Cedar Rapids Kennedy makes big jump in Class 4A boys' basketball poll

CEDAR RAPIDS — On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ... a No. 2 ranking.

That's what the Cedar Rapids Kennedy boys' basketball team received Monday from The Gazette. The Cougars moved up six spots in this week's Class 4A poll, one spot behind No. 1 Iowa City West.

Kennedy (5-0) was unranked two weeks ago but has impressed with a strong early season body of work that included a 53-47 win last week over then fourth-ranked Dubuque Senior. The Rams dropped to fifth.

Sioux City East is third and West Des Moines Dowling fourth. 4A has had a lot of volatility, with teams in the class trading wins against one another, especially in Central Iowa.

The other No. 1s are the same: Waverly-Shell Rock in Class 3A, Des Moines Christian in 2A and Gladbrook-Reinbeck in 1A.

West Delaware continues to be a strong second in 3A. Defending state champion Cedar Rapids Xavier (2-3), which plays Kennedy on Tuesday night, drops out of the 3A poll after a loss this past Friday to Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

The Saints also lost outstanding point guard Matt Mims to an ankle injury.

Class 2A has much more stability, though second-ranked Northeast was beaten by Camanche and fell out of the poll. Camanche is 10th, Cascade (6-0) sixth.

North Linn (6-0) remains hot on Gladbrook-Reinbeck's heels in 1A. Lone Tree (5-0) is fourth and Montezuma (5-1) sixth.

This will be the final poll until the new year.

CLASS 4A

1. Iowa City West 5-0 (1)

2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 5-0 (6)

3. Sioux City East 5-0 (5)

4. West Des Moines Dowling 4-1 (9)

5. Dubuque Senior 4-1 (4)

6. Ames 5-1 (7)

7. West Des Moines Valley 5-2 (NR)

8. Ankeny Centennial 4-2 (8)

9. Lewis Central 6-0 (NR)

10. Cedar Falls 3-2 (2)

CLASS 3A

1. Waverly-Shell Rock 5-0 (1)

2. West Delaware 6-0 (2)

3. Atlantic 6-0 (3)

4. Pella 4-1 (5)

5. Dallas Center-Grimes 6-0 (8)

6. Spirit Lake 5-0 (9)

7. Mount Pleasant 2-1 (7)

8. Charles City 5-0 (NR)

9. Oskaloosa 5-1 (NR)

10. Glenwood 3-2 (10)

CLASS 2A

1. Des Moines Christian 6-0 (1)

2. South Hamilton 5-0 (3)

3. Pella Christian 3-1 (4)

4. Western Christian 3-1 (5)

5. Carroll Kuemper 4-1 (6)

6. Cascade 6-0 (7)

7. West Lyon 6-0 (8)

8. Osage 5-0 (9)

9. Hinton 6-0 (10)

10. Camanche 6-1 (NR)

CLASS 1A

1. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 4-0 (1)

2. North Linn 6-0 (2)

3. Ar-We-Va 6-0 (3)

4. Lone Tree 5-0 (4)

5. New London 5-0 (9)

6. Montezuma 5-1 (6)

7. Storm Lake St. Mary's 6-0 (10)

8. Lake Mills 6-0 (NR)

9. Grand View Christian 5-1 (NR)

10. West Fork 5-1 (NR)

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com