Starting next fall, it will be significantly more difficult to make the Iowa high school football playoffs because the number of teams that can qualify per class has been sliced in half to 16, or two from each of the eight districts.

The ADM Tigers have found themselves in a very competitive district in the two realignments over the past four years (districts are realigned every two years).

As head coach Mike Whisner noted, the Tigers played six playoff teams this year, including four from the district in Harlan, Dallas-Center Grimes, Glenwood and Creston, as well as non-district foes Ballard and Norwalk. Harlan, Dallas-Center Grimes and Glenwood all finished with 7-1 records, Norwalk was ranked in the top 10 all season and Ballard, at 6-3, wound up being the only team ADM beat among that group.

Whisner said he expects the Tigers will continue to play many of the same teams to the south and west once the districts are realigned for 2016, and welcomes the difficult competition that comes with it.

“I think it will be very similar to what it’s been the last four years,” he said. “I think the state doesn’t mind sending us [out west] because we compete every year and so the teams that haven’t competed, they’ll send somewhere else just to give them another opportunity. I like playing at that level; it’s exciting every week. So that’s what I think we’ll be doing.”

ADM finished the season 3-6 overall and in sixth place in Class 3A District 8 with a 1-5 record against the district.