Iowa high school football rankings: The Gazette’s post-Week 5 poll

The No. 1 carousel in Class 1A football continues to spin.

Hop aboard, Van Meter Bulldogs. It’s your turn to ride.

Van Meter becomes the fourth 1A top-ranked team in four consecutive weeks of The Gazette’s poll, supplanting Pella Christian after the latter suffered an upset loss to Sigourney-Keota last week.

The Bulldogs have won three straight games after seeing their 60-game regular-season win streak end in Week 2 against Williamsburg. They will be heavily favored in their final three games, including this week’s game at Nodaway Valley.

West Sioux was the preseason 1A No. 1 and held that through the first two weeks. Then it was Dyersville Beckman, then Pella Christian and now Van Meter.

The Gazette’s panel spread its six first-place votes to four 1A teams. Van Meter received two of them and collected 51 poll points, followed by West Sioux (49 points, one first-place vote), West Branch (48 and two) and Underwood (44 and one).

Aplington-Parkersburg is No. 5.

Relatively speaking, the other six classes are far less turbulent.

Ankeny maintains a very slight lead in Class 5A. The Hawks received two first-place votes, as did No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling and No. 3 Pleasant Valley. Ankeny holds a one-point advantage over Dowling, four over PV.

Lewis Central is a unanimous No. 1 in 4A. Waverly-Shell Rock is second, followed by Cedar Rapids Xavier, Carlisle and Indianola.

Duane Schulte picked up his 200th win at Xavier on Friday, 38-0 over Cedar Rapids Washington.

The top six in 3A are unchanged. Harlan remains a firm No. 1, then it’s Humboldt, Adel ADM, Mount Vernon and North Polk.

Humboldt welcomes North Polk on Friday; ADM hosts No. 6 Creston.

Spirit Lake’s win over Ida Grove OABCIG shuffled the top of the 2A list somewhat. Central Lyon/George-Little Rock stays at No. 1, followed by Williamsburg, Spirit Lake, West Marshall and New Hampton.

West Hancock has been No. 1 in Class A all season, but the Eagles face a challenge this week at No. 5 Hartley HMS.

Grundy Center and Woodbury Central share the No. 2 slot; Lynnville-Sully is No. 4.

The 8-Player class also has a top-five showdown this week: No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s plays at No. 4 Newell-Fonda. WACO is ranked second, Don Bosco third, Lenox fifth.

The Gazette high school football poll, post-Week 5

(First-place votes in parentheses)

CLASS 5A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Ankeny (2) 4-1 54 1

2. WDM Dowling (2) 4-1 53 2

3. Pleasant Valley (2) 5-0 50 3

4. Southeast Polk 4-1 45 4

5. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 5-0 38 5

6. Urbandale 4-1 25 6

7. Cedar Rapids Prairie 4-1 20 8

8. West Des Moines Valley 3-2 14 9

9. Ankeny Centennial 3-2 13 9

10. Iowa City High 3-2 7 —

Dropped out: Sioux City East (7).

Others receiving votes: Sioux City East 5, Iowa City West 4, Linn-Mar 2.

CLASS 4A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Lewis Central (6) 5-0 60 1

2. Waverly-Shell Rock 5-0 53 2

3. Cedar Rapids Xavier 5-0 49 3

4. Carlisle 4-1 36 5

5. Indianola 4-1 34 5

6. Norwalk 4-1 30 7

7. Bondurant-Farrar 4-1 21 3

(tie) Iowa City Liberty 4-1 21 9

9. Newton 5-0 12 10

10. Cedar Rapids Washington 2-3 7 —

Dropped out: North Scott (8).

Others receiving votes: North Scott 4, Le Mars 3, Spencer 1.

CLASS 3A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Harlan (5) 4-1 59 1

2. Humboldt (1) 5-0 53 2

3. Adel ADM 5-0 50 3

4. Mount Vernon 5-0 40 4

5. North Polk 4-1 34 5

6. Creston 5-0 28 6

7. Nevada 4-1 20 7

8. Independence 5-1 18 7

9. Solon 3-2 15 9

10. Hampton-Dumont/CAL 4-1 7 —

Dropped out: MOC-Floyd Valley (10).

Others receiving votes: Carroll 3, Davenport Assumption 2, Benton Community 1.

CLASS 2A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Central Lyon-GLR (5) 5-0 59 1

2. Williamsburg (1) 5-0 52 3

3. Spirit Lake 5-0 47 5

4. West Marshall 5-0 43 4

5. New Hampton 5-0 35 6

6. Ida Grove OABCIG 4-1 32 2

7. Dubuque Wahlert 4-1 26 7

8. West Lyon 3-2 13 10

9. Greene County 4-1 8 —

10. Estherville ELC 3-2 6 —

Dropped out: Red Oak (8), Crestwood (9).

Others receiving votes: Mid-Prairie 4, Clarion CGD 2, Crestwood 2, Monticello 1, Osage 1.

CLASS 1A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Van Meter (2) 4-1 51 2

2. West Sioux (1) 4-1 49 3

3. West Branch (2) 5-0 48 5

4. Underwood (1) 5-0 44 4

5. Aplington-Parkersburg 5-0 39 5

6. Dike-New Hartford 4-1 30 7

7. Durant 5-0 24 8

8. Carroll Kuemper 5-0 22 8

9. Dyersville Beckman 4-1 9 —

10. Pella Christian 4-1 8 1

Dropped out: Mediapolis (10).

Others receiving votes: Cascade 2, MFL MarMac 2, Sigourney-Keota 1, Western Christian 1.

CLASS A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. West Hancock (4) 5-0 57 1

2. Grundy Center 5-0 49 3

(tie) Woodbury Central (1) 5-0 49 2

4. Lynnville-Sully (1) 5-0 45 4

5. Hartley HMS 4-1 36 5

6. Avoca AHSTW 5-0 29 6

7. North Linn 4-1 20 7

8. East Buchanan 4-1 13 9

9. Le Mars Gehlen 4-1 12 8

10. Alburnett 4-1 6 —

(tie) Wapsie Valley 3-2 6 10

Dropped out: None.

Others receiving votes: Columbus Community 2, Mount Ayr 1.

8-PLAYER W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Remsen St. Mary’s (6) 5-0 60 1

2. WACO 6-0 46 2

3. Don Bosco 5-0 45 3

4. Newell-Fonda 5-0 41 4

5. Lenox 5-0 36 5

6. Easton Valley 4-1 34 6

7. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 5-0 24 7

8. Ruthven GTRA 5-0 20 8

9. West Harrison 5-0 12 9

10. Baxter 5-0 6 —

Dropped out: West Bend-Mallard (10).

Others receiving votes: Fremont-Mills 4, Southeast Warren 2.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com