Iowa high school football 2024: The Gazette’s 1A preseason rankings

Grundy Center is the champion. Dike-New Hartford is the prime challenger.

They’ll collide right away, in Week 1, at Grundy Center.

The Gazette’s preseason football rankings add a little more spice to the Aug. 30 showdown. Dike-New Hartford is the top-ranked team; Grundy Center is No. 2.

Dike-New Hartford (7-4 in 2023) absorbed two losses to its Grundy County rival last year — 7-6 in the season-opener, 40-0 in the state quarterfinals.

The Wolverines are the top pick (49-47 in poll points) despite getting no first-place votes from our six panelists; they are No. 2 on two ballots, No. 3 on three, No. 4 on one.

Grundy Center, which earned three first-place votes, is riding a 26-game win streak and owns a 23-game regular-season victory string. The Spartans have compiled a 59-5 record in the last five seasons; they were Class A runners-up three straight years before breaking through with the “A” title in 2022.

They were dominant in the 1A postseason last year, outscoring their five playoff foes by a 209-33 count.

No. 3 Underwood (10-2), No. 4 Wilton (8-2) and No. 5 Ida Grove OABCIG (8-3) earned one first-place vote apiece.

Last year’s state runner-up, MFL MarMac (11-2) is the lone ranked Gazette-area team. The Bulldogs open at No. 9.

Capsules on the Class 1A contenders:

1. Dike-New Hartford

Poll points: 49

2023 record: 7-4 overall, 4-1 Class 1A District 3 (T-1st)

2023 postseason: 1A quarterfinalist

Returning all-staters: None

Key games: At Grundy Center, Aug. 30; Sumner-Fredericksburg, Sept. 20; at MFL MarMac, Oct. 4

2. Grundy Center

Poll points: 47 (3 first-place votes)

2023 record: 13-0 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 4 (1st)

2023 postseason: 1A champion

Returning all-staters: WR Tiernan Vokes, sr. (1st team), OL Ryker Thoren, sr. (1st team), LB Brody Zinkula, sr. (1st team)

Key games: Dike-New Hartford, Aug. 30; at Pella Christian, Sept. 13; at South Hardin, Oct. 4

3. Underwood

Poll points: 39 (1 first-place vote)

2023 record: 10-2 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 8 (1st)

2023 postseason: 1A semifinalist

Returning all-staters: DB Sam Schoening, sr. (1st team)

Key games: At Van Meter, Aug. 30; Carroll Kuemper, Sept. 6; Avoca AHSTW, Sept. 20; Treynor, Oct. 4

4. Wilton

Poll points: 37 (1 first-place vote)

2023 record: 8-2 overall, 4-1 Class 1A District 5 (T-1st)

2023 postseason: 1A second round

Returning all-staters: DB Jordan Dusenberry, sr. (1st team)

Key games: Mid-Prairie, Aug. 30; at Dyersville Beckman, Sept. 20; at Iowa City Regina, Oct. 18

5. Ida Grove OABCIG

Poll points: 33 (1 first-place vote)

2023 record: 8-3 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 1 (1st)

2023 postseason: 1A quarterfinalist

Returning all-staters: OL John Kruse, sr. (1st team), DB Jaxx DeJean, soph. (2nd team)

Key games: West Lyon, Sept. 13; Ridge View, Sept. 27; at West Sioux, Oct. 4; Hinton, Oct. 11

6. Avoca AHSTW

Poll points: 29

2023 record: 6-4 overall, 3-2 Class 1A District 8 (3rd)

2023 postseason: 1A second round

Returning all-staters: RB Luke Sternberg, sr. (2nd team)

Key games: At Tri-Center, Aug. 30; Oakland Riverside, Sept. 6; at Underwood, Sept. 20; at Treynor, Sept. 27

T-7. Emmetsburg

Poll points: 16

2023 record: 7-3 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 2 (1st)

2023 postseason: 1A second round

Returning all-staters: DB Carson Baak, sr. (2nd team)

Key games: Central Lyon-GLR, Aug. 30; at Manson-NW Webster, Oct. 18

T-7. Sumner-Fredericksburg

Poll points: 16

2023 record: 9-2 overall, 4-1 Class 1A District 3 (T-1st)

2023 postseason: 1A quarterfinalist

Returning all-staters: OL Kallen Wilharm, sr. (2nd team), D-UT Noah Henderson, sr. (2nd team)

Key games: North Fayette Valley, Sept. 6; at Dike-New Hartford, Sept. 20; MFL MarMac, Sept. 27

9. MFL MarMac

Poll points: 14

2023 record: 11-2 overall, 4-1 Class 1A District 3 (T-1st)

2023 postseason: 1A runner-up

Returning all-staters: None

Key games: Waukon, Sept. 6; at Sumner-Fredericksburg, Sept. 27; Dike-New Hartford, Oct. 4

10. Treynor

Poll points: 10

2023 record: 8-2 overall, 4-1 Class 1A District 8 (2nd)

2023 postseason: 1A second round

Returning all-staters: None

Key games: Tri-Center, Sept. 6; Avoca AHSTW, Sept. 27; at Underwood, Oct. 4

Others receiving votes

Iowa City Regina 8, South Hardin 8, South Hamilton 6, West Branch 6, West Sioux 5, Sigourney-Keota 4, Hinton 2, Ridge View 1.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com