the upcoming season, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing schools to scramble to fill games and adjust homecoming festivities throughout the state.
Glenwood’s traditional homecoming celebration, originally scheduled to take place Sept. 18-19, is now planned for Sept. 25-26.

According to an announcement made in a press release Friday, the traditional nine-game schedule is out with teams this fall in Iowa. Schools have  the option to play five, six or seven games within a seven-week regular season window beginning Aug. 27. The regular season will conclude Oct. 9.

All teams in all classes will also qualify for the state playoffs.

“To better prepare for the 2020 varsity football season, the IHSAA developed a revised schedule plan which allows for member school adjustments due to COVID-19,” said the release.

Football is the only Iowa high school sport with regular season schedules and postseason qualifying managed by the IHSAA.

The release goes on to say when the IHSAA decided to change the previously announced 2020 schedules, it factored “flexibility for school return concerns, geography, postseason qualifying, transportation and possible COVID-19 cases” into its decision.

Fall practice is set to begin Aug. 10 around the state.

Under the new plan, scheduled districts games will remain largely intact. In Classes 3A, 2A, 1A and A, teams will play their scheduled district games in the previously established order.

The IHSAA change means the previous Week 5 opponent is now the Week 3 opponent, the Week 6 opponent now Week 4, and so on.

In Class, 4A,  schools will schedule their own regular season games.

In Eight-player, teams will play Week 3 through Week 9 of their previously announced schedules in what is now Week 1 through Week 7. Due to the number of teams in the classification, Eight-player has opponents scheduled on the optional dates of Week 1 and Week 2. Teams in Eight-Player may opt out of those contests, but may not change opponents or locations unless an agreement is reached with all participating teams and the IHSAA.

After a lost spring sports season and a compacted summer sports season, Glenwood football coach Cory Faust is thankful that, after months of speculation and several other states postponing fall sports, it appears there will be a football season in Iowa this year.

“The IHSAA has made some changes so the virus can be handled as well as possible and maximize the quality experience that high school football can provide to as many students as possible,” he said.

Faust would have preferred the schedule-makers had stuck with previously scheduled opponents for weeks one and two but he understands the IHSAA’s decision.

Glenwood Activities Director Jeff Bissen said the revised schedule isn’t a perfect plan but it’s “probably what is best for all schools” during these uncertain times.

While the new scheduling won’t heavily impact East Mills and Fremont-Mills – they will play seven games against their already scheduled district opponents – Glenwood plays in the six-team, Class 3A, District 9. With only five opponents in the district, Glenwood was forced to find two additional opponents.

Bissen has already filled those two open spots with a week one home game with Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson and a week two contest against Treynor.

The revised schedule also forced Glenwood to move its homecoming football game, previously scheduled for Sept. 18 – which is now a road game at Creston – to its Sept. 25 home game against Council Bluffs Lewis Central.

“Every school is trying to look out for who they want to play, find a balance of home and away games and do what is best for them,” Bissen said. “It’s been a frustrating process to say the least.”

With all teams qualifying for the postseason, the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) will not be utilized in 2020 to determine at-large berths or seeding. Postseason brackets will consist of six rounds for each classification with the IHSAA determining postseason pairings by geography, quality and team availability.

With the high potential of positive COVID-19 cases forcing players and teams to miss games in the 2020 regular season, the revised plan will not penalize teams with a loss or forfeit due to state, county or local health department determinations. A missed game due to a COVID-19 positive case will be considered a “no contest” and will not be made up. Teams will have the option to schedule a replacement opponent should teams have open dates.

Member schools will have until Aug. 17 to state their intent to participate in football’s regular season and postseason.
The revised schedule does not offer specific guidance on how a positive COVID-19 test in a classroom or on a team will impact play.

Bissen said further guidance is expected from the IHSAA in the coming weeks. In the meantime, he said, Glenwood is working with Mills County Public Health officials on their own guidelines for returning to play.

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Mills County Football Schedules

Glenwood
Aug. 28 vs. Co. Bluffs T.J.
Sept. 4 vs. Treynor
Sept. 11 at Harlan
Sept. 18 at Creston
Sept. 25 vs. Lewis Central
Oct. 2 vs. Carroll
Oct. 9 at Denison

East Mills
Aug. 28 at Lenox
Sept. 4 at Stanton-Essex
Sept. 11 vs. Fremont-Mills
Sept. 18 vs. CAM
Sept. 25 at Bedford
Oct. 2 at East Union
Oct. 9  vs. Griswold

Fremont-Mills
Aug. 28 at Bedford
Sept. 4 vs. Griswold
Sept. 11 at East Mills
Sept. 18 at East Union,
Sept. 25 vs. Stanton-Essex
Oct. 2 at CAM
Oct. 9  vs. Lenox