Iowa high school football rankings: The Gazette’s post-Week 1 poll

The Solon Spartans have moved a little closer to the top spot in the Class 3A list of this week’s Gazette high school football rankings.

Solon moved up a spot to No. 2 and grabbed a pair of 3A first-place votes this week after blistering West Liberty, 42-0, Friday. Harlan maintained the top slot despite dropping a last-minute decision to 4A No. 1 Lewis Central, 30-27, Thursday.

As is usually the case after Week 1, there is plenty of movement in this week’s poll, with 16 new teams entering in the seven classes.

But the No. 1 teams all remain the same — Ankeny (5A), Lewis Central (4A), Harlan (3A), Ida Grove OABCIG (2A), West Sioux (1A), West Hancock (Class A) and Remsen St. Mary’s (8-Player).

Ankeny maintains the top spot in 5A after handling Waukee, 26-7. The Hawks’ edge over No. 2 Southeast Polk is a single poll point (56-55). The defending state champion Rams move up a notch after topping West Des Moines Dowling, 38-24.

Pleasant Valley is No. 3, followed by Urbandale and West Des Moines Valley. Dowling slips four spots to No. 6.

Lewis Central earned all six first-place votes in 4A after coming from behind to beat Harlan. The next four teams — Waverly-Shell Rock, Bondurant-Farrar, Cedar Rapids Xavier and Indianola — are separated by a mere four poll points.

The top two preseason teams in 3A — Harlan and Sergeant Bluff-Luton — both lost last week; SBL dropped a 17-14 verdict to Le Mars.

Solon, meanwhile, won convincingly and passed SBL and gained on Harlan. The Spartans host Highway 1 rival Mount Vernon in their annual rivalry game this week.

Humboldt climbs to No. 3 in 3A. Adel ADM is fourth, with Davenport Assumption and Nevada sharing the No. 5 spot.

The top four remain the same in 2A after lopsided opening-week wins. OABCIG snagged four first-place votes; No. 2 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock garnered the other two. Williamsburg and West Marshall remain at 3 and 4, and defending champion Southeast Valley climbs to fifth.

Class 1A leader West Sioux was a 38-18 victor over Hartley HMS last week and remains a unanimous No. 1 in that class. Dike-New Hartford and Dyersville Beckman continue to share the No. 2 spot, then Van Meter and Pella Christian round out the top five.

Van Meter hosts Williamsburg in a 1A/2A top-five showdown Friday.

Four teams split the No. 1 votes in Class A, with defending champion and top-ranked West Hancock claiming three after a 32-8 victory over Garner GHV. No. 2 Woodbury Central, No. 3 Lynnville-Sully and No. 5 HMS earned one first-place vote apiece. Grundy Center moves up five spots to No. 4.

Remsen St. Mary’s was a 42-7 victor over Harris-Lake Park in its opener and remains a unanimous 8-Player No. 1. WACO moves into the No. 2 position, and Don Bosco is up four spots to third after knocking off former second-ranked Easton Valley, 34-30.

Lenox and Newell-Fonda complete the 8-Player top five.

The Gazette high school football poll, post-Week 1

(First-place votes in parentheses)

CLASS 5A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Ankeny (3) 1-0 56 1

2. Southeast Polk (2) 1-0 55 4

3. Pleasant Valley (1) 1-0 49 3

4. Urbandale 1-0 40 5

5. West Des Moines Valley 1-0 34 7

6. West Des Moines Dowling 0-1 32 2

7. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1-0 20 8

8. Cedar Falls 1-0 15 —

9. Linn-Mar1-0 8 —

10. Sioux City East 2-0 7 —

Dropped out: Iowa City High (6), Cedar Rapids Prairie (9), Waukee Northwest (10).

Others receiving votes: Iowa City High 5, Dubuque Senior 4, Des Moines Roosevelt 3, Waukee Northwest 2.

CLASS 4A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Lewis Central (6) 2-0 60 1

2. Waverly-Shell Rock 1-0 45 2

3. Bondurant-Farrar 1-0 43 4

4. Cedar Rapids Xavier 1-0 42 5

5. Indianola 1-0 41 3

6. Norwalk 1-0 28 7

7. North Scott 1-0 27 8

8. Iowa City Liberty 1-0 22 —

9. Cedar Rapids Washington 1-0 14 9

T-10. Clear Creek Amana 1-0 2 —

T-10. Le Mars 1-0 2 —

T-10. Webster City 0-1 2 6

Dropped out: Fort Dodge (10).

Others receiving votes: Carlisle 1, Glenwood 1.

CLASS 3A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Harlan (4) 0-1 57 1

2. Solon (2) 1-0 54 3

3. Humboldt 1-0 47 5

4. Adel ADM 1-0 40 4

T-5. Davenport Assumption 1-0 30 10

T-5. Nevada 1-0 30 6

7. North Polk 1-0 19 —

8. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 0-1 13 2

9. Creston 1-0 9 —

10. Independence 1-1 8 6

Dropped out: Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (8), West Delaware (8).

Others receiving votes: Benton Community 6, DeWitt Central 6, Algona 4, Hampton-Dumont/CAL 4, Ballard 1, Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 1, Carroll 1.

CLASS 2A W-L Pts. Pvs

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

2. Central Lyon-GLR (2) 1-0 53 2

3. Williamsburg 1-0 46 3

4. West Marshall 1-0 41 4

5. Southeast Valley 1-0 27 7

6. Dubuque Wahlert 1-0 22 —

7. North Fayette Valley 1-0 17 9

8. New Hampton 1-0 15 10

9. Spirit Lake 1-0 13 —

10. Estherville ELC 1-0 12 —

Dropped out: West Lyon (5), Monticello (6), Unity Christian (8).

Others receiving votes: Clear Lake 9, Clarion CGD 8, Waukon 4, Greene County 2, Northeast 1, Unity Christian 1, Waukon 1.

CLASS 1A W-L Pts. Pvs

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

T-2. Dike-New Hartford 1-0 43 2

T-2. Dyersville Beckman 1-0 43 2

4. Van Meter 1-0 40 4

5. Pella Christian 1-0 36 5

6. Underwood 1-1 27 7

7. West Branch 1-0 23 8

8. Denver 1-0 22 9

9. Aplington-Parkersburg 1-0 15 9

10. Western Christian 1-0 5 —

Dropped out: Iowa City Regina (6).

Others receiving votes: Cascade 4, Iowa City Regina 4, South Central Calhoun 4, Mediapolis 2, Panorama 2.

CLASS A W-L Pts. Pvs

1. West Hancock (3) 1-0 54 1

2. Woodbury Central (1) 1-0 48 3

3. Lynnville-Sully (1) 1-0 41 6

4. Grundy Center 1-0 34 9

5. Hartley HMS (1) 0-1 24 2

6. East Buchanan 1-0 23 —

7. Le Mars Gehlen 1-0 22 8

8. South O’Brien 1-0 20 —

9. Wapsie Valley 0-1 16 5

10. Mount Ayr 1-0 13 —

Dropped out: North Linn (4), Logan-Magnolia (7), Tri-Center (10).

Others receiving votes: Alburnett 9, Avoca AHSTW 9, Mason City Newman 8, North Union 4, Westwood 3, North Linn 1, North Tama 1.

8-PLAYER W-L Pts. Pvs

1. Remsen St. Mary’s (6) 1-0 60 1

2. WACO 2-0 41 4

3. Don Bosco 1-0 40 7

4. Lenox 1-0 32 5

5. Newell-Fonda 1-0 30 3

6. Anita CAM 1-0 26 6

7. Easton Valley 0-1 20 2

8. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 1-0 19 9

9. Turkey Valley 1-0 16 8

10. Winfield-Mount Union 2-0 15 —

Dropped out: Ruthven GTRA (10).

Others receiving votes: BGM 9, Ruthven GTRA 8, West Bend-Mallard 6, Algona Garrigan 2, Exira-EHK 2, West Harrison 2, Baxter 1, Fremont-Mills 1.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com