When the 2020 football schedule came out last week, Twin Cedars was excited to see who the Sabers would play and when. They knew most of their opponents after the districts were released earlier in the year, however they did not know who the non-district opponents would be. The assumption was since Twin Cedars and rival Melcher-Dallas were in separate districts that the state would simply put the rivals on the schedule in either week one or two. To Twin Cedars’ surprise and Coach Cam Parker Melcher-Dallas was not on the schedule for the first time since 1997. Parker tells KRLS Sports it was a huge surprise and disappointment that the Marion County Eight-Man Championship will not be played in 2020.

Parker:
“So we’ve got some highly disappointed people in our community, and I’ve seen several comments on facebook. As an alumnus myself, I’m extremely disappointed in that and I know our players get up for that game, and I know Melcher-Dallas is disappointed we won’t be playing that game.”

Parker adds eight-man teams are not allowed to send a list of teams they would like to play to the state. So each team is at the mercy of the Iowa High School Athletic Association as to who their non-district games are. The two rivals have played 27 times since the series began in 1990, including twice in 2002 when the two met in a playoff game. Melcher-Dallas leads the series 16-11 and has won the last three meetings.