Iowa high school football rankings: The Gazette’s post-Week 2 poll

Win a statement game against your archrival, ending a long losing streak to that archrival in the process ...

Yeah, Mount Vernon got our attention Friday night.

The reward is this — from unranked and unnoticed to a spot in the Class 3A top 5 in The Gazette’s post-Week 2 high school football poll.

Mount Vernon scored a 17-14 victory over Highway 1 rival Solon on Friday, and the Mustangs rocketed all the way up to No. 5 this week. They are the state’s big mover in a week in which all seven top-ranked teams remain the same.

Lewis Central (Class 4A), West Sioux (1A) and Remsen St. Mary’s (8-Player) still are unanimous picks at the top, with Ankeny (5A), Harlan (3A), Ida Grove OABCIG (2A), and West Hancock (Class A) claiming the top spot in the other four classes.

Ankeny maintains an ever-so-slender edge over defending champion Southeast Polk in the 5A poll, by a 56-55 count in poll points. Ankeny fought past Ankeny Centennial, 17-10, last week while Southeast Polk completed a two-week sweep of the West Des Moines powers, topping Valley, 24-7.

Pleasant Valley is No. 3, followed by Dowling and Cedar Rapids Kennedy. The Cougars are coming off an impressive 34-0 win at Bettendorf and face Cedar Rapids Washington this week.

Lewis Central has won three consecutive close games, including 28-21 over Carlisle last week, and faces two more stiff challenges, at No. 6 Norwalk this week and at home against No. 3 Indianola on Sept. 16.

Waverly-Shell Rock maintains the No. 2 slot and is followed by Indianola at No. 3. Cedar Rapids Xavier and Bondurant-Farrar share the No. 4 spot.

Solon’s loss enabled Humboldt to settle in at the No. 2 spot in 3A, earning one first-place vote to Harlan’s five. Adel ADM is third, followed by North Polk and Mount Vernon. Solon is sixth.

ADM is at North Polk on Friday.

The top four teams in 2A have been the same since the preseason: Ida Grove OABCIG, Central Lyon/George-Little Rock, Williamsburg and West Marshall.

Central Lyon-GLR has a showdown with West Sioux next week. Williamsburg already has wins over Iowa City Regina and 1A co-No. 4 Van Meter under its belt and welcomes Solon on Friday.

West Sioux is followed in 1A by Dyersville Beckman and Pella Christian. Van Meter shares the No. 4 spot with West Branch.

West Hancock has a pair of decisive wins in the bank and has stretched its win streak to 15 games. The Eagles garnered four of six Class A No. 1 votes; No. 2 Woodbury Central and No. 4 Lynnville-Sully received one apiece.

Grundy Center is up a notch to No. 3 after topping former 1A No. 2 Dike-New Hartford last week. The Spartans have another biggie this week at home against No. 6 Wapsie Valley.

The 8-Player top five are Remsen St. Mary’s, WACO, Don Bosco, Newell-Fonda and Lenox.

The Gazette high school football poll, post-Week 2

(First-place votes in parentheses)

CLASS 5A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Ankeny (3) 2-0 56 1

2. Southeast Polk (2) 2-0 55 2

3. Pleasant Valley (1) 2-0 51 3

4. West Des Moines Dowling 1-1 40 6

5. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 2-0 32 7

6. Cedar Falls 2-0 30 8

7. West Des Moines Valley 1-1 26 5

8. Johnston 1-1 11 —

9. Sioux City East 3-0 10 10

10. Iowa City High 1-1 7 —

Dropped out: Urbandale (4), Linn-Mar (9).

Others receiving votes: Urbandale 5, Dubuque Senior 4, Ankeny Centennial 1, Cedar Rapids Prairie 1, Waukee 1.

CLASS 4A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Lewis Central (6) 3-0 60 1

2. Waverly-Shell Rock 2-0 46 2

3. Indianola 2-0 41 5

4. Bondurant-Farrar 2-0 40 3

(tie) Cedar Rapids Xavier 2-0 40 4

6. Iowa City Liberty 2-0 28 8

(tie) Norwalk 2-0 28 6

8. North Scott 2-0 23 7

9. Cedar Rapids Washington 2-0 15 9

10. Le Mars 2-0 6 10

Dropped out: Clear Creek Amana (10), Webster City (10).

Others receiving votes: Webster City 2.

CLASS 3A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Harlan (5) 1-1 59 1

2. Humboldt (1) 2-0 53 3

3. Adel ADM 2-0 49 4

4. North Polk 2-0 39 7

5. Mount Vernon 2-0 30 —

6. Solon 1-1 28 2

7. Benton Community 2-0 13 —

8. Creston 2-0 12 9

9. Algona 2-0 10 —

(tie) DeWitt Central 2-0 10 —

Dropped out: Davenport Assumption (5), Nevada (5), Sergeant Bluff-Luton (8), Independence (10).

Others receiving votes: Independence 9, Hampton-Dumont/CAL 7, Davenport Assumption 5, MOC-Floyd Valley 4, Nevada 2.

CLASS 2A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Ida Grove OABCIG (4) 2-0 58 1

2. Central Lyon-GLR (2) 2-0 53 2

3. Williamsburg 2-0 46 3

4. West Marshall 2-0 40 4

5. Southeast Valley 2-0 30 5

6. Dubuque Wahlert 2-0 29 6

7. Spirit Lake 2-0 19 9

8. New Hampton 2-0 18 8

(tie) North Fayette Valley 2-0 18 7

10. Clarion CGD 2-0 9 —

Dropped out: Estherville ELC (10).

Others receiving votes: Waukon 4, Greene County 3, West Lyon 2, Mid-Prairie 1.

CLASS 1A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. West Sioux (6) 2-0 60 1

2. Dyersville Beckman 2-0 46 2

3. Pella Christian 2-0 41 5

4. Van Meter 1-1 33 4

(tie) West Branch 2-0 33 7

6. Underwood 2-1 32 6

7. Denver 2-0 26 8

8. Aplington-Parkersburg 2-0 22 9

9. Dike-New Hartford 1-1 18 2

10. Western Christian 2-0 10 10

Dropped out: None.

Others receiving votes: Iowa City Regina 4, Mediapolis 2, Wilton 2, Durant 1.

CLASS A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. West Hancock (4) 2-0 57 1

2. Woodbury Central (1) 2-0 48 2

3. Grundy Center 2-0 47 4

4. Lynnville-Sully (1) 2-0 44 3

5. Hartley HMS 1-1 30 5

6. Wapsie Valley 1-1 22 9

7. Alburnett 2-0 20 —

(tie) Mount Ayr 2-0 20 10

9. Avoca AHSTW 2-0 14 —

10. Le Mars Gehlen 1-1 8 7

Dropped out: East Buchanan (6), South O’Brien (8).

Others receiving votes: North Linn 4, North Tama 4, North Union 4, Westwood 4, Ogden 2, East Buchanan 1.

8-PLAYER W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Remsen St. Mary’s (6) 2-0 60 1

2. WACO 3-0 43 2

3. Don Bosco 2-0 42 3

4. Newell-Fonda 2-0 39 5

5. Lenox 2-0 31 4

6. Easton Valley 1-1 30 7

7. Anita CAM 2-0 28 6

8. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 2-0 19 8

9. BGM 2-0 11 —

10. Ruthven GTRA 2-0 8 —

Dropped out: Turkey Valley (9), Winfield-Mount Union (10).

Others receiving votes: West Bend-Mallard 6, Baxter 4, Algona Garrigan 3, Fremont-Mills 3, Southeast Warren 1, West Central 1, West Harrison 1.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com