A change to the Iowa high school sports calendar next year will have an impact on small schools.

And that includes Mid-Prairie, as well as Highland and Lone Tree.

Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, boys golf will move from a spring sport to a fall sport. Fall means football, a demanding sport that requires practice time, lifting time and recovery time. Especially at smaller schools, where many athletes play more than one sport, the schedule change will certainly put some stress on golf rosters, and maybe also football.

“I don’t like competing with football,” said Kelby Bender, the head boys golf and assistant boys basketball coach at Mid-Prairie. “There are some golfers that play football.”

Among them are Ace Peck, a senior wide receiver on the football team this fall, and Grayson Gingerich, a sophomore. Being a senior, Peck’s final golf season will be next spring. But Gingerich could be playing golf in the spring, summer and fall.

At Highland, football starter Colten Sypherd was the Huskies’ top golfer last spring. A handful of Lone Tree football players have also been on the golf squad.

At Mid-Prairie, Bender, a Golden Hawks alum, and football head coach Daren Lambert coach basketball together. When it comes to golf and football, they’ll work it out.

“Spring is pretty packed with sports, so I see why they moved it,” Lambert said. “Luckily, I know Kelby pretty darn well so we should be able to figure it all out.”

State officials moved boys golf and girls tennis from spring to fall to balance out a sports lineup that had grown heavy in the spring. Including spring 2025, eight sports (boys soccer, boys golf, boys tennis, boys track & field, girls soccer, girls golf, girls tennis, girls track & field) will be conducted. A year later, it will drop to six with fall and winter athletics taking the lead with seven sports apiece.

So, if you’re a golfer and a footballer, this is something to think about.

For golf courses, including Kalona Golf Course, it’s a win-win. Now they’ll have Golden Hawks out there pretty much year round.

New Look Hawks

Mid-Prairie’s new look in football this year will include gold pants (a Green Bay Packers look) and new helmet logos. An MP replaces a hawk icon.

The Golden Hawks’ preseason debut was last Friday in West Liberty, when they faced Mid-Prairie alum Jason Dumont, who is now the head coach of the Comets. The season’s start is a week later in Wilton. The Golden Hawks play their home opener Sept. 6 against Iowa City Regina.

No Return

Lone Tree traveled more than four hours last year for a season-opening 54-16 win over Parkview Christian Academy in Illinois.

The return trip was supposed to be this week.

However, Parkview Christian disbanded its football program and left the Lions hunting for a new opponent this week. The Lions will now open the season next week at Iowa Valley.

Cyclone Lion

Lone Tree’s coaching staff includes Brent Nelson, a Cedar Rapids Kennedy alum who made the Iowa State team as a walk-on more than 20 years ago. He was a backup on the Cyclones line before sustaining a knee injury.

Nelson is also wrestling coach at Lone Tree.

Big Numbers

Mid-Prairie returns several offensive leaders for 2024, including junior running back Hudson Ehrenfelt. He was the top sophomore in Iowa 2A last year, rushing for 1,336 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“I think we’ve got one of the best running backs in the state,” Golden Hawks head coach Daren Lambert said.

Senior quarterback Brady Weber passed for 20 touchdowns a year ago, ranking No. 6 in 2A.

News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul