Iowa high school football preseason rankings 2022: Class 1A

West Sioux’s first brush with football glory came in the Hunter Dekkers era. The Falcons won the Class 1A championship in 2017, then claimed the Class A title in 2018.

Dekkers is at Iowa State now. Say hello to Dylan Wiggins, who passed for 3,000 yards last year as a junior.

The Class 1A runner-up last year (it fell 17-14 in the championship game to Van Meter), West Sioux is the unanimous 1A preseason No. 1 in The Gazette’s rankings.

Joining Wiggins as a returning first-team all-stater is Brady Lynott, who caught 50 passes last season, 13 for touchdowns. Carter Bultman was a second-team pick after rushing for 1,287 yards and 12 TDs.

The Falcons’ three toughest regular-season games could come before district play begins, starting with a home battle with Class A No. 2 Hartley HMS on Friday.

A pair of 1A semifinalists last year, Dike-New Hartford and Dyersville Beckman share the No. 2 slot; Van Meter is No. 4, with Pella Christian rounding out the top five.

Archrivals Iowa City Regina and West Branch are No. 6 and No. 8, respectively, and square off Oct. 7 at West Branch.

Capsules on the Class 1A contenders:

1. West Sioux

Poll points: 60 (6 first-place votes)

2021 record: 11-2 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 1 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class 1A runner-up

Key returners: RB/LB Brady Lynott, sr. (50 receptions, 967 yards, 13 TDs; 6 rushing TDs; 71 tackles; 1st-team all-state); QB/CB Dylan Wiggins, sr. (3,011 passing yards, 34 TDs; 537 rushing yards, 1 TD; 1st-team all-state); RB/LB Carter Bultman, sr. (1,287 rushing yards, 12 TDs; 39 receptions, 472 yards, 8 TDs; 30 tackles; 2nd-team all-state)

Key games: Hartley HMS, Aug. 26; at Sioux Center, Sept. 2; at Central Lyon-GLR, Sept. 9

T-2. Dike-New Hartford

Poll points: 38

2021 record: 11-1 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 3 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class 1A semifinalist

Key returners: OG/DT Wil Textor, sr. (44 tackles; 1st-team all-state); C/LB Nick Reinicke, sr. (102.5 tackles; 1st-team all-state); RB/CB Jerek Hall, sr. (1,658 rushing yards, 20 TDs; 2nd-team all-state)

Key games: At Grundy Center, Sept. 2; at Aplington-Parkersburg, Sept. 30; Denver, Oct. 7

T-2. Dyersville Beckman

Poll points: 38

2021 record: 11-1 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 4 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class 1A semifinalist

Key returners: QB/S Cayden Gassman, sr. (1,313 passing yards, 16 TDs; 765 rushing yards, 9 TDs; 4 INTs; 1st-team all-state); OL Brett Burlage, sr. (2nd-team all-state); RB/LB Nick Wulfekuhle, sr. (421 rushing yards, 5 TDs; 50 tackles)

Key games: Monticello, Sept. 9; at Waterloo Columbus, Sept. 30; at MFL MarMac, Oct. 14

4. Van Meter

Poll points: 36

2021 record: 13-0 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 7 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class 1A champion

Key returners: QB/LB Ben Gilliland, sr. (46 tackles; 1st-team all-state); WR/CB Carter Durlinger, sr. (42 tackles, 3rd-team all-state); RB/CB Ben Gordon, jr. (295 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Key games: Williamsburg, Sept. 2; Winterset, Sept. 9; at Guthrie Center ACGC, Oct. 14

5. Pella Christian

Poll points: 34

2021 record: 8-2 overall, 4-1 Class 1A District 6 (2nd)

2021 postseason: Class 1A second round

Key returners: QB/LB Isaac Kacmarynski, sr. (1,586 passing yards, 20 TDs; 927 rushing yards, 16 TDs; 57 tackles; 3 fumble recoveries; 3rd-team all-state); TE/DB Josiah Diehl, sr. (47.5 tackles); RB/S Peyton Ritzert, sr. (44 tackles)

Key games: Des Moines Christian, Aug. 26; at Sigourney-Keota, Sept. 23; Pleasantville, Sep. 30

6. Iowa City Regina

Poll points: 30

2021 record: 9-1 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 5 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class 1A second round

Key returners: QB/S Jack Tierney, sr. (563 rushing yards, 5 TDs; 937 passing yards, 9 TDs); RB/LB Levi Daniel, sr. (1,033 rushing yards, 14 TDs; 29.5 tackles); TE/LB Ronan Poynton, sr. (29.5 tackles)

Key games: At Williamsburg, Aug. 26; at Mediapolis, Sept. 16; at West Branch, Oct. 7

7. Underwood

Poll points: 26

2021 record: 10-1 overall, 5-0 Class 1A District 7 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class 1A quarterfinalist

Key returners: QB/DB Alex Ravlin, sr. (2,358 passing yards, 27 TDs; 408 rushing yards, 4 TDs; 2nd-team all-state); WR/DB Mason Boothby, jr. (19 receptions, 257 yards, 3 TDs); WR/LB Wyatt Baker, sr. (30.5 tackles)

Key games: At Tri-Center, Aug. 26; Treynor, Sept. 30; at Carroll Kuemper, Oct. 14)

8. West Branch

Poll points: 15

2021 record: 7-3 overall, 4-1 Class 1A District 5 (2nd)

2021 postseason: Class 1A second round

Key returners: RB/LB Andy Henson, sr. (1,320 rushing yards, 16 TDs; 42.5 tackles; 3rd-team all-state); QB/CB Carver Boelk, sr. (902 passing yards, 5 TDs; 265 rushing yards, 6 TDs); WR/CB Holden Arnaman, jr. (3 INTs)

Key games: At Waterloo Columbus, Sept. 2; Mediapolis, Sept. 23; Iowa City Regina, Oct. 7

T-9. Aplington-Parkersburg

Poll points: 14

2021 record: 5-4 overall, 3-2 Class 1A District 3 (3rd)

2021 postseason: Class 1A qualifier

Key returners: OT/DT Joe Johnson, sr. (26.5 tackles; 3rd-team all-state); RB/LB Aidan Junker, sr. (976 rushing yards, 8 TDs; 58.5 tackles); WR/CB Kaden Huttinger, sr. (35 receptions, 566 yards, 5 TDs; 34 tackles)

Key games: Osage, Sept. 2; Denver, Sept. 16; Dike-New Hartford, Sept. 30

T-9. Denver

Poll points: 14

2021 record: 7-2 overall, 4-1 Class 1A District 3 (2nd)

2021 postseason: Class 1A qualifier

Key returners: OT/DT Logan Beaty, jr. (3rd-team all-state); QB/S Tye Bradley, sr. (1,061 passing yards, 12 TDs; 350 rushing yards, 4 TDs); Ethan Schoville, sr. (1,099 rushing yards, 11 TDs)

Key games: At Wapsie Valley, Aug. 26; at Aplington-Parkersburg, Sept. 16; at Dike-New Hartford, Oct. 7

Others receiving votes

MFL MarMac 11, Guthrie Center ACGC 7, Waterloo Columbus 3, South Central Calhoun 2, Mediapolis 2.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com