Regina, Decorah open at No. 1

Iowa City Regina and Decorah are overwhelming choices as No. 1 football teams in the first Associated Press poll of the season.Regina carries a 29-game winning streak and has won the last two Class 2A state championships. The Regals are in Class 1A this year, and opened the season with a 47-0 rout of West Liberty.The Regals received 14 of 16 first-place votes.Decorah tops the 3A poll, earning 13 of 16 first-place votes. The Vikings (1-0) were 3A runners-up last year, falling to Union in the finals. They opened the season with a 35-7 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock.West Des Moines Valley (4A), Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (2A), West Lyon (Class A) and Adair-Casey (Eight Man) are the other No. 1 teams.Valley is the defending 4A champion.Iowa City West is No. 5 in 4A; Cedar Rapids Xavier is No. 7. Both teams won convincingly Friday; West smacked Linn-Mar, 49-14; Xavier hammered Dubuque Hempstead, 48-7.Despite a 4-5 season last year, Marion opens at No. 5 in 3A. The Indians blasted Mount Pleasant, 70-7, in their opener. Marion hosts Decorah on Friday.Solon is No. 8 in 3A. The Spartans host Regina this week.Other area ranked teams are Union (sixth) and Center Point-Urbana (seventh) in 2A, West Branch (seventh) and South Winneshiek (ninth) in 1A, and North Tama (seventh) in Class A.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FOOTBALL POLL

(First-place votes in parentheses)

Class 4A1. West Des Moines Valley (15) 2-02. Ankeny 1-03. Bettendorf 1-04. West Des Moines Dowling (1) 2-05. Iowa City West 1-06. Cedar Falls 1-07. Cedar Rapids Xavier 1-08. Pleasant Valley 1-09. Urbandale 1-010. Southeast Polk 0-1

Class 3A1. Decorah (13) 1-02. Sioux City Heelan 1-03. Norwalk (2) 1-04. Harlan 1-05. Marion (1) 1-0(tie) Creston/Orient-Macksburg 1-07. Clear Lake 1-08. Solon 1-09. Grinnell 1-010. Lewis Central 1-0

Class 2A1. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (7) 1-02. Mediapolis (2) 1-03. Spirit Lake (2) 1-04. West Marshall (2) 2-05. Carroll Kuemper (1) 1-06. Union (2) 0-17. Center Point-Urbana 1-08. New Hampton 1-0(tie) South Central Calhoun 1-010. Sheldon 1-0

Class 1A1. Iowa City Regina (14) 1-02. Emmetsburg 1-03. Aplington-Parkersburg 1-04. Fort Dodge St. Edmond (1) 1-05. Council Bluffs St. Albert 1-06. Saint Ansgar (1) 1-07. West Branch 1-08. Pella Christian 1-09. South Winneshiek 1-010. Panorama 1-0

Class A1. West Lyon (10) 1-02. Woodward-Granger (3) 1-03. West Hancock (2) 1-04. Logan-Magnolia 1-05. Wapsie Valley (1) 1-06. Woodbury Central 1-07. North Tama 1-18. Mason City Newman 0-19. WACO 1-010. Pekin 1-0

Eight Man1. Adair-Casey (1) 2-02. Murray (2) 2-03. Newell-Fonda (5) 1-04. Fremont-Mills (2) 1-05. Janesville 1-06. West Bend-Mallard (2) 2-07. Elk Horn-Kimballton/Exira (2) 1-0(tie) Melcher-Dallas (1) 2-09. Don Bosco 1-010. Preston 1-0