Iowa high school football 2025: The Gazette’s post-Week 6 poll

Grundy Center’s winning streak is alive at 45, but the Spartans had a rarity Friday night:

A single-digit win.

Class 1A top-ranked Grundy Center was somewhat taken to the wire before outlasting No. 4 South Hardin, 21-12. It was only the third time during the Spartans’ recent run of glory that an opponent stayed within nine points.

The Spartans’ only two closer calls both came against Dike-New Hartford: 7-6 on Aug. 25, 2023, and 17-14 on Sept. 22, 2022.

The other six No. 1 teams in The Gazette’s weekly football poll had far less drama last week. Waukee Northwest (5A), Cedar Rapids Xavier (4A), Clear Lake (3A), Carroll Kuemper (2A), Saint Ansgar (Class A) and Algona Garrigan (8-Player) hold their spots at the top.

Northwest is the lone unbeaten in 5A, and became the first big-school squad to clinch a playoff berth via the RPI standings. The Wolves face their toughest remaining test this week, at No. 9 Southeast Polk.

West Des Moines Valley and West Des Moines Dowling remain at No. 2 and No. 3, with Johnston, Iowa City Liberty and Cedar Falls all climbing a spot after Johnston’s win over Ankeny.

Iowa City West is No. 8.

Xavier has been No. 1 all season, and the Saints marched to 6-0 with a 42-21 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock.

Newton’s 35-33 victory over then-No. 2 Pella shook up the 4A poll somewhat. One-loss teams North Polk and Sergeant Bluff-Luton share the No. 2 slot, then it’s unbeaten Gilbert at No. 4. Newton and Pella are fifth and sixth.

Clear Lake vanquished its second consecutive Wamac Conference foe, 35-7 over Benton Community to advance to 6-0. Solon, Sioux City Heelan and Mount Vernon held their spots at 2-3-4, and West Delaware completes the top five after topping Independence, 42-27.

After an 0-3 start, Williamsburg has won three straight and is in the poll for the first time this season at No. 8.

The top four remain the same in 2A: Kuemper, Monroe PCM, Osage and Okoboji. Woodward-Granger is up two spots to No. 5.

Grundy Center, West Lyon and Iowa City Regina have been the top three teams in 1A all season. Treynor climbed over South Hardin for the No. 4 slot.

Unbeatens comprise the top nine in Class A, led by Saint Ansgar, West Hancock, Woodbury Central, Marcus MMCRU and Guthrie Center ACGC.

The first domino among the contenders will fall this week: MMCRU welcomes No. 6 West Sioux. Next week, No. 7 North Linn is at No. 8 Wapsie Valley.

Seven 8-Player unbeatens remain, led by the top five of Garrigan, Woodbine, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Iowa Valley and Audubon. Each of them face an opponent of .500 or better this week.

The Gazette’s post-Week 6 football poll

(First-place votes in parentheses)

CLASS 5A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Waukee Northwest (6) 6-0 60 1

2. West Des Moines Valley 5-1 54 2

3. West Des Moines Dowling 5-1 48 3

4. Johnston 5-1 42 5

5. Iowa City Liberty 5-1 35 6

6. Cedar Falls 5-1 26 7

7. Ankeny 4-2 22 4

8. Iowa City West 5-1 18 8

9. Southeast Polk 4-2 15 9

10. Sioux City East 5-1 8 10

Others receiving votes: Cedar Rapids Prairie 2.

CLASS 4A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (6) 6-0 60 1

T-2. North Polk 5-1 48 3

T-2. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 5-1 48 3

4. Gilbert 6-0 43 5

5. Newton 5-1 37 7

6. Pella 5-1 30 2

7. Adel ADM 5-1 28 6

8. Western Dubuque 4-2 16 8

9. Decorah 5-1 12 9

10. Glenwood 5-1 6 10

Others receiving votes: Fort Dodge 2.

CLASS 3A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Clear Lake (6) 6-0 60 1

2. Solon 6-0 53 2

3. Sioux City Heelan 5-1 49 3

4. Mount Vernon 5-1 42 4

5. West Delaware 6-0 36 6

6. Sioux Center 5-1 25 10

7. Dubuque Wahlert 4-2 24 8

8. Williamsburg 3-3 11 —

9. Des Moines Christian 5-1 10 —

10. Davenport Assumption 4-2 9 —

Dropped out: Nevada (5), MOC-Floyd Valley (7), Algona (8).

Others receiving votes: MOC-Floyd Valley 6, Nevada 4, Humboldt 1.

CLASS 2A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Carroll Kuemper (6) 6-0 60 1

2. Monroe PCM 5-1 52 2

3. Osage 6-0 50 3

4. Okoboji 6-0 38 4

5. Woodward-Granger 5-1 29 7

6. Mid-Prairie 5-1 28 5

7. Centerville 6-0 23 10

8. Bellevue 6-0 21 —

9. Van Meter 4-2 10 —

10. Western Christian 5-1 8 —

Dropped out: Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (6), Alburnett (8), Clarinda (8).

Others receiving votes: Ida Grove OABCIG 4, Alburnett 3, Cherokee 3, Clarinda 1.

CLASS 1A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Grundy Center (5) 6-0 59 1

2. West Lyon (1) 6-0 54 2

3. Iowa City Regina 6-0 49 3

4. Treynor 5-1 40 5

5. South Hardin 6-0 38 4

6. Dyersville Beckman 5-1 26 9

7. Pleasantville 5-1 25 8

8. Underwood 4-2 21 10

9. West Marshall 4-2 10 —

10. Interstate 35 4-2 4 —

Dropped out: Emmetsburg (6), Union Community (6).

Others receiving votes: Union Community 3, Manson-NW Webster 1.

CLASS A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Saint Ansgar (4) 6-0 56 1

2. West Hancock (1) 6-0 51 2

3. Woodbury Central 6-0 47 3

4. Marcus MMCRU (1) 6-0 43 4

5. Guthrie Center ACGC 6-0 36 5

6. West Sioux 6-0 29 6

7. North Linn 6-0 24 7

8. Wapsie Valley 6-0 23 8

9. Pekin 6-0 10 9

10. Oakland Riverside 5-1 6 10

Dropped out: Council Bluffs St. Albert (10), Lynnville-Sully (10).

Others receiving votes: Lynnville-Sully 5.

8-PLAYER W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Algona Garrigan (5) 6-0 59 1

2. Woodbine (1) 6-0 54 2

3. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 6-0 48 3

4. Iowa Valley 6-0 42 4

5. Audubon 6-0 36 5

6. Edgewood-Colesburg 6-0 31 6

7. Ruthven GTRA 6-0 23 8

8. Kingsley-Pierson 5-1 10 —

T-9. Don Bosco 3-2 7 —

T-9. Montezuma 4-2 7 10

Dropped out: Easton Valley (7), Southeast Warren (9).

Others receiving votes: Boyer Valley 5, Bedford 4, Easton Valley 4.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com