Iowa high school football 2025: The Gazette’s post-Week 5 poll

Unanimity has reached each of the big four classes in The Gazette’s weekly football poll.

Clear Lake (Class 3A) now joins Waukee Northwest (5A), Cedar Rapids Xavier (4A) and Carroll Kuemper (2A) in grabbing the No. 1 vote from each of the six voters on the panel.

The Lions strengthened their 3A hold in blanking then-No. 5 Independence, 43-0, on the road. They have outscored their five opponents by a 203-28 ledger.

Each of the seven No. 1 teams were dominant in Week 5, with Xavier’s 42-15 stroll over Cedar Rapids Washington the “closest” call.

Northwest routed Des Moines East, 63-6, and headlines an all-Central Iowa top five. The Wolves are followed by West Des Moines Valley, West Des Moines Dowling, Ankeny and Johnston, with Iowa City Liberty and Iowa City West sixth and eighth, respectively.

Johnston is at Ankeny this week.

Pella remains Xavier’s closest challenger (the Dutch are No. 2 on all six ballots) and welcomes No. 7 Newton this week. North Polk and Sergeant Bluff-Luton are tied for third, and Gilbert is fifth.

The top four are unchanged in 3A; Clear Lake is followed by Solon, Sioux City Heelan and Mount Vernon. Nevada is up three spots to No. 5.

Okoboji continues to be the big climber in 2A; the Pioneers are up to No. 4 behind Kuemper, Monroe PCM and Osage. Mid-Prairie is No. 5.

Grundy Center, West Lyon and Iowa City Regina have been the top three in Class 1A all season. Grundy Center puts its 44-game win streak on the line Friday at hone against No. 4 South Hardin.

Nine unbeatens remain in Class A, and those are the top nine teams, led by Saint Ansgar, West Hancock, Woodbury Central, Marcus MMCRU and Guthrie Center ACGC.

Saint Ansgar received four first-place votes; West Hancock and MMCRU earned one apiece.

Algona Garrigan, Woodbine, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Iowa Valley and Audubon continue to lead the 8-Player ranks.

No. 6 Edgewood-Colesburg and No. 7 Easton Valley meet Friday at Preston.

The Gazette’s post-Week 5 football poll

(First-place votes in parentheses)

CLASS 5A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Waukee Northwest (6) 5-0 60 1

2. West Des Moines Valley 4-1 54 2

3. West Des Moines Dowling 4-1 47 3

4. Ankeny 4-1 40 4

5. Johnston 4-1 37 5

6. Iowa City Liberty 4-1 31 8

7. Cedar Falls 4-1 24 9

8. Iowa City West 4-1 12 7

9. Southeast Polk 3-2 10 10

10. Sioux City East 4-1 9 6

Others receiving votes: Dallas Center-Grimes 5, Pleasant Valley 1.

CLASS 4A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (6) 5-0 60 1

2. Pella 5-0 54 2

T-3. North Polk 4-1 44 4

T-3. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 4-1 44 5

5. Gilbert 5-0 37 6

6. Adel ADM 4-1 28 7

7. Newton 4-1 25 8

8. Western Dubuque 3-2 19 9

9. Decorah 4-1 11 10

10. Glenwood 4-1 4 —

Dropped out: Fort Dodge (3).

Others receiving votes: Fort Dodge 2, North Scott 2.

CLASS 3A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Clear Lake (6) 5-0 60 1

2. Solon 5-0 53 2

3. Sioux City Heelan 4-1 49 3

4. Mount Vernon 4-1 42 4

5. Nevada 4-1 34 8

6. West Delaware 5-0 32 9

7. MOC-Floyd Valley 4-1 19 —

T-8. Algona 3-2 9 6

T-8. Dubuque Wahlert 3-2 9 —

10. Sioux Center 4-1 8 10

Dropped out: Independence (5), Des Moines Christian (7).

Others receiving votes: Des Moines Christian 7, Independence 5, Davenport Assumption 3.

CLASS 2A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Carroll Kuemper (6) 5-0 60 1

2. Monroe PCM 4-1 52 2

3. Osage 5-0 50 3

4. Okoboji 5-0 36 6

5. Mid-Prairie 4-1 26 5

6. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 4-1 24 8

7. Woodward-Granger 4-1 22 7

T-8. Alburnett 4-1 17 10

T-8. Clarinda 4-1 17 —

10. Centerville 5-0 10 —

Dropped out: Van Meter (4), West Branch (9).

Others receiving votes: Van Meter 9, Western Christian 3, Dike-New Hartford 2, Ida Grove OABCIG 2.

CLASS 1A W-L Pts. Pvs

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

2. West Lyon (1) 5-0 54 2

3. Iowa City Regina 5-0 49 3

4. South Hardin 5-0 42 4

5. Treynor 4-1 35 5

T-6. Emmetsburg 4-1 27 8

T-6. Union Community 5-0 27 7

8. Pleasantville 4-1 13 —

9. Dyersville Beckman 4-1 11 —

10. Underwood 3-2 5 6

Dropped out: West Marshall (9), Lawton-Bronson (10).

Others receiving votes: Ridge View 4, Cascade 3.

CLASS A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Saint Ansgar (4) 5-0 56 1

2. West Hancock (1) 5-0 51 2

3. Woodbury Central 5-0 47 3

4. Marcus MMCRU (1) 5-0 42 4

5. Guthrie Center ACGC 5-0 40 5

6. West Sioux 5-0 28 6

7. North Linn 5-0 23 7

8. Wapsie Valley 5-0 22 8

9. Pekin 5-0 12 —

T-10. Council Bluffs St. Albert 4-1 3 —

T-10. Lynnville-Sully 4-1 3 —

T-10. Oakland Riverside 4-1 3 —

Others receiving votes: None.

8-PLAYER W-L Pts. Pvs

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

2. Woodbine (1) 5-0 54 2

3. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 5-0 47 3

4. Iowa Valley 6-0 41 4

5. Audubon 5-0 36 5

6. Edgewood-Colesburg 5-0 28 6

7. Easton Valley 5-0 27 7

8. Ruthven GTRA 5-0 17 10

9. Southeast Warren 5-0 11 —

10. Montezuma 3-2 4 —

Dropped out: Don Bosco (8), Fremont-Mills (9).

Others receiving votes: Kingsley-Pierson 3, Bedford 1, Boyer Valley 1, Don Bosco 1.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com