Iowa high school football rankings: Cedar Rapids Kennedy is a solo act at No. 1 now

The Kennedy Cougars are a No. 1 solo smash hit.

The last remaining big-school football unbeaten, Cedar Rapids Kennedy claimed sole possession of the top spot in this week’s Gazette Class 5A high school football rankings, released Monday.

Kennedy (7-0) shared the No. 1 ranking with Southeast Polk last week, but the pendulum swung the Cougars’ way after a 43-0 win over Davenport West, coupled with the Rams’ tense ending with Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Southeast Polk edged Prairie, 21-20, blocking a field-goal attempt in the final seconds.

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Kennedy earned five of six first-place votes and held a 56-53 advantage on Southeast Polk in poll points. West Des Moines Valley is No. 3, followed by Ankeny and Urbandale. Prairie is sixth, Iowa City High seventh, Linn-Mar eighth.

The top teams remain the same in the other six classes.

North Scott continues as a unanimous No. 1 in Class 4A. The Lancers have won all seven of their games by double-digit margins, including a 20-8 Week 4 victory over No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier. Bondurant-Farrar, Lewis Central and Norwalk round out the top five.

Harlan earned all six first-place votes and has been No. 1 in 3A all season. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley is second, then it’s West Delaware, Solon, Humboldt and Independence.

West Delaware visits Independence on Friday.

Class 2A top-ranked Southeast Valley continues to pick up momentum; it handled a solid Pocahontas Area outfit, 40-3, last week, and has another challenge its regular-season finale, at No. 7 Spirit Lake.

West Marshall is No. 2 in 2A, followed by Ida Grove OABCIG and Waukon. Greene County and West Lyon share the No. 5 slot.

Van Meter continues to be a wrecking crew in 1A. The Bulldogs have outscored their last four foes by a 246-0 count and retain their unanimous No. 1 standing. No. 2 Underwood has been equally as dominant; Iowa City Regina, Dike-New Hartford and Sigourney-Keota round out the top five.

One of the top games in the state Friday will be at Britt, where Class A No. 1 West Hancock hosts No. 6 North Butler in a battle of unbeatens.

Grundy Center is No. 2, and North Linn rises three spots to No. 3 after its fifth shutout of the season, 36-0 over Hudson. Lisbon and Logan-Magnolia are fourth and fifth.

Anita CAM has been the top-ranked 8-Player team all season. The Cougars are scoring at a 65.7-point clip, with a season high point total last week in an 82-22 drubbing of Coon Rapids-Bayard.

Montezuma stays at No. 2 after winning its showdown with Baxter, and Remsen St. Mary’s, Easton Valley and Audubon complete the top five.

Class 2A, 1A, A and 8-Player conclude regular-season play this week, with 32 teams advancing to the playoffs Oct. 22. The larger three classes play a ninth regular-season game next week, with 16 teams qualifying for the playoffs Oct. 29.

The Gazette Iowa high school football poll

(First-place votes in parentheses)

CLASS 5A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (5) 7-0 56 1

2. Southeast Polk (1) 6-1 53 1

3. West Des Moines Valley 6-1 49 3

4. Ankeny 5-2 39 4

5. Urbandale 6-1 36 6

6. Cedar Rapids Prairie 5-2 27 7

7. Iowa City High 6-1 16 4

8. Linn-Mar 6-1 15 9

9. West Des Moines Dowling 4-3 14 8

T-10. Cedar Falls 5-2 10 10

T-10. Pleasant Valley 5-2 10 —

Others receiving votes: Waukee Northwest 4, Dubuque Senior 1.

CLASS 4A W-L Pts Pvs

1. North Scott (6) 7-0 60 1

2. Cedar Rapids Xavier 6-1 49 2

3. Bondurant-Farrar 7-0 47 3

4. Lewis Central 5-2 37 4

5. Norwalk 6-1 33 5

6. Waverly-Shell Rock 6-1 31 6

7. Winterset 6-1 28 7

8. Indianola 6-1 25 8

9. Webster City 5-2 11 —

10. Decorah 5-2 8 —

Dropped out: Spencer (9), Clear Creek Amana (10).

Others receiving votes: Clear Creek Amana 1.

CLASS 3A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Harlan (6) 7-0 60 1

2. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 7-0 53 2

3. West Delaware 6-1 42 3

4. Solon 7-0 41 4

5. Humboldt 7-0 40 5

6. Independence 7-0 33 6

7. Nevada 7-0 25 7

8. Benton Community 6-1 18 —

9. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 5-2 12 8

T-10. Adel ADM 5-2 2 10

T-10. Algona 5-2 2 —

Dropped out: Davenport Assumption (9).

Others receiving votes: Creston 1, Grinnell 1.

CLASS 2A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Southeast Valley (5) 7-0 59 1

2. West Marshall (1) 6-1 51 2

3. Ida Grove OABCIG 6-1 48 3

4. Waukon 6-1 43 4

T-5. Greene County 6-1 27 6

T-5. West Lyon 5-2 27 6

T-7. Central Lyon-GLR 4-3 22 9

T-7. Spirit Lake 5-2 22 8

9. Estherville ELC 4-3 21 5

10. Williamsburg 4-3 5 10

Dropped out: North Fayette Valley (10).

Others receiving votes: North Fayette Valley 4, Clear Lake 1.

CLASS 1A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Van Meter (6) 7-0 60 1

2. Underwood 7-0 53 2

3. Iowa City Regina 7-0 44 3

4. Dike-New Hartford 7-0 38 4

5. Sigourney-Keota 7-0 37 5

6. Dyersville Beckman 7-0 27 6

6. West Sioux 6-1 25 6

8. Guthrie Center ACGC 7-0 23 8

9. Pella Christian 6-1 16 9

10. Waterloo Columbus 5-2 3 —

Dropped out: Denver (10).

Others receiving votes: Denver 2, MFL MarMac 1, South Central Calhoun 1.

CLASS A W-L Pts Pvs

1. West Hancock (5) 7-0 59 1

2. Grundy Center (1) 6-1 54 2

3. North Linn 7-0 41 6

4. Lisbon 6-1 40 4

5. Logan-Magnolia 6-1 38 5

6. North Butler 7-0 26 8

7. Woodbury Central 6-1 22 3

8. Belle Plaine 6-1 10 9

9. East Buchanan 6-1 9 —

10. Southwest Valley 6-1 8 9

Dropped out: North Tama (7), Hartley HMS (9).

Others receiving votes: Hartley HMS 7, North Tama 5, Mason City Newman 4, Wapsie Valley 3.

8-PLAYER W-L Pts Pvs

1. Anita CAM (4) 7-0 58 1

2. Montezuma (1) 8-0 51 2

3. Remsen St. Mary’s 7-0 45 3

4. Easton Valley (1) 7-0 44 4

5. Audubon 6-1 39 5

6. Turkey Valley 7-0 28 7

7. WACO 8-0 23 8

8. Lenox 7-0 19 9

9. Lansing Kee 7-0 16 10

10. Don Bosco 5-2 3 —

Dropped out: Gladbrook-Reinbeck (6).

Others receiving votes: Janesville 2, Baxter 1, Newell-Fonda 1.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com