Playoff schedule threatens player safety
The atmosphere at Saints Field was electric on Friday night.
Xavier and West Delaware took the field before an overflow crowd on a crisp evening. The prize for the winner - a trip to the UNI-Dome for the Class 3A semifinals.
But a price was paid to go after that prize. Both teams came into the game with injury problems and by the end of the night, players from both teams were limping back to their huddles.
For years, the Iowa High School Athletic Association has gone with a Wednesday-Monday-Friday format for the first three rounds of the playoffs. If you count the regular-season finale, that requires teams to play four games in a 15-day time span.
The ISHAA has looked at changing the format to get games for the first three rounds all on a Friday. That would require either eliminating a regular-season game or beginning the season a week earlier.
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