Iowa high school football preseason rankings 2022: Class 5A

Iowa City High players celebrate a touchdown by Ben Keuter during the Little Hawks’ win over West Des Moines Dowling last year. The Little Hawks are the top area team in The Gazette’s preseason Class 5A poll, at No. 6. Dowling is No. 2. (The Gazette)

It has been 13 years since a team outside of suburban Des Moines won the big-school state football championship.

Iowa City High captured the Class 4A title in 2009. Since then, it’s been all Central Iowa.

West Des Moines Dowling won it eight times since 2010, Ankeny twice, West Des Moines Valley once. And last season, in the first year of the seven-class format, Southeast Polk became the first 5A champion.

Central Iowa’s might is reflected, again, in The Gazette’s preseason 5A poll, with four of the top five teams.

Ankeny, which returns three all-state picks — including quarterback J.J. Kohl — opens at No. 1. The Hawks received half of the six No. 1 votes.

The Hawks have a Week 3 date with No. 2 Dowling.

No. 3 Pleasant Valley appears to be Eastern Iowa’s best hope to break through the Central Iowa dominance. Rusty Van Wetzinga leads the Spartans’ stable of three returning all-staters.

Then it’s back to the middle of the state. Defending champ Southeast Polk is fourth, Urbandale fifth.

Three squads from the Corridor are in the second five — Iowa City High at No. 6, Cedar Rapids Kennedy at No. 8, Cedar Rapids Prairie at No. 9.

Don't miss weekly prep sports roundups

Prep Sports Newsletter Signup

Delivered to your inbox weekly

Rankings, highlights and commentary

Please wait...

Thank you for joining us.

You will begin to receive our weekly Prep Sports updates. Add nathan.ford@thegazette.com to your contacts.

Capsules on the Class 5A contenders:

1. Ankeny

Poll points: 54 (3 first-place votes)

2021 record: 10-3

2021 postseason: Class 5A runner-up

Key returners: QB J.J. Kohl, sr. (2,185 passing yards, 25 TDs; 2nd-team all-state); OL Joe Kingston, sr. (2nd-team all-state); OL Drew Monsivais, sr. (3rd-team all-state); WR Will Hinrichs, sr. (31 receptions, 422 yards, 4 TDs)

Key games: Ankeny Centennial, Sept. 2; West Des Moines Dowling, Sept. 9; at Southeast Polk, Sept. 16; West Des Moines Valley, Sept. 30

2. West Des Moines Dowling

Poll points: 49 (1 first-place vote)

2021 record: 7-4

2021 postseason: Class 5A quarterfinalist

Key returners: WR Cooper Nicholson, sr. (43 receptions, 720 yards, 9 TDs; 3rd-team all-state); QB Jaxon Smolik, sr. (959 passing yards, 9 TDs); RB C.J. Phillip, sr. (537 rushing yards, 3 TDs); LB Joe Hughes, sr. (47 tackles)

Key games: Southeast Polk, Aug. 26; at Ankeny, Sept. 9; Iowa City High, Sept. 16; West Des Moines Valley, Oct. 14

3. Pleasant Valley

Poll points: 45 (1 first-place vote)

2021 record: 8-3

2021 postseason: Class 5A quarterfinalist

Key returners: RB/LB Rusty Van Wetzinga, sr. (56.5 tackles; 1st-team all-state); OL/DL Joey Van Wetzinga, soph. (27.5 tackles; 3 fumble recoveries; 3rd-team all-state); TE/DL Andrew DePaepe, sr. (29.5 tackles; 3rd-team all-state); RB/LB Caden McDermott, sr. (957 rushing yards, 13 TDs)

Key games: Cedar Rapids Prairie, Aug. 26; at Linn-Mar, Sept. 9; Bettendorf, Sept. 30; at Iowa City High, Oct. 7

4. Southeast Polk

Poll points: 44 (1 first-place vote)

2021 record: 12-1

2021 postseason: Class 5A champion

Key returners: RB/DB Abu Sama, sr. (931 rushing yards; 1st-team all-state); OL/DL Kadyn Proctor, sr. (1st-team all-state); DL Draven Woods, jr. (59.5 tackles; 2nd-team all-state)

Key games: At West Des Moines Dowling, Aug. 26; at West Des Moines Valley, Sept. 2; Waukee Northwest, Sept. 9; Ankeny, Sept. 16

5. Urbandale

Poll points: 39

2021 record: 7-3

2021 postseason: Class 5A qualifier

Key returners: TE/LB Cole Garwood, sr. (71.5 tackles; 1st-team all-state); WR Kai Black, sr. (54 receptions, 888 yards, 10 TDs; 2nd-team all-state); QB Peyton Rottinghaus, sr. (2,277 passing yards, 22 TDs); RB/LB Benjamin Booth, sr. (606 rushing yards, 4 TDs)

Key games: At Johnston, Aug. 26; at West Des Moines Valley, Sept. 2; Des Moines Roosevelt, Sept. 16; at Waukee Northwest, Oct. 21

6. Iowa City High

Poll points: 34

2021 record: 10-2

2021 postseason: Class 5A semifinalist

Key returners: TE/LB Ben Kueter, sr. (24 receptions, 369 yards, 9 TDs; 101 tackles; 1st-team all-state); QB Drew Larson, jr. (1,346 passing yards, 16 TDs); QB/CB Ronnie Major, sr. (328 rushing yards, 5 TDs)

Key games: Iowa City Liberty, Aug. 26 (at Kinnick); at West Des Moines Dowling, Sept. 16; at Iowa City West, Sept. 23; Pleasant Valley, Oct. 7

7. West Des Moines Valley

Poll points: 19

2021 record: 9-3

2021 postseason: Class 5A semifinalist

Key returners: WR Ayden Price, sr. (37 receptions, 464 yards, 4 TDs); WR/S Chase Hutchinson, sr. (27 tackles); DE Ryan Kuennen, sr. (26.5 tackles)

Key games: Southeast Polk, Sept. 2; Urbandale, Sept. 9; at Ankeny, Sept. 30; at West Des Moines Dowling, Oct. 14

8. Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Poll points: 11

2021 record: 10-1

2021 postseason: Class 5A quarterfinalist

Key returners: OL/DE Andrew Meyer, sr. (40 tackles; 2nd-team all-state); RB/LB Ryker Stelling, sr. (78 tackles); TE/LB Michael Mulherin, sr. (51 tackles)

Key games: At Bettendorf, Sept. 2; Cedar Rapids Washington, Sept. 9; at Cedar Falls, Sept. 30; at Johnston, Oct. 14

9. Cedar Rapids Prairie

Poll points: 10

2021 record: 8-3

2021 postseason: Class 5A quarterfinalist

Key returners: RB/LB Makelle Taylor, sr. (1,150 rushing yards, 15 TDs; 18 receptions, 330 yards, 1 TD); RB/LB Nic Powell, sr. (33.5 tackles)

Key games: At Pleasant Valley, Aug. 26; at Cedar Falls, Sept. 9; at Southeast Polk, Oct. 7; Linn-Mar, Oct. 21

10. Waukee Northwest

Poll points: 5

2021 record: 5-5

2021 postseason: Class 5A qualifier

Key returners: OL Cael Winter, sr. (2nd-team all-state); LB Chase Lamb, jr. (69 tackles; 3rd-team all-state); RB/LB Brady Grisham, sr. (268 rushing yards, 2 TDs; 21 receptions, 198 yards)

Key games: West Des Moines Dowling, Sept. 2; at Southeast Polk, Sept. 9; at Ankeny, Oct. 14; Urbandale, Oct. 21