The Perry Community School District sent a letter to the Iowa High School Athletic Association in hopes to level the playing field for its football program. 

Superintendent Clark Wicks says that the letter was created by him along with the Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger and Perry Activities Director Katelyn Whelchel to address the fairness of high school football. Wicks explains that the Bluejay football team is 1-41 in the last six years and many of those losses were 50 point defeats. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio they have created a plan to provide potential solutions to even the playing field for most football teams in Iowa. 

“What we’re asking is this: Take a look at not just enrollment, but take a look at free and reduced. Take a look at some kind of mechanism, whether it be factoring in the enrollment a different way so that we develop a more competitive balance for all schools. And it helps to increase the number of kids that want to be part of that. It would help the association. It helps all schools.”

Wicks recommends in the letter that the  IHSAA should look into creating a non-playoff district for teams to compete regardless of class and allows schools to move to eight man football based on low participation numbers. 

“Everybody needs hope in whatever they do. And now we’re talking about giving hope to schools like Perry a competitive balance to increase the interest and participation and I think it would be a win-win.” 

The letter points out  21 other states have dealt with this issue and developed a solution. Wicks hopes to have an answer from the IHSAA by the completion of the next football district cycle.