Iowa high school football rankings: West Branch earns a share of No. 1 in Class 1A

It was a milestone win. And it was enough to vault West Branch into a first-place tie in the Gazette/KGYM high-school football poll.

The Bears blasted Tipton, 56-13, Friday night at Oliphant Street Stadium. That moved Butch Pedersen into the 300-win coaching club, one that features just 13 members.

West Branch joined Dike-New Hartford atop this week's 1A rankings.

That was one of two changes at the top. In Class 2A, Monroe PCM supplanted Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley after the latter suffered a 35-21 loss to Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

PCM is a unanimous choice at the top of its class, as are Cedar Rapids Xavier (3A) and Don Bosco (8-Player).

West Des Moines Valley held on to its spot atop the 4A poll after rallying with two late touchdowns to edge Waukee, 28-27. Ankeny Centennial moves up three spots to No. 2 after tripping West Des Moines Dowling, 14-7. Cedar Falls is third, and five-time defending champion Dowling is fourth after suffering its second loss of the season.

The top five remains unchanged in 3A. Xavier, which has won 17 straight games and 32 consecutive regular-season contests, is followed by Lewis Central, Pella, Solon and North Scott.

PCM and Spirit Lake climbed past BH-RV in 2A. Benton Community and Algona stay in the 4 and 5 slots.

Dike-New Hartford received four of six first-place votes in 1A; West Branch and Van Meter claimed the other two. DNH and West Branch both received 54 points; No. 3 West Sioux got 49.

Hudson remained a comfortable No. 1 in Class A after outlasting North Tama, 24-21, in overtime. Algona Garrigan and Avoca AHSTW round out the top three.

There are no changes in the 8-Player top 10. Don Bosco's top challengers remain Exira-EHK and Ar-We-Va.

Class 4A

1.

West Des Moines Valley

4-0, 59 points (5 No. 1 votes)

4-0, 59 points (5 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat No. 8 Waukee, 28-27

This week: at Council Bluffs Jefferson

 

2.

Ankeny Centennial

4-0, 51 points

4-0, 51 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling, 14-7

This week: vs. Marshalltown

 

3.

Cedar Falls

4-0, 50 points (1 No. 1 vote)

4-0, 50 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 3 | Beat No. 3 Bettendorf, 29-23

This week: at Dubuque Hempstead

 

4.

West Des Moines Dowling

2-2, 37 points

2-2, 37 points

Last week: No. 2 | Lost to No. 5 Ankeny Centennial, 14-7

This week: vs. Ankeny

 

5.

Bettendorf

3-1, 32 points

3-1, 32 points

Last week: No. 3 | Lost to No. 3 Cedar Falls, 29-23

This week: vs. Cedar Rapids Washington

 

6.

Johnston

3-1, 30 points

3-1, 30 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Muscatine, 42-7

This week: at Des Moines East

 

7.

Iowa City West

3-1, 29 points

3-1, 29 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Dubuque Senior, 48-14

This week: vs. Pleasant Valley

 

8.

Waukee

2-2, 22 points

2-2, 22 points

Last week: No. 8 | Lost to No. 1 West Des Moines Valley, 28-27

This week: at Mason City

 

9.

Indianola

4-0, 13 points

4-0, 13 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat Des Moines Lincoln, 42-6

This week: at Ottumwa

 

10.

Cedar Rapids Prairie

3-1, 6 points

3-1, 6 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 30-14

This week: vs. Dubuque Senior

 

Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: Fort Dodge 1

Class 3A

1.

Cedar Rapids Xavier

4-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

4-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat West Delaware, 45-12

This week: at Maquoketa

 

2.

Lewis Central

4-0, 52 points

4-0, 52 points

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Council Bluffs Jefferson, 56-0

This week: at Creston/O-M

 

3.

Pella

4-0, 43 points

4-0, 43 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Carlisle, 35-22

This week: at Knoxville

 

4.

Solon

4-0, 36 points

4-0, 36 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Davenport Assumption, 47-7

This week: at Fort Madison

 

5.

North Scott

3-1, 32 points

3-1, 32 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat No. 8 Western Dubuque, 7-6

This week: at DeWitt Central

 

6.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton

3-1, 27 points

3-1, 27 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat 2A No. 1 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, 35-21

This week: at No. 8 Sioux City Heelan

 

6.

Waverly-Shell Rock

4-0, 27 points

4-0, 27 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat New Hampton, 13-6

This week: vs. Decorah

 

8.

Sioux City Heelan

4-0, 23 points

4-0, 23 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat Sioux City West, 37-20

This week: vs. No. 6 Sergeant Bluff-Luton

 

9.

Western Dubuque

3-1, 17 points

3-1, 17 points

Last week: No. 8 | Lost to No. 5 North Scott, 7-6

This week: vs. Dubuque Wahlert

 

10.

Harlan

3-1, 10 points

3-1, 10 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Atlantic, 56-14

This week: at Adel ADM

 

Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: Clear Creek Amana 3

Class 2A

1.

Monroe PCM

4-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

4-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 2 | Beat 1A No. 8 Pella Christian, 40-0

This week: vs. Chariton

 

2.

Spirit Lake

4-0, 52 points

4-0, 52 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Sioux Center, 58-13

This week: vs. Estherville Lincoln Central

 

3.

Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley

3-1, 48 points

3-1, 48 points

Last week: No. 1 | Lost to 3A No. 7 Sergeant Bluff-Luton, 35-21

This week: vs. Central Lyon/George-Little Rock

 

4.

Benton Community

4-0, 42 points

4-0, 42 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat 1A No. 5 Wilton, 26-13

This week: at Union Community

 

5.

Algona

4-0, 31 points

4-0, 31 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Webster City, 34-21

This week: vs. Garner GHV

 

6.

Clear Lake

3-1, 26 points

3-1, 26 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Mason City, 49-21

This week: vs. Hampton-Dumont

 

7.

West Marshall

3-1, 22 points

3-1, 22 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat Aplington-Parkersburg, 48-28

This week: at Roland-Story

 

8.

Waukon

3-1, 20 points

3-1, 20 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Cascade, 40-21

This week: vs. Monticello

 

9.

Greene County

4-0, 19 points

4-0, 19 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Gilbert, 46-7

This week: vs. Shenandoah

 

10.

Ida Grove OABCIG

4-0, 4 points

4-0, 4 points

Last week: NR | Beat Storm Lake, 32-22

This week: at Red Oak

 

Dropped out: Union Community (7)

Others receiving votes: Chariton 3, Sheldon 2, Union Community 1

Class 1A

1.

Dike-New Hartford

4-0, 54 points (4 No. 1 votes)

4-0, 54 points (4 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat 2A No. 7 Union Community, 35-22

This week: at North Linn

 

1.

West Branch

4-0, 54 points (1 No. 1 vote)

4-0, 54 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Tipton, 56-13

This week: at No. 6 Bellevue

 

3.

West Sioux

3-1, 49 points

3-1, 49 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Le Mars Gehlen, 61-0

This week: vs. Sibley-Ocheyedan

 

4.

Van Meter

4-0, 43 points (1 No. 1 vote)

4-0, 43 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Woodward-Granger, 41-0

This week: at Guthrie Center ACGC

 

5.

South Central Calhoun

4-0, 34 points

4-0, 34 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Southeast Valley, 49-6

This week: at Ogden

 

6.

Bellevue

4-0, 29 points

4-0, 29 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Maquoketa Valley, 42-7

This week: vs. No. 1 West Branch

 

7.

West Lyon

3-1, 23 points

3-1, 23 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat MOC-Floyd Valley, 39-0

This week: vs. Emmetsburg

 

8.

Interstate 35

4-0, 15 points

4-0, 15 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Saydel, 49-6

This week: at Woodward-Granger

 

9.

Mediapolis

4-0, 9 points

4-0, 9 points

Last week: NR | Beat Louisa-Muscatine, 39-21

This week: vs. Wapello

 

9.

Sumner-Fredericksburg

4-0, 9 points

4-0, 9 points

Last week: NR | Beat MFL MarMac, 44-0

This week: at Lake Mills

 

Dropped out: Wilton (5), Pella Christian (8)

Others receiving votes: Wilton 7, Pella Christian 3

Class A

1.

Hudson

4-0, 58 points (5 No. 1 votes)

4-0, 58 points (5 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat No. 7 North Tama, 24-21 (OT)

This week: vs. Conrad BCLUW

 

2.

Algona Garrigan

4-0, 51 points (1 No. 1 vote)

4-0, 51 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Fort Dodge St. Edmond, 52-0

This week: at No. 7 West Hancock

 

3.

Avoca AHSTW

4-0, 47 points

4-0, 47 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Martensdale-St. Marys, 65-8

This week: vs. Oakland Riverside

 

4.

Belmond-Klemme

4-0, 44 points

4-0, 44 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat North Butler, 49-6

This week: at West Fork

 

5.

Saint Ansgar

3-1, 24 points

3-1, 24 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Postville, 48-7

This week: vs. Nashua-Plainfield

 

6.

Hinton

4-0, 21 points

4-0, 21 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Logan-Magnolia, 31-14

This week: vs. Akron-Westfield

 

7.

West Hancock

3-1, 20 points

3-1, 20 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Forest City, 50-13

This week: vs. No. 2 Algona Garrigan

 

8.

North Tama

3-1, 17 points

3-1, 17 points

Last week: No. 7 | Lost to No. 1 Hudson, 24-21 (OT)

This week: at East Buchanan

 

9.

Southwest Valley

4-0, 13 points

4-0, 13 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat Clarinda, 20-16

This week: vs. Nodaway Valley

 

10.

Highland

4-0, 8 points

4-0, 8 points

Last week: NR | Beat Lisbon, 30-15

This week: vs. BGM

 

Dropped out: West Monona (10)

Others receiving votes: BGM 7, Wapsie Valley 6, Akron-Westfield 4, Edgewood-Colesburg 3, Sioux Central 3, Mason City Newman 2, Pekin 2

8-Player

1.

Don Bosco

4-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

4-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Janesville, 46-34

This week: at Tripoli

 

2.

Exira-EHK

4-0, 45 points

4-0, 45 points

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Glidden-Ralston, 51-20

This week: at Anita CAM

 

3.

Ar-We-Va

4-0, 43 points

4-0, 43 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Harris-Lake Park, 39-6

This week: vs. Remsen St. Mary's

 

4.

New London

4-0, 39 points

4-0, 39 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Lone Tree, 53-6

This week: vs. Tri-County

 

5.

Iowa Valley

5-0, 36 points

5-0, 36 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Winfield-Mount Union, 84-22

This week: idle

 

6.

Newell-Fonda

4-0, 31 points

4-0, 31 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Kingsley-Pierson, 27-26

This week: at River Valley

 

7.

Fremont-Mills

3-1, 22 points

3-1, 22 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Essex, 66-8

This week: at Griswold

 

8.

Southeast Warren

5-0, 18 points

5-0, 18 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Seymour/Moulton-Udell, 82-12

This week: vs. East Union

 

9.

Turkey Valley

4-0, 13 points

4-0, 13 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat Springville, 54-7

This week: at Central City

 

10.

Northwood-Kensett

4-0, 9 points

4-0, 9 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat North Iowa, 54-0

This week: at Riceville

 

Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: East Mills 5, Audubon 4, Glidden-Ralston 2, Midland 2, Central City 1