The Knoxville Football Season is quite different than in recent seasons. Gone from the schedule are class four-A teams Newton, Carlisle and Oskaloosa. In their places are Boone, Clarke, South Tama and Des Moines Hoover. The Panthers were hoping when the new schedules came out from the Iowa High School Athletic Association that they would get a more manageable schedule. Last season’s first four teams went a combined 22-18 with two of the teams making the playoffs and one getting to the semi-finals in class 4A. This year’s non-district teams went a combined 8-28 last year. Coach Matt Dunkin tells KNIA/KRLS his list of seven teams that wanted to play, for the most part fell on the schedule.

Dunkin: “This year everything came together for the most part. Our number one was on their number one. We got a pretty favorable schedule, we were 1-8 last year, but we’re definitely looking forward to it.”

Dunkin cautions that Knoxville also went 1-8 last season and nothing will come easy in the first four weeks. The Panthers will play Boone next Friday, Clarke will be the Panthers home opener in week two, followed by a road game to South Tama, and then the final non-district game hosting Des Moines Hoover. Listen to every Knoxville game live on 95.3 KNIA this season.