Two Iowa High Schools Combine Football Teams

Highland High School and Lone Tree High School will merge their football programs for the 2026 season.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 4:19am

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Highland High School and Lone Tree High School in Iowa have announced they will combine their high school and junior high school football programs for the 2026 season. The new joint team will compete at the Class A level, the lowest for 11-player football in Iowa. Officials hope to have over 40 players on the varsity roster, with home games played at Highland's field and junior varsity and middle school games split between the two campuses.

Why it matters

The merger is a pragmatic move to sustain football programs at both small-town high schools, which have struggled with low participation numbers in recent years. Combining the teams allows them to field competitive 11-player squads and avoid having to drop down to 8-player football.

The details

Highland and Lone Tree school boards have verbally agreed to the shared football program starting in 2026. A head coach has not yet been named, but the new team will have just two home games this season after having to cancel games in 2025. The combined enrollment of the two schools means they will not qualify for the Class A Iowa high school football playoffs in 2026, but that could change in 2027 when classifications are re-evaluated.

  • The new combined football team will begin play in the 2026 season.
  • In 2025, both Highland and Lone Tree high schools were forced to cancel football games due to low participation.

The players

Dan Ruth

Vice president of the Highland school board.

Jody Fink

Athletics director at Highland High School.

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What they’re saying

“Let's put the HLT sticker on the helmet right now.”

— Dan Ruth, Highland school board vice president

What’s next

Officials with the schools hope to have over 40 kids on the varsity team for the 2026 season.

The takeaway

This merger highlights the challenges small-town high schools face in sustaining sports programs, especially in a state like Iowa where football is a point of pride. By combining resources, Highland and Lone Tree are ensuring their students can continue to play 11-player football at the varsity level.