Iowa high school boys’ basketball rankings: Decorah is new top Class 3A team

CEDAR RAPIDS — Decorah and Fort Madison recently scheduled a neutral-site boys’ basketball game that was supposed to take place Tuesday night at Kirkwood Community College’s Johnson Hall. It won’t because of sickness on the Fort Madison side.

It would have featured last week’s top-ranked team in Class 3A and this week’s top-ranked team in Class 3A.

Decorah is your new No. 1 in the class, in a vote of Iowa media. The Vikings (17-1) are on a 16-game win streak, losing only to Western Dubuque, 49-46, way back on Dec. 3. The Vikings have beaten each of their other Iowa opponents by 15 points or more.

Decorah defeated Rushford-Peterson of Minnesota by a point in a mid-December game at Luther College.

Fort Madison (18-3) has dropped from the top spot to No. 7 because it lost three straight games last week: to Burlington, Washington (Iowa) and West Central of Illinois. Washington (16-2) moved up from fourth to third this week.

Marion (15-3) is sixth.

The other No. 1 teams remain the same: Ames (15-1) in Class 4A, Boyden-Hull (18-1) in 2A and Grand View Christian (20-0) in 1A. Grand View had two close games last week, beating North Polk by four points and 1A fifth-ranked Avoca AHSTW by five.

North Linn (19-1) is second in 1A with Tri-Rivers Conference mate Easton Valley (17-2) seventh. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (14-4) inched a spot forward to third in 4A, one behind Pleasant Valley (17-0) and one ahead of Cedar Falls (13-2).

Though it lost on back-to-back nights last week, Iowa City West (13-4) remained in the top 10 at No. 10.

Mid-Prairie (19-0) actually received more first-place votes in 2A (five to three) but comes in second to Boyden-Hull. Western Christian (18-1) is third, Williamsburg (17-2) sixth and Monticello (17-2) seventh.

The postseason in Class 1A begins Friday night with a few first-round games. Most 1A and 2A schools get their postseasons underway Monday, Feb. 14.

Here are this week’s entire rankings, with first-place votes in parentheses.

CLASS 4A Record Pts Prv

CLASS 3A Record Pts Prv

CLASS 2A Record Pts Prv

CLASS 1A Record Pts Prv

How The Gazette’s Jeff Johnson Voted

Class 4A — 1. Ames, 2. Pleasant Valley, 3. Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 4. Cedar Falls, 5. Ankeny, 6. Johnston, 7. West Des Moines Valley, 8. Waukee Northwest, 9. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 10. Iowa City West.

Class 3A — 1. Decorah, 2. Humboldt, 3. Washington (Iowa), 4. Dallas Center-Grimes, 5. Marion, 6. Fort Madison, 7. Winterset, 8. Dubuque Wahlert, 9. Spencer, 10. Ballard.

Class 2A — 1. Western Christian, 2. Boyden-Hull, 3. Central Lyon, 4. Mid-Prairie, 5. Aplington-Parkersburg, 6. Williamsburg, 7. Clarion CGD, 8. Monticello, 9. Van Meter, 10. Roland-Story.

Class 1A — 1. Grand View Christian, 2. Remsen St. Mary’s, 3. North Linn, 4. Lake Mills, 5. Avoca AHSTW, 6. Mason City Newman, 7. Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 8. Newell-Fonda, 9. New London, 10. Dunkerton.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com