Iowa high school football rankings: Xavier, Hudson are wire-to-wire No. 1 teams

For Cedar Rapids Xavier and Hudson, nine weeks changed nothing.

No. 1 at the beginning of the regular season, No. 1 at the end.

Xavier and Hudson concluded wire-to-wire stays as the top-ranked teams in their respective classes in the Gazette/KGYM high-school football poll.

The defending Class 3A state champion, Xavier extended its winning streak to 22 games. The Saints won all nine of their games by 33 points or more, and open postseason play Friday at home against Pella, the team they vanquished for the state title last year.

Hudson has been the top-rated team all season in Class A. The Pirates were state runners-up last year.

» Iowa high school football playoffs: 2018 brackets

West Des Moines Valley (4A), Monroe PCM (2A), Dike-New Hartford (1A) and Ar-We-Va (8-Player) are the other top-rated teams in the final poll.

Valley has blanked its last three opponents, five of its last seven. The Tigers are followed in the big-school class by Ankeny Centennial, Cedar Falls and West Des Moines Dowling. Bettendorf and Iowa City West are tied for fifth.

Xavier and Lewis Central have been 1-2 all season in 3A. They have been the class of the class, and are likely combatants in the UNI-Dome, in the semifinals of championship game. North Scott, Solon and Sergeant Bluff-Luton round out the top five.

PCM hasn't faced a serious test; the Mustangs' closest game was 29-6 against West Marshall in Week 2. Like Xavier, PCM is a unanimous No. 1 and is the only unbeaten in 2A. The Mustangs are followed by Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, Waukon, Benton Community and Southeast Valley.

Dike-New Hartford denied Iowa City Regina its 15th straight playoff berth by winning the district title, 56-28, Friday at Iowa City. West Sioux is second, then it's Van Meter, South Central Calhoun and Bellevue.

Unlike most of the top-rated teams, Hudson has survived some close calls, notably an overtime decision over North Tama and a 24-20 verdict against Wapsie Valley. Algona Garrigan is ranked No. 2, followed by Avoca AHSTW, North Tama and Edgewood-Colesburg.

Unbeatens Ar-We-Va and Iowa Valley are 1-2 in 8-Player. Iowa Valley survived a tough test from HLV on Friday before holding on, 32-30. Don Bosco, Fremont-Mills and Southeast Warren conclude the top five.

Class 4A

1.

West Des Moines Valley

9-0, 59 points (5 No. 1 votes)

9-0, 59 points (5 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Des Moines North, 69-0

First round: vs. Ankeny

 

2.

Ankeny Centennial

9-0, 51 points

9-0, 51 points

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Sioux City West, 61-0

First round: vs. Southeast Polk

 

3.

Cedar Falls

9-0, 50 points (1 No. 1 vote)

9-0, 50 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 3 | Beat No. 9 Cedar Rapids Prairie, 28-14

First round: vs. Indianola

 

4.

West Des Moines Dowling

7-2, 38 points

7-2, 38 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Sioux City North, 74-20

First round: vs. No. 9 Fort Dodge

 

5.

Bettendorf

8-1, 32 points

8-1, 32 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Davenport Central, 28-7

First round: vs. Pleasant Valley

 

5.

Iowa City West

8-1, 32 points

8-1, 32 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Iowa City High, 54-13

First round: vs. Cedar Rapids Kennedy

 

7.

Waukee

7-2, 26 points

7-2, 26 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat No. 5 Johnston, 31-30

First round: vs. Urbandale

 

8.

Johnston

7-2, 24 points

7-2, 24 points

Last week: No. 5 | Lost to No. 8 Waukee, 31-30

First round: vs. No. 9 Cedar Rapids Prairie

 

9.

Cedar Rapids Prairie

7-2, 9 points

7-2, 9 points

Last week: No. 9 | Lost to No. 3 Cedar Falls, 28-14

First round: at No. 8 Johnston

 

9.

Fort Dodge

7-2, 9 points

7-2, 9 points

Last week: NR | Beat Marshalltown, 46-6

First round: at No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling

 

Dropped out: Indianola (10)

Others receiving votes: none

Class 3A

1.

Cedar Rapids Xavier

9-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

9-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Marion, 51-0

First round: vs. No. 7 Pella

 

2.

Lewis Central

9-0, 54 points

9-0, 54 points

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Adel ADM, 52-7

First round: vs. Carroll

 

3.

North Scott

8-1, 43 points

8-1, 43 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Davenport Assumption, 48-14

First round: vs. No. 9 Waverly-Shell Rock

 

4.

Solon

9-0, 42 points

9-0, 42 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Fairfield, 57-14

First round: vs. No. 8 Western Dubuque

 

5.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton

8-1, 40 points

8-1, 40 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Storm Lake, 21-12

First round: vs. Sioux City Heelan

 

6.

Oskaloosa

8-1, 26 points

8-1, 26 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat South Tama, 63-21

First round: vs. No. 10 Harlan

 

7.

Pella

8-1, 20 points

8-1, 20 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Grinnell, 43-14

First round: at No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier

 

8.

Western Dubuque

7-2, 16 points

7-2, 16 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat Maquoketa, 58-8

First round: at No. 4 Solon

 

9.

Waverly-Shell Rock

8-1, 11 points

8-1, 11 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Charles City, 47-0

First round: at No. 3 North Scott

 

10.

Decorah

7-2, 6 points

7-2, 6 points

Last week: NR | Beat Independence, 45-8

First round: vs. Clear Creek Amana

 

10.

Harlan

7-2, 6 points

7-2, 6 points

Last week: NR | Beat Winterset, 28-0

First round: at No. 6 Oskaloosa

 

Dropped out: Sioux City Heelan (6)

Others receiving votes: Clear Creek Amana 4, Spencer 1

Class 2A

1.

Monroe PCM

9-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

9-0, 60 points (6 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Centerville, 69-18

First round: vs. Carroll Kuemper

 

2.

Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley

8-1, 54 points

8-1, 54 points

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Sioux Center, 48-6

First round: vs. No. 8 Spirit Lake

 

3.

Waukon

8-1, 48 points

8-1, 48 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat North Fayette Valley, 40-22

First round: vs. Union Community

 

4.

Benton Community

8-1, 35 points

8-1, 35 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Vinton-Shellsburg, 43-21

First round: vs. No. 10 Greene County

 

5.

Southeast Valley

7-2, 33 points

7-2, 33 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat No. 3 Algona, 42-41

First round: vs. Ida Grove OABCIG

 

6.

Algona

8-1, 26 points

8-1, 26 points

Last week: No. 3 | Lost to No. 7 Southeast Valley, 42-41

First round: at Crestwood

 

7.

Chariton

8-1, 17 points

8-1, 17 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Clarke, 49-20

First round: at West Liberty

 

8.

Spirit Lake

7-2, 15 points

7-2, 15 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Garner GHV, 50-20

First round: at No. 2 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley

 

9.

West Marshall

7-2, 14 points

7-2, 14 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat No. 5 Union Community, 26-16

First round: at Williamsburg

 

10.

Greene County

8-1, 11 points

8-1, 11 points

Last week: NR | Beat Ida Grove OABCIG, 49-6

First round: at No. 4 Benton Community

 

Dropped out: Union Community (5)

Others receiving votes: Clear Lake 7, Williamsburg 5, Crestwood 2, Union Community 2, West Liberty 1

Class 1A

1.

Dike-New Hartford

9-0, 56 points (4 No. 1 votes)

9-0, 56 points (4 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Iowa City Regina, 56-28

First round: vs. South Hamilton

 

2.

West Sioux

8-1, 54 points (1 No. 1 vote)

8-1, 54 points (1 No. 1 vote)

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

First round: vs. No. 10 Treynor

 

3.

Van Meter

9-0, 47 points (1 No. 1 vote)

9-0, 47 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Clarinda, 49-7

First round: vs. Sumner-Fredericksburg

 

4.

South Central Calhoun

9-0, 42 points

9-0, 42 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Pocahontas Area, 42-2

First round: vs. No. 9 West Lyon

 

5.

Bellevue

9-0, 37 points

9-0, 37 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Cascade, 19-7

First round: vs. Mediapolis

 

6.

West Branch

8-1, 29 points

8-1, 29 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Dyersville Beckman, 48-24

First round: at Osage

 

7.

Interstate 35

9-0, 26 points

9-0, 26 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat No. 9 Pella Christian, 21-18

First round: vs. Mount Ayr

 

8.

Wilton

8-1, 19 points

8-1, 19 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Van Buren, 60-0

First round: vs. Pella Christian

 

9.

West Lyon

7-2, 11 points

7-2, 11 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Western Christian, 27-6

First round: at No. 4 South Central Calhoun

 

10.

Treynor

8-1, 5 points

8-1, 5 points

Last week: NR | Beat Cherokee, 35-20

First round: at No. 2 West Sioux

 

Dropped out: Pella Christian (9)

Others receiving votes: Mediapolis 2, Osage 1, Pella Christian 1

Class A

1.

Hudson

9-0, 58 points (5 No. 1 votes)

9-0, 58 points (5 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat East Buchanan, 42-20

First round: vs. Lynnville-Sully

 

2.

Algona Garrigan

9-0, 53 points (1 No. 1 vote)

9-0, 53 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Graettinger GTRA, 35-6

First round: vs. No. 7 Wapsie Valley

 

3.

Avoca AHSTW

9-0, 51 points

9-0, 51 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Council Bluffs St. Albert, 19-14

First round: vs. Alta-Aurelia

 

4.

North Tama

8-1, 40 points

8-1, 40 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Conrad BCLUW, 52-0

First round: at Mason City Newman

 

5.

Edgewood-Colesburg

8-1, 32 points

8-1, 32 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Clayton Ridge, 41-14

First round: vs. BGM

 

6.

West Hancock

7-2, 17 points

7-2, 17 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat No. 4 Belmond-Klemme, 22-13

First round: at Hinton

 

7.

Wapsie Valley

7-2, 15 points

7-2, 15 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Grundy Center, 14-7

First round: at No. 2 Algona Garrigan

 

8.

Westwood

8-1, 13 points

8-1, 13 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Lawton-Bronson, 14-8

First round: vs. Akron-Westfield

 

9.

Belmond-Klemme

7-2, 12 points

7-2, 12 points

Last week: No. 4 | Lost to No. 9 West Hancock, 22-13

Did not qualify for playoffs

 

10.

Durant

7-2, 11 points

7-2, 11 points

Last week: NR | Beat Pekin, 35-7

First round: vs. Highland

 

Dropped out: Sioux Central (9)

Others receiving votes: Hinton 8, BGM 6, Akron-Westfield 5, Mason City Newman 5, Lynnville-Sully 4

8-Player

1.

Ar-We-Va

9-0, 59 points (5 No. 1 votes)

9-0, 59 points (5 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat River Valley, 52-0

First round: vs. No. 9 Northwood-Kensett

 

2.

Iowa Valley

9-0, 51 points (1 No. 1 vote)

9-0, 51 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 3 | Beat HLV, 32-30

First round: vs. Midland

 

3.

Don Bosco

8-1, 42 points

8-1, 42 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Riceville, 50-12

First round: vs. No. 10 Central City

 

4.

Fremont-Mills

8-1, 39 points

8-1, 39 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Stanton, 70-18

First round: vs. Lenox

 

5.

Southeast Warren

10-0, 30 points

10-0, 30 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Lamoni, 65-22

First round: vs. No. 8 Newell-Fonda

 

6.

New London

8-1, 28 points

8-1, 28 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Montezuma, 69-20

First round: at Gladbrook-Reinbeck

 

7.

Exira-EHK

8-1, 24 points

8-1, 24 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Coon Rapids-Bayard, 54-21

First round: vs. Stanton

 

8.

Newell-Fonda

8-1, 20 points

8-1, 20 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat West Bend-Mallard, 24-16

First round: at No. 5 Southeast Warren

 

9.

Northwood-Kensett

8-1, 18 points

8-1, 18 points

Last week: No. 2 | Lost to Rockford, 36-26

First round: at No. 1 Ar-We-Va

 

10.

Central City

8-1, 7 points

8-1, 7 points

Last week: NR | Beat Springville, 63-22

First round: at No. 3 Don Bosco

 

Dropped out: Midland (10)

Others receiving votes: Turkey Valley 4, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 3, Midland 3, Rockford 2