The IHSAA released schedules for football teams from eight-man to the newly-created Class 5A Monday afternoon, finalizing each team’s games for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Marshalltown’s schedule looks a little different than in past seasons thanks in part to the IHSAA’s new tiering system that’s designed to even out games between the top teams in the state and not give any one team an impossible group of games. In Marshalltown’s case, this means only one matchup against teams from the Des Moines suburbs — a home game against West Des Moines Valley.

Goodvin said the new system has leveled the playing field for some smaller schools in Class 5A.

“They put teams in their past tiers based on their past success,” Goodvin said. “It’s all interesting. I think it’s a step in the right direction, and a lot of coaches that I talk with seem to really enjoy the looks of the schedules. It definitely creates a more competitive balance within the regular season that a lot of schools are looking for.”

The Bobcats start the season off August 27 with a traditional rivalry game against Ames at Leonard Cole Field. The old rivalries continue in weeks two and three with road trips against Waterloo East and Newton Sept. 3 and 10. Ames is a yearly opponent for the Bobcats, but with the Little Cyclones welcoming a new head coach for 2021 in former Southeast Polk and Simpson College assistant Kevin Ferguson, Goodvin said it will represent a tough test right out of the gate. The Little Cyclones went 2-5 last season and did not play the Bobcats.

Marshalltown’s team this fall will be losing a number of key contributors, including Patrick Landeros, Malik Haynes, Aidan DeVolder and Carson Williams, among many others. But with a core group of players returning, led by Gannon Williams and Austin Close, Goodvin said he believes the 2021 Bobcats will be able to continue improving.

“The kids see the schedule and it gets them excited,” Goodvin said. “We’ve got a good group coming back and a lot of current sophomores and juniors to-be that are gonna have to get ready pretty quickly, but they’re good kids and talented and I’m excited to work with them.”

After playing Newton, Marshalltown comes home for games against Fort Dodge Sept. 17 and Valley Sept. 24.

The Bobcats are in Class 5A Group 1 this season with Ankeny, Valley, Des Moines Roosevelt, Des Moines Lincoln and Des Moines Hoover. Marshalltown will not play against the defending state champion Hawks next season, nor will they play against the Huskies of Hoover. But after facing Valley, the Bobcats finish out their division schedule Oct. 1 at Lincoln and Oct. 8 at home against the Roughriders. The home schedule for the Bobcats ends Oct. 15 with a visit from Cedar Rapids Jefferson, and then Marshalltown ends the season on the road against Des Moines North.

Valley was the only Marshalltown opponent for 2021 and 2022 with a winning record in the shortened 2020 campaign.

The schedule reads like a preview of the Bobcats’ future outside of the CIML — and Goodvin is excited to see how the community will react.

“That’s huge,” Goodvin said. “They love those matchups, it doesn’t matter what sport is going on. When you get matchups like those for the community members, they’ve been part of when they were in school, so being able to watch the current Bobcats compete against them is always exciting stuff.”

2021 PREP FOOTBALL SCHEDULES

CLASS 5A

Marshalltown Bobcats

Aug. 27 AMES

Sept. 3 at Waterloo East

Sept. 10 at Newton

Sept. 17 FORT DODGE

Sept. 24 VALLEY

Oct. 1 at Des Moines Lincoln

Oct. 8 DM ROOSEVELT

Oct. 15 CR JEFFERSON

Oct. 22 at Des Moines North

CLASS 3A

South Tama County Trojans

Aug. 27 WEST MARSHALL

Sept. 3 at Saydel

Sept. 10 at Grinnell

Sept. 17 BENTON COMMUNITY

Sept. 24 INDEPENDENCE

Oct. 1 at West Delaware

Oct. 8 at Center Point-Urbana

Oct. 15 CHARLES CITY

Oct. 22 at Hampton-Dumont

CLASS 2A

West Marshall Trojans

Aug. 27 at South Tama County

Sept. 3 NEVADA

Sept. 10 SOUTH HAMILTON

Sept. 17 at Chariton

Sept. 24 IOWA FALLS-ALDEN

Oct. 1 at Prairie City-Monroe

Oct. 8 ROLAND-STORY

Oct. 15 at Albia

CLASS 1A

East Marshall Mustangs

Aug. 27 BCLUW

Sept. 3 at Roland-Story

Sept. 10 at Lynnville-Sully

Sept. 17 CENTRAL SPRINGS

Sept. 24 at Dike-New Hartford

Oct. 1 DENVER

Oct. 8 at South Hardin

Oct. 15 APLINGTON-PARKERSBURG

CLASS A

BCLUW Comets

Aug. 27 at East Marshall

Sept. 3 HUDSON

Sept. 10 at AGWSR

Sept. 17 NORTH BUTLER

Sept. 24 at Nashua-Plainfield

Oct. 1 NORTH TAMA

Oct. 8 GRUNDY CENTER

Oct. 15 at Wapsie Valley

CLASS A

North Tama Redhawks

Aug. 27 at Belle Plaine

Sept. 3 AGWSR

Sept. 10 at Hudson

Sept. 17 NASHUA-PLAINFIELD

Sept. 24 ST. ANSGAR

Oct. 1 at BCLUW

Oct. 8 WAPSIE VALLEY

Oct. 15 at Grundy Center

8-PLAYER

Gladbrook-Reinbeck Rebels

Aug. 27 NORTH IOWA

Sept. 3 at Colo-NESCO

Sept. 10 DUNKERTON

Sept. 17 at Tripoli

Sept. 24 at GMG

Oct. 1 MESKWAKI SETTLEMENT

Oct. 8 DON BOSCO

Oct. 15 at Collins-Maxwell

8-PLAYER

GMG Wolverines

Aug. 27 at Grand View Christian

Sept. 3 COLLINS-MAXWELL

Sept. 10 CLARKSVILLE

Sept. 17 at Meskwaki Settlement

Sept. 24 GLADBROOK-REINBECK

Oct. 1 at Don Bosco

Oct. 8 DUNKERTON

Oct. 15 at Colo-NESCO

8-PLAYER

Meskwaki Warriors

Aug. 27 JANESVILLE

Sept. 3 at Dunkerton

Sept. 10 COLO-NESCO

Sept. 17 GMG

Sept. 24 at West Central, Maynard

Oct. 1 at Gladbrook-Reinbeck

Oct. 8 COLLINS-MAXWELL

Oct. 15 at Don Bosco

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