The official Week 1 first Friday night to the upcoming season will take place on Aug. 24, with a handful of teams opting to play Week 0 games the Friday before that.

Fort Dodge will open with long-time rival Mason City on the road, with St. Edmond facing a new foe in Panorama inside Dodger Stadium.

A total of 331 schools are set to play varsity football, with 266 of those slated for 11-player. The Iowa High School Athletic Association was able to honor 183 of those 266 requests for the four non-district games schools asked for, with almost 94 percent getting at least three.

No team plays three consecutive home or away games this year.

The Dodgers face Ames, Indianola and Carroll before heading into Class 4A, District 2 play with Southeast Polk. Fort Dodge closes out with Des Moines Roosevelt, Ankeny Centennial, Sioux City West and Marshalltown.

Last year, Fort Dodge went 4-5 with wins over Sioux City North, Mason City, Ames and Marshalltown. Drake Miller, a returning all-state selection at quarterback, threw for 2,340 yards and 31 touchdowns.

After facing Panorama, the Gaels will travel to North Union for a second straight season. They follow that up by hosting Eagle Grove and heading to Bishop Garrigan again.

St. Edmond opens A, District 2 play with IKM-Manning followed by Sioux Central, Ridge View, Alta/Aurelia and rival Manson Northwest Webster to close out the year.

The Gaels posted a 3-6 record overall under first-year head coach Jon Borer last fall. St. Edmond bested MMCRU, South O’Brien and North Union.

The playoffs will be different this season, as a new Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) is used to determine wild-card berths. All nine games played, not just the district schedule, will factor in.

Sixteen teams from each class qualify for the postseason.

The 2019 schedules will remain in the same order, with home and away flipped.

PREP FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

Fort Dodge

2018

Aug. 24 — at Mason City

Aug. 31 — Ames

Sept. 7 — at Indianola

Sept. 14 — Carroll

Sept. 21 — at Southeast Polk

Sept. 28 — Des Moines Roosevelt

Oct. 5 — Ankeny Centennial

Oct. 12 — at Sioux City West

Oct. 19 — at Marshalltown

2019

Aug. 30 — Mason City

Sept. 6 — at Ames

Sept. 13 — Indianola

Sept. 20 — at Carroll

Sept. 27 — Southeast Polk

Oct. 4 — at Des Moines Roosevelt

Oct. 11 — at Ankeny Centennial

Oct. 18 — Sioux City West

Oct. 25 — Marshalltown

St. Edmond

2018

Aug. 24 — Panorama

Aug. 31 — at North Union

Sept. 7 — Eagle Grove

Sept. 14 — at Bishop Garrigan

Sept. 21 — IKM-Manning

Sept. 28 — at Sioux Central

Oct. 5 — at Ridge View

Oct. 12 — Alta/Aurelia

Oct. 19 — Manson Northwest Webster

2019

Aug. 30 — at Panorama

Sept. 6 — North Union

Sept. 13 — at Eagle Grove

Sept. 20 — Bishop Garrigan

Sept. 27 — at IKM-Manning

Oct. 4 — Sioux Central

Oct. 11 — Ridge View

Oct. 18 — at Alta/Aurelia

Oct. 25 — at Manson Northwest Webster

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