With the state’s addition of Class 5A to football classifications, the Iowa High School Athletic Association recently released the district football assignments for the 2021 and 2022 fall seasons.
The Washington Demons remain a Class 3A team and will compete in District 5 with three new teams joining the league. The state swapped out Burlington, Fort Madison, and Mount Pleasant for Grinnell, Solon, and West Burlington/Notre Dame. Keokuk and Fairfield are in the same district as Washington in 2020. Grinnell is coming off of their most successful season in seven years finishing with an 8-3 record and a state quarterfinal berth. The Demons and Tigers have not met up since 2011. Dipping down to Class 2A last year, Solon finished 7-3 including falling to the Demons 33-18 in week two of non-district action. West Burlington/Notre Dame went 4-5 in Class 2A in 2020 and will face off with Washington this year for the first time in four seasons.
Class 3A will have 16 of the 36 teams make the playoffs with the top two in each district being automatic qualifiers and four receiving at-large bids based off of RPI rankings.