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Iowa high school football preseason rankings: Western Dubuque, Waukon start No. 1 in 3A, 2A
Aug. 21, 2019 10:00 am, Updated: Aug. 21, 2019 5:13 pm
The favorite's role has flipped.
Two of Western Dubuque's three losses last season came at the hands of Cedar Rapids Xavier, including a 34-20 decision in the Class 3A state final.
Now, it's the Bobcats who everybody is chasing.
Western Dubuque is the preseason 3A No. 1 in the Gazette/KGYM high school football poll, released today. Multisport standout Calvin Harris (2,280 passing yards, 27 touchdowns) leads the Bobcats, who went 10-3 in 2018.
Xavier owns the last two 3A championships and a 26-game win streak. The Saints enter the new season at No. 2.
Six-time defending 4A champion West Des Moines Dowling opens at No. 1 in the big-school class. Other top-ranked teams are Waukon (2A), West Sioux (1A), West Hancock (Class A) and Don Bosco (8-Player).
After a 7-2 regular season, Western Dubuque got hot in the playoffs, knocking off unbeaten Solon and avenging a regular-season loss to North Scott. The Bobcats handled Sergeant Bluff-Luton in the semifinals, then battled Xavier until the end in the final.
Western Dubuque hosts Xavier on Oct. 11.
Solon is ranked third, followed by Sergeant Bluff-Luton and North Scott.
Dowling extended its 4A championship run in dramatic fashion. First, the Maroons outlasted Bettendorf in a four-overtime semifinal. Then, they rallied to beat Cedar Falls, 22-16, in the title contest.
Led by Dowling and West Des Moines Valley, four of the top five 4A teams hail from Central Iowa. Waukee and Cedar Falls share the No. 3 position, and Ankeny Centennial is fifth.
Waukon (10-2) dropped its opener last season to Decorah, then won 10 straight games before falling 48-12 to Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley in the 2A semifinals. The Indians have the widest margin of any of the No. 1 teams, drawing six first-place votes and 69 points; Clear Lake (42) is second, followed by BHRV, Algona and Chariton.
West Sioux was the Class A champion in 2017, then moved up to 1A last year and captured another title. The Falcons lead the 1A list and are followed by Dike-New Hartford (last year's runner-up), then it's Van Meter, West Branch and West Lyon.
The tightest race for No. 1 comes in Class A, where West Hancock edges defending champion Hudson in first-place votes (4-3) and poll points (65-64). Hudson beat West Hancock in last year's semifinals, 35-28.
Perennial 8-Player power Don Bosco (9-2) leads that division again. The Dons were stunned in last year's quarterfinals by Rockford, and New London went on to win the championship.
Fremont-Mills, Audubon, Newell-Fonda and Turkey Valley round out the top five. New London is sixth.
This year's poll panel consists of seven members — Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher, Jeff Linder, Nathan Ford and Douglas Miles of The Gazette, Andy Krutsinger of the Southeast Iowa Union and Scott Unash of KGYM Radio.
The season begins with a few Week 0 games Friday, then everybody is in action next week.
Class 4A
1.
West Des Moines Dowling
68 points (6 No. 1 votes)68 points (6 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 11-2 | State champion
Week 1: vs. No. 3 Waukee
2.
West Des Moines Valley
54 points (1 No. 1 vote)54 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 10-1 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: at Southeast Polk
3.
Cedar Falls
49 points49 points
Last year: 12-1 | State runner-up
Week 1: vs. Ames
3.
Waukee
49 points49 points
Last year: 8-3, State quarterfinalist
Week 1: at No. 1 West Des Moines Dowling
5.
Ankeny Centennial
40 points40 points
Last year: 9-1 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. No. 7 Ankeny
6.
Iowa City West
26 points26 points
Last year: 9-2 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: at 3A No. 5 North Scott
7.
Ankeny
25 points25 points
Last year: 5-5 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: at No. 5 Ankeny Centennial
8.
Bettendorf
20 points20 points
Last year: 10-2 | State semifinalist
Week 1: at Pleasant Valley
9.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy
18 points18 points
Last year: 6-4 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Cedar Rapids Jefferson
10.
Fort Dodge
12 points12 points
Last year: 7-3 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Mason City
Others receiving votes: Johnston 9, Southeast Polk 8, Cedar Rapids Prairie 5, Ames 1, Urbandale 1
Class 3A
1.
Western Dubuque
69 points (6 No. 1 votes)69 points (6 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 10-3 | State runner-up
Week 1: at Clinton
2.
Cedar Rapids Xavier
53 points (1 No. 1 vote)53 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 13-0 | State champion
Week 1: vs. Iowa City Regina
3.
Solon
42 points42 points
Last year: 9-1 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: at Mount Vernon
4.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton
38 points38 points
Last year: 10-2 | State semifinalist
Week 1: vs. No. 7 Lewis Central
5.
North Scott
33 points33 points
Last year: 9-2 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. 4A No. 6 Iowa City West
6.
Pella
31 points31 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Dallas Center-Grimes
7.
Lewis Central
30 points30 points
Last year: 11-1 | State semifinalist
Week 1: at No. 4 Sergeant Bluff-Luton
8.
Spencer
26 points26 points
Last year: 8-3 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: at 2A No. 9 Spirit Lake
9.
Harlan
18 points18 points
Last year: 8-3 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: at Denison-Schleswig
10.
Clear Creek Amana
9 points9 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Mount Pleasant
Others receiving votes: Independence 8, Oskaloosa 6, Bondurant-Farrar 4, Iowa City Liberty 4, Norwalk 3, Sioux City Heelan 3, Carroll 2, Decorah 2, Denison-Schleswig 2, Washington 1, Waverly-Shell Rock 1
Class 2A
1.
Waukon
69 points (6 No. 1 votes)69 points (6 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 10-2 | State semifinalist
Week 1: vs. Decorah
2.
Clear Lake
42 points42 points
Last year: 7-2
Week 1: vs. 1A No. 10 Osage
3.
Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley
34 points34 points
Last year: 11-2 | State runner-up
Week 1: at 1A No. 1 West Sioux
4.
Algona
29 points29 points
Last year: 9-2 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Humboldt
5.
Chariton
27 points27 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Creston/O-M
6.
Greene County
25 points25 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Perry
7.
Crestwood
22 points22 points
Last year: 6-4 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: at Charles City
8.
Waterloo Columbus
21 points21 points
Last year: 7-2
Week 1: vs. Iowa Falls-Alden
9.
Monroe PCM
20 points (1 No. 1 vote)20 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 13-0 | State champion
Week 1: at Newton
9.
Spirit Lake
20 points20 points
Last year: 7-3 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. 3A No. 8 Spencer
9.
West Liberty
20 points20 points
Last year: 8-4 | State semifinalist
Week 1: vs. 1A No. 4 West Branch
Others receiving votes: Benton Community 17, Southeast Valley 11, Des Moines Christian 10, Mount Vernon 7, Garner GHV 4, Williamsburg 4, Iowa Falls-Alden 3
Class 1A
1.
West Sioux
64 points (5 No. 1 votes)64 points (5 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 12-1 | State champion
Week 1: vs. 2A No. 3 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley
2.
Dike-New Hartford
58 points58 points
Last year: 12-1 | State runner-up
Week 1: vs. Denver
3.
Van Meter
51 points51 points
Last year: 11-1 | State semifinalist
Week 1: vs. Earlham
4.
West Branch
49 points (1 No. 1 vote)49 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 9-2 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: at 2A No. 9 West Liberty
5.
West Lyon
37 points (1 No. 1 vote)37 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 7-3 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Central Lyon/George-Little Rock
6.
South Central Calhoun
35 points35 points
Last year: 10-1 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: at East Sac County
7.
Pella Christian
20 points20 points
Last year: 8-4 | State semifinalist
Week 1: at Oskaloosa
8.
Treynor
18 points18 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: at Logan-Magnolia
9.
Interstate 35
16 points16 points
Last year: 10-1 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Central Decatur
10.
Bellevue
10 points10 points
Last year: 10-1 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. A No. 5 Edgewood-Colesburg
10.
Osage
10 points10 points
Last year: 7-3 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: at 2A No. 2 Clear Lake
Others receiving votes: Iowa City Regina 4, Wilton 4, Mount Ayr 3, Cascade 2, Mediapolis 2, Ogden 1, Sumner-Fredericksburg 1
Class A
1.
West Hancock
65 points (4 No. 1 votes)65 points (4 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 9-3 | State semifinalist
Week 1: at Garner GHV
2.
Hudson
64 points (3 No. 1 votes)64 points (3 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 13-0 | State champion
Week 1: vs. Jesup
3.
Wapsie Valley
42 points42 points
Last year: 7-3 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Clayton Ridge
4.
Saint Ansgar
27 points27 points
Last year: 6-3
Week 1: vs. West Fork
5.
Edgewood-Colesburg
26 points26 points
Last year: 10-2 | State semifinalist
Week 1: at 1A No. 10 Bellevue
6.
Alta-Aurelia
23 points23 points
Last year: 7-3 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: at Lawton-Bronson
7.
North Tama
23 points23 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. North Mahaska
8.
Algona Garrigan
17 points17 points
Last year: 10-1 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Emmetsburg
9.
Council Bluffs St. Albert
16 points16 points
Last year: 5-4
Week 1: at Carroll Kuemper
10.
Avoca AHSTW
13 points13 points
Last year: 12-1 | State runner-up
Week 1: vs. Underwood
10.
Westwood
13 points13 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Akron-Westfield
Others receiving votes: South O'Brien 9, Alburnett 7, Hinton 6, Durant 5, Pekin 5, Akron-Westfield 4, BGM 4, Tri-Center 4, Woodbury Central 4, Grundy Center 3, Wayne 3, Belmond-Klemme 1, South Winneshiek 1
8-Player
1.
Don Bosco
64 points (4 No. 1 votes)64 points (4 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 9-2 | State quarterfinalist
Week 1: at Gladbrook-Reinbeck
2.
Fremont-Mills
45 points (1 No. 1 vote)45 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 10-2 | State semifinalist
Week 1: vs. Exira-EHK
3.
Audubon
42 points (1 No. 1 vote)42 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 6-3
Week 0: vs. East Mills
4.
Newell-Fonda
41 points41 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Collins-Maxwell
5.
Turkey Valley
38 points38 points
Last year: 8-2 | State playoff qualifier
Week 1: at Ackley AGWSR
6.
New London
30 points (1 No. 1 vote)30 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last week: 12-1 | State champion
Week 0: at Williams Bay (Wis.) (Saturday)
7.
Remsen St. Mary's
27 points27 points
Last year: 6-3
Week 1: vs. No. 3 Audubon
8.
Iowa Valley
26 points26 points
Last year: 10-1 | State quarterfinalist
Week 0: vs. Collins-Maxwell
9.
Southeast Warren
14 points14 points
Last year: 12-1 | State semifinalist
Week 0: vs. Montezuma
10.
Glidden-Ralston
12 points12 points
Last year: 6-3
Week 1: vs. West Bend-Mallard
Others receiving votes: Ar-We-Va 11, Central City 8, Northwood-Kensett 6, Midland 5, East Mills 4, Exira-EHK 4, HLV 3, Easton Valley 2, Lenox 2, Lamoni 1
Western Dubuque's Calvin Harris throws a touchdown pass against Cedar Rapids Xavier in last year's Class 3A state championship game, won by the Saints, 34-20. Western Dubuque opens the season ranked No. 1 in 3A by The Gazette/KGYM. Xavier is No. 2. (The Gazette)
