After eight seasons of having more than half of Iowa high school football programs qualifying for the playoffs, the Iowa High School Athletic Association is trimming the number to 16 qualifiers in each of the state’s six classes. Todd Tharp is the assistant executive director of the IHSAA and he talks about the uniqueness of football. “Your regular season determines if you’re going to make the postseason. You can be 0-21 in basketball, 0-30 in baseball, you could never win a match in wrestling, and you might be the state champion. But football is a unique one where your regular season does determine whether or not you’re going to qualify. Certainly, that’s what a lot of coaches and fans like, that uniqueness. Not everybody does qualify and that what you do during the regular season game after game after game, is important.”

In Class 3A, where Greene County, Perry, and ADM, all play, the first 14 playoff qualifiers are automatically in as the first and second place teams in each of the seven districts. The last two spots to round out the field of 16 are determined on a “wild card” basis.

Some six player teams started their regular seasons last week, but this weekend is considered the first week of the regular season. Greene County meets Kuemper Catholic in Carroll on KG98 and www.raccoonvalleyradio.com. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.