State News

MAC schools embrace football districts

The Mississippi Athletic Conference has abandoned all hope of playing football within its league next season, opting instead for Class 4A district football.

"It is the position of the Mississippi Athletic Conference to move forward with the district football concept," the MAC schools declared in a press release Thursday.

The decision came after Davenport Assumption, one of the 10 MAC schools, elected to play at the Class 3A level next season instead of continuing to participate in the league.

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Lombardi has coaching license suspended

Former Cedar Rapids Washington football coach Tony Lombardi has had his coaching license suspended until at least Aug. 1, 2014 following an 18-month investigation by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE) into ethics complaints.

Lombardi can have his coaching license reinstated once he completes an "Ethics for Educators" course and completes anger management counseling.

No sanctions were imposed on Lombardi's teaching license in the settlement agreement that was reached between Lombardi and the state.

Lombardi resigned as a teacher and coach at Cedar Rapids Washington in August and moved with his family to the Des Moines area, where he is currently employed with a private company.

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Sweeping grid playoff proposals tabled

BOONE - Perhaps the biggest news out of Thursday morning’s Iowa High School Athletic Association board meeting was that its members decided not to vote on a restructuring of the state football playoff system, instead opting to table the discussion until next month.

The IHSAA Football Playoff Committee met Wednesday, Dec. 5, and voted to put four measures in front of the board for vote, one of which dealt with overhauling the state playoff system. However, given that members had little time to evaluate the measures, the board will instead take action in January.

According to the minutes from last week’s meeting released to Metro Sports Report, the proposal would use week nine as the first round of playoffs for teams placing first through fourth in their district and the 4A qualifiers. For first round games in 8-player through Class 3A, district champions would play a fourth-place district team, and a district runner-up would play the third-place team. District champions would not play each other until the quarterfinal round.

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Saints free to choose 3A football

The Xavier Saints have until Dec. 20 to inform the Iowa High School Athletic Association if they want to drop from Class 4A to Class 3A for football next season.

There will not be any penalties attached if the Saints decide to switch to Class 3A.

Xavier has received permission from the Mississippi Valley Conference to switch from 4A football to 3A and still retain full membership in the league in other sports, although it would no longer play an MVC football schedule at the 3A level.

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