Local high school football fans might notice a few changes for the upcoming season.
The biggest change for is that teams will only play eight regular-season games this year instead of the usual nine. Games can be played starting Thursday, Aug. 23, with the final regular-season game scheduled for Friday, Oct. 12.
The nine-game season is scheduled to resume next year.
As in the past, there will be four playoff games leading to the state finals in seven divisions. Playoff dates for this year are Oct. 19-20 (Level 1), Oct. 26-27 (Level 2), Nov. 2-3 (Level 3) and Nov. 9-10 (Level 4). The state finals are scheduled for Nov. 15-16.
Other changes include:
• Waupaca and Clintonville compete in the nine-team Eastern Valley Conference. Instead of playing each EVC once, however, teams will play one nonconference game and will not play one conference opponent. Waupaca will host Shawano for its nonconference game and will not play Freedom this season. Clintonville has a nonconference game scheduled at Luxemburg-Casco and will not play the EVC’s Fox Valley Lutheran this season.
• Waupaca’s nonconference game with Shawano will not be played on a Friday. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, at Haberkorn Field in Waupaca.
• Most teams will play four home games and for away games, but that isn’t always the case. Marion/Tigerton and Wild Rose will play five at home and three on the road, while Iola-Scandinavia, Clintonville and Manawa have three home games and five away games.
Key matchups during the upcoming season involving local teams include:
• Friday, Aug. 31: Iola-Scandinavia at Weyauwega Fremont; Hortonville at New London; Wild Rose at Marion/Tigerton.
• Friday, Sept. 14: Waupaca at Clintonville; Marion/Tigerton at Almond-Bancroft; Amherst at Manawa.
• Friday, Sept. 21: Amherst at Weyauwega-Fremont.
• Friday, Sept. 28: Waupaca at Appleton Xavier; Iola-Scandinavia at Manawa.
• Friday, Oct. 5: Amherst at Iola-Scandinavia.
Here are the schedules for the area’s 11 teams:
Waupaca: Friday, Aug. 24, at Winneconne, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Aug. 30, vs. Shawano (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, vs. Berlin, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, at Clintonville, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, vs. Little Chute, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, at Appleton Xavier, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, at Ripon, 7 p.m.
Iola-Scandinavia: Friday, Aug. 24, vs. Rosholt (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, at Weyauwega-Fremont, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, at Bonduel, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, at Stevens Point Pacelli, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, at Manawa, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, vs. Amherst, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, at Shiocton, 7 p.m.
Weyauwega-Fremont: Friday, Aug. 24, at Algoma (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, vs. Iola-Scandinavia , 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, vs. Bonduel, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, vs. Amherst, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, at Shiocton, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, vs. Stevens Point Pacelli, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, at Manawa, 7 p.m.
Amherst: Friday, Aug. 24, at Wild Rose (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, vs. Stevens Point Pacelli, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, vs. Shiocton, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, at Manawa, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, at Weyauwega-Fremont, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, at Iola-Scandinavia, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, vs. Bonduel, 7 p.m.
Wild Rose: Friday, Aug. 24, vs. Amherst (nonconference) 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, at Marion/Tigerton, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, vs. Almond-Bancroft, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, vs. Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, at Rosholt, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, vs. Plainfield Tri-County, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, at Bowler/Gresham, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, vs. Port Edwards, 7 p.m.
Almond-Bancroft: Friday, Aug. 24, at Fall River (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, vs. Maranatha Baptist (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, at Wild Rose, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, vs. Marion/Tigerton, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, at Port Edwards, 4 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, vs. Rosholt, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, at Plainfield Tri-County, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, vs. Bowler/Gresham, 7 p.m.
Clintonville: Friday, Aug. 24, at Ripon, 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, vs. Freedom, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, at Winneconne, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, vs. Waupaca, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, at Berlin, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, at Luxemburg-Casco (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, vs. Little Chute, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, at Appleton Xavier, 7 p.m.
New London: Friday, Aug. 24, at Luxemburg-Casco, 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, vs. Hortonville, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, at Shawano, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, vs. Berlin (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, at Denmark, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, vs. West De Pere, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, at Oconto Falls, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, vs. Seymour, 7 p.m.
Manawa: Friday, Aug. 24, at Omro (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31,, at Shiocton, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, at Stevens Point Pacelli, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, vs. Amherst, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, vs. Iola-Scandinavia, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, at Bonduel, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 7 p.m.
Hortonville: Friday, Aug. 24, vs. Shawano, 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, at New London, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7, vs. Seymour, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, at Denmark, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, at Oconto Falls, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, Marinette, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, at Luxemburg-Casco, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, vs. West De Pere, 7 p.m.
Marion/Tigerton: Friday, Aug. 24, vs. Shiocton (nonconference), 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 31, vs. Wild Rose, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 8, vs. Washburn/Bayfield (nonconference), 1 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14, at Almond-Bancroft, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21, vs. Bowler/Gresham, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28, at Port Edwards, 4 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 5, at Rosholt, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12, vs. Plainfield Tri-County, 7 p.m.