Iowa high school football preseason rankings 2022: Class A

Defending champion West Hancock is a slight pick over Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, and those teams collide Sept. 30

Aug. 19, 2022 7:30 am, Updated: Aug. 19, 2022 1:28 pm

North Linn's Tate Haughenbury dives into the end zone for a touchdown in 2020. The Lynx are the Class A fourth-ranked team by The Gazette. (The Gazette)

West Hancock combined a productive offense and an elite defense to capture the Class A football championship last year, its second in three seasons.

The Gazette’s voting panel thinks the Eagles can do it again.

Led by second-team all-state lineman Brandon Kudij, West Hancock is the top-ranked team in The Gazette’s preseason Class A list.

The Eagles allowed just 4.6 points on their way to a 13-0 run last year.

West Hancock drew three first-place votes and outpolled No. 2 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn by a 50-47 count in poll points. The teams collide in a non-district tilt Sept. 30 at Hartley.

HMS went 8-3 last year and welcomes back three all-staters from their quarterfinal team, including first-team picks Lance Berends and Kooper Ebel, the latter of whom ran for 1,216 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021. The Hawks grabbed one first-place vote.

Woodbury Central, North Linn and Wapsie Valley round out the top five. North Linn returns three all-staters — Landen Paul, Cael Bridgewater and Tate Haughenbury.

Capsules on the Class A contenders:

1. West Hancock

Poll points: 50 (3 first-place votes)

2021 record: 13-0 overall, 6-0 Class A District 2 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class A champion

Key returners: OL/DL Brandon Kudij, sr. (27.5 tackles; 2nd-team all-state); TE/LB Rylan Barnes, sr. (13 receptions, 283 yards, 7 TDs; 73 tackles); LB Mitchell Smith, sr. (50.5 tackles)

Key games: Mason City Newman, Sept. 2; North Union, Sept. 23; at Hartley HMS, Sept. 30

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2. Hartley HMS

Poll points: 47 (1 first-place vote)

2021 record: 8-3 overall, 6-0 Class A District 1 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class A quarterfinalist

Key returners: OL/DL Lance Berends, sr. (57 tackles; 1st-team all-state); QB/DB Kooper Ebel, sr. (532 passing yards, 7 TDs; 1216 rushing yards, 18 TDs; 82 tackles; 4 INTs; 1st-team all-state); FB/LB Travis Kamradt, sr. (80.5 tackles; 2nd-team all-state)

Key games: At West Sioux, Oct. 26; at Le Mars Gehlen, Sept. 2; West Hancock, Sept. 30

3. Woodbury Central

Poll points: 43 (1 first-place vote)

2021 record: 10-2 overall, 5-1 Class A District 8 (T-1st)

2021 postseason: Class A semifinalist

Key returners: RB/LB Max McGill, sr. (1,395 rushing yards, 19 TDs; 68.5 tackles; 1st-team all-state); WR/LB Kyan Schultzen, sr. (28 receptions, 371 yards, 8 TDs; 36.5 tackles; 3 INTs)

Key games: Hinton, Aug. 26; at Logan-Magnolia, Sept. 2; IKM-Manning, Sept. 9

4. North Linn

Poll points: 35

2021 record: 9-1 overall, 6-0 Class A District 4 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class A second round

Key returners: RB/DT Landen Paul, jr. (60 tackles; 2nd-team all-state); WR/LB Cael Bridgewater, sr. (31 receptions, 403 yards, 6 TDs; 45 tackles; 3 INTs; 2nd-team all-state); QB/S Tate Haughenbury, sr. (1,914 passing yards, 23 TDs; 3rd-team all-state)

Key games: Alburnett, Aug. 26; East Buchanan, Sept. 2; at Hudson, Oct. 7

5. Wapsie Valley

Poll points: 31

2021 record: 8-3 overall, 5-1 Class A District 3 (2nd)

2021 postseason: Class A quarterfinalist

Key returners: TE/DE Mason Harter, sr. (57.5 tackles; 5 fumble recoveries; 2nd-team all-state); WR/CB Dawson Schmit, sr. (18 receptions, 226 yards, 3 TDs; 50.5 tackles; 6 INTs; 2nd-team all-state); FB/LB Hunter Kane, sr. (441 rushing yards, 7 TDs)

Key games: Denver, Aug. 26; at Grundy Center, Sept. 2; at Ackley AGWSR, Sept. 16

6. Lynnville-Sully

Poll points: 27 (1 first-place vote)

2021 record: 8-2 overall, 6-0 Class A District 6 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class A second round

Key returners: RB/DB Corder Noun Harder, jr. (1,350 rushing yards, 15 TDs; 28.5 tackles; 3rd-team all-state); RB/LB Kyle Squires, sr. (808 rushing yards, 13 TDs; 69 tackles; 3rd-team all-state); QB/DB Conner Maston, sr. (338 passing yards, 4 TDs; 46 tackles; 4 INTs; 3rd-team all-state)

Key games: At Madrid, Sept. 23; at Ogden, Oct. 7; Belle Plaine, Oct. 14

7. Logan-Magnolia

Poll points: 16

2021 record: 9-2 overall, 5-1 Class A District 8 (T-1st)

2021 postseason: Class A quarterfinalist

Key returners: QB/S Calvin Wallis, sr. (265 passing yards, 4 TDs; 8 INTs; 3rd-team all-state); TE/LB Nicio Adame, sr. (12 receptions, 176 yards, 3 TDs; 30.5 tackles)

Key games: Woodbury Central, Sept. 2; at Westwood, Sept. 9; IKM-Manning, Sept. 30

8. Le Mars Gehlen

Poll points: 15

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

2021 postseason: Class A qualifier

Key returners: WR/DB Keaton Bonderson, sr. (37 receptions, 930 yards, 12 TDs; 3 INTs; 1st-team all-state); QB/DB Conner Kraft, sr. (1,713 passing yards, 16 TDs); RB/LB Aiden Spangler, sr. (764 rushing yards, 12 TDs; 28.5 tackles)

Key games: At Unity Christian, Aug. 26; Hartley HMS, Sept. 2; at South O’Brien, Sept. 30

9. Grundy Center

Poll points: 13

2021 record: 11-2 overall, 6-0 Class A District 3 (1st)

2021 postseason: Class A runner-up

Key returners: PK Colin Gordon, jr. (44-49 PAT, 2-3 FG; 1st-team all-state); WR/LB Austin Betts, jr. (13 receptions, 246 yards, 3 TDs); RB/LB Clay Saak, jr. (73 tackles)

Key games: Dike-New Hartford, Sept. 2; Wapsie Valley, Sept. 9; Ackley AGWSR, Sept. 23

10. Tri-Center

Poll points: 12

2021 record: 5-4 overall, 4-2 Class A District 8 (T-3rd)

2021 postseason: Class A qualifier

Key returners: QB/S Michael Turner, sr. (1,063 rushing yards, 15 TDs; 29.5 tackles; 2nd-team all-state); QB/LB Maddox Anderson, sr. (687 passing yards, 6 TDs); WR/CB Holden Skow, sr. (37.5 tackles; 4 INTs)

Key games: Underwood, Sept. 26; at Logan-Magnolia, Sept. 16; Woodbury Central, Oct. 7