Xavier High School football fans who like seeing the sophomore and varsity teams play on the same night will be out of luck this season.

The Saints will have only one soph/varsity doubleheader this year due to a vote by the schools in Xavier's Class 3A football district. Only five of the eight schools in District 3 have sophomore teams this season due to a lack of players, so the district has switched to playing freshman games as the preliminary contest before varsity games on football Friday nights.

Charles City, Vinton-Shellsburg and South Tama in Class 3A District 3 do not have sophomore football teams, according to their school websites. Xavier, Benton Community, Decorah, Independence and Waverly-Shell Rock do have sophomore teams in Class 3A District 3, but the Xavier sophs will play those four opponents on Monday nights this season.

Xavier will play a traditional soph/varsity doubleheader when it visits Linn-Mar on Friday, Sept. 2 for a non-district game, but that will be the only soph/varsity twinbill this season for the Saints.

Xavier will play frosh/varsity doubleheaders against all seven of its district opponents.

The Xavier varsity football team will open the season this Friday night with a home date against Iowa City Regina at 7 p.m., but that will be the only game at Saints Field this Friday. Xavier will host the Regina sophomore team on Monday, Aug. 29 instead.

The Xavier sophomore team is scheduled to play only seven games this season, instead of a regular nine-game slate, but the Saints are looking to add additional games. The sophomores will open the season this Thursday, Aug. 25 with a home game against Pleasant Valley at 6 p.m.

The Xavier sophomores are scheduled to play their first three games in a span of just nine days with games against Pleasant Valley Aug. 25, Regina Aug. 29 and Linn-Mar Sept. 2.

Here at the Xavier football schedules for 2016:

VARSITY

Friday, Aug. 26 - Iowa City Regina, 7
Friday, Sept. 2 - at Linn-Mar, 7:30
Friday, Sept. 9 - at Benton Community, 7:30
Friday, Sept. 16 - Charles City, 7:30
Friday, Sept. 23 - at Decorah, 7:30
Friday, Sept. 30 - Independence, 7:30
Friday, Oct. 7 - at Waverly-Shell Rock, 7:30
Friday, Oct. 14 - Vinton-Shellsburg, 7:30
Friday, Oct. 21 - at South Tama, 7:30
Friday, Oct. 28 - 3A Playoffs 1st Round, 7
Friday, Nov. 4 - 3A Quarterfinals, 7
Thursday, Nov. 10 - 3A Semifinals, UNI-Dome
Thursday, Nov. 17 - 3A Finals, UNI-Dome

SOPHOMORES

Thursday, Aug. 25 - Pleasant Valley, 6
Monday, Aug. 29 - Iowa City Regina, 6
Friday, Sept. 2 - at Linn-Mar, 5
Monday, Sept. 12 - Benton Community, 6
Monday, Sept. 26 - Decorah, 6
Monday, Oct. 3 - at Independence, 6
Monday, Oct. 10 - Waverly-Shell Rock, 6

FRESHMEN

Thursday, Aug. 25 - at Iowa City West, 6
Thursday, Sept. 1 - Linn-Mar, 6
Friday, Sept. 9 - at Benton Community, 5
Friday, Sept. 16 - Charles City, 5
Friday, Sept. 23 - at Decorah, 5
Friday, Sept. 30 - Independence, 5
Friday, Oct. 7 - at Waverly-Shell Rock, 5
Friday, Oct. 14 - Vinton-Shellsburg, 5
Friday, Oct. 21 - at South Tama, 5