The change in the two-year high school football schedule in Iowa also brings adjustments to the state’s postseason format. The Iowa High School Athletic Associations Board of Control in January approved provisional recommendations to how teams qualify for the 16 available postseason berths. At the forefront of the modifications is that all nine high school football games count towards playoff qualification. Unlike the last two years where all districts had two playoff qualifiers and two wildcard qualifiers, only the districts champion will qualify for the playoffs while the remaining team’s postseason fate will be decided by a Ratings Percentage Index formula.

ADM’s newly hired head football coach Garrison Carter has spent a lot of time studying the new playoff formula and break it down for us. “It’s a three-part formula that factors in your record, your opponents record, and then your opponents-opponents record.” Carter said, “We ran some numbers at Washington when we were trying to put together our schedule and find teams to play us because there are some different ways to look at it. A lot of people are thinking to schedule as hard as possible because you want your opponent’s records to be good.”

Carter adds what he found is that seven wins are a bench mark for teams wanting to be in the playoffs to shoot for this fall. “I think if you can get to seven wins, you’ve pretty much guaranteed yourself a spot in (the playoffs).” Carter said, “If you’re 6-3, then you may be in trouble, and you’ll be looking at your opponent’s record. Ultimately, you need to take care of what you can control.”

ADM’s full schedule features nondistrict games against Bondurant Farrar, Perry, Grinnell, and Boone. The Tigers district slate includes matchups against Creston, Glenwood, Harlan, Lewis Central, and Winterset. The ADM football season opens Friday, August 24 against the Bondurant Farrar Bluejays in Altoona.