Mid-Prairie will be at home when it opens the 2023 football season in August.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association has released football schedules for all schools, and the Golden Hawks will have a new look in 2023. They’ll have a new head football coach, following the resignation of longtime coach Pete Cavanagh, and they’ll be competing in a Class 2A district that won’t include powerhouse Williamsburg. The Red Raiders were bumped up to Class 3A.

The Golden Hawks will host Wilton in a non-district game August 25.

Next up will be an interesting battle between Mid-Prairie and Iowa City Regina in another non-district battle.

District play opens for the Golden Hawks on Sept. 15, when they host West Burlington/Notre Dame. Also in District 5 are Davis County, Albia, Mediapolis and Central Lee. Mepo is moving up from Class 1A.

The Golden Hawks won six games last year and two of their four losses were to Williamsburg.

MID-PRAIRIE SCHEDULE: Aug. 25, Wilton; Sept. 1, at Regina; Sept. 8, at Sigourney/Keota; Sept. 15, West Burlington/Notre Dame; Sept. 22, at Davis County; Sept. 29, Mediapolis; Oct. 6, at Central Lee; Oct. 13, Albia.

Highland, which did not win a game last year, opens its season with non-district games against North Cedar and Danville. The Huskies open Class A District 5 play on Sept. 8 against Van Buren County.

The Huskies finish the regular season with a home game against Wapello.

HIGHLAND SCHEDULE: Aug. 25, North Cedar; Sept. 1, at Danville; Sept. 8, Van Buren; Sept. 15, at Lisbon; Sept. 22, Columbus; Sept. 29, at Pekin; Oct. 6, at Louisa-Muscatine; Oct. 13, Wapello.

Lone Tree, which competes in the eight-man class, will begin a week earlier and in another state.

The Lions will head to Parkview Christian Academy in Yorkville, Illinois, for their season opener Aug. 18. A week later, they’ll host Iowa Valley in the Lions’ home opener.

Lone Tree begins district play against Midland on Sept. 8.

LONE TREE SCHEDULE: Aug. 18, at Parkview Christian; Aug. 25, Iowa Valley; Sept. 8, Midland; Sept. 15, at Springville; Sept. 22, Edgewood-Colesburg; Sept. 29, at Calamus-Wheatland; Oct. 6, Central City; Oct. 13, at Easton Valley.

Golden Hawk alum

Mitzi Evans, a 2022 Mid-Prairie alum who won state championships at 400 and 800 meters last year, was back on Drake’s Blue Oval in the Jim Duncan Invitational.

Evans, running unattached, won her heat in the 400 with a time of 57.10 seconds and placed third overall.

Baseball rankings

Mid-Prairie is ranked No. 5 in a Class 2A baseball preseason ranking conducted by IA Baseball.

The Golden Hawks won 19 games last year and made it to the semifinals of the state tournament. Among their returnees are Karson Grout, a junior who is a University of Iowa recruit, and Collin Miller, a senior who struck out 72 in 51 innings last year and won five games.

A major field renovation is now taking place at the Golden Hawks home field in Wellman. They open the season May 15 against Davenport West.