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

This was unavoidable.

With the long roster of Week 1 football games throughout the state, massive change in The Gazette’s football poll was inevitable.

Seventeen new teams entered the poll this week, including four each in the largest class (5A) and the smallest (8-player).

All of the seven preseason No. 1 teams — Southeast Polk, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Mount Vernon, Van Meter, Grundy Center, West Hancock and Gladbrook-Reinbeck — got through the first week unscathed, but in some cases, it wasn’t easy.

Southeast Polk survived a 24-18 scare against West Des Moines Valley in its opener, and retains its top billing in 5A. The top five teams in the big-school class (SEP, West Des Moines Dowling, Johnston, Valley and Ankeny) all hail from Central Iowa suburbia.

The next three are Metro squads: Linn-Mar, Cedar Rapids Prairie and Cedar Rapids Kennedy are 6-7-8.

Linn-Mar whipped Dubuque Senior, 64-7, last week. Prairie knocked off then-No. 3 Cedar Falls, 20-17. Kennedy was competitive in a 38-21 Saturday-night loss to Dowling.

The reigning 4A champion, Xavier had no difficulty with Waverly-Shell Rock in a 41-6 road win, the Saints’ 14th victory in a row. Xavier has another challenge Friday, against 3A No. 2 Williamsburg.

Xavier is followed by Lewis Central and Adel ADM (tied for second), then North Scott and North Polk, and last of which zoomed up five spots after taking down previous No. 2 Bondurant-Farrar, 43-39.

The top six in 3A are nearly identical to last week.

Mount Vernon stays No. 1 after beating Monticello, 35-6, and Williamsburg is on the Mustangs’ heels with an impressive win against West Branch, 42-14. Despite a 21-20 loss to Lewis Central, Harlan stays at 3, then Nevada and Webster City exchange spots at 4 and 5.

Van Meter held off Underwood, 21-14, in its season debut and owns a 56-54 poll-points lead over Central Lyon-GLR atop the 2A pack. Both teams received three first-place votes.

Spirit Lake, Western Christian and West Lyon round out the top five.

Grundy Center is a unanimous No. 1 in Class 1A after squeaking past Dike-New Hartford, 7-6. MFL MarMac leapfrogs Underwood for the No. 2 slot, with Avoca AHSTW and Waterloo Columbus completing the top five.

Grundy faces another neighborhood challenge this week, hosting No. 8 Aplington-Parkersburg.

West Hancock was dominant in its opener, a 55-6 whipping of Garner GHV. Lynnville-Sully and Woodbury Central share the No. 2 slot in Class A, with Saint Ansgar up six spots after tripping 2A top-10 Osage.

East Buchanan is down two slots to No. 5 after losing in overtime to Sumner-Fredericksburg.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck lived up to its top billing in 8-player, downing perennial power Don Bosco, 34-21. Winfield-Mount Union joined Anita CAM in a second-place tie after rallying past Central City, 44-36.

Lenox is fourth; Remsen St. Mary’s and WACO are tied for fifth.

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

(First-place votes in parentheses)

CLASS 5A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Southeast Polk (5) 1-0 59 1

2. West Des Moines Dowling (1) 1-0 53 2

3. Johnston 1-0 47 4

4. West Des Moines Valley 0-1 29 5

5. Ankeny 1-0 25 —

6. Linn-Mar 1-0 24 10

7. Cedar Rapids Prairie 1-0 21 —

8. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 0-1 17 6

T-9. Bettendorf 1-0 14 —

T-9. Waukee 1-0 14 —

Dropped out: Cedar Falls (3), Iowa City High (7), Pleasant Valley (8), Waukee Northwest (9).

Others receiving votes: Waukee Northwest 12, Iowa City High 8, Ankeny Centennial 5, Cedar Falls 2.

CLASS 4A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (3) 1-0 57 1

T-2. Adel ADM (1) 1-0 49 4

T-2. Lewis Central (2) 1-0 49 2

4. North Scott 1-0 43 5

5. North Polk 1-0 35 10

6. Western Dubuque 1-0 31 6

7. Glenwood 1-0 22 7

8. Bondurant-Farrar 0-1 21 2

9. Indianola 1-0 8 —

10. Norwalk 1-0 4 —

Dropped out: Newton (8), Waverly-Shell Rock (8).

Others receiving votes: Ballard 3, Le Mars 3, Gilbert 2, Waverly-Shell Rock 2.

CLASS 3A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Mount Vernon (4) 1-0 57 1

2. Williamsburg (1) 1-0 54 2

3. Harlan (1) 0-1 39 3

4. Nevada 1-0 36 5

5. Webster City 1-0 32 4

6. Humboldt 1-0 23 6

7. Davenport Assumption 1-0 20 —

8. Clear Lake 1-0 16 9

9. Creston 1-0 11 9

10. Hampton-Dumont/CAL 1-0 10 8

Dropped out: Solon (7), Independence (9).

Others receiving votes: Independence 8, Carroll 7, Sioux City Heelan 6, Fort Madison 5, Sioux Center 4, Benton Community 1, Dubuque Wahlert 1.

CLASS 2A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Van Meter (3) 1-0 56 1

2. Central Lyon-GLR (3) 1-0 54 2

3. Spirit Lake 1-0 48 3

4. Western Christian 1-0 40 4

5. West Lyon 1-0 36 6

6. Monroe PCM 1-0 19 —

7. Monticello 0-1 16 7

8. Mediapolis 1-0 15 —

T-9. Carroll Kuemper 0-1 11 7

T-9. Greene County 0-1 11 5

Dropped out: Osage (9), West Marshall (10).

Others receiving votes: Northeast 4, Unity Christian 4, Clarinda 3, Southeast Valley 3, Clarion CGD 2, Osage 2, West Marshall 2.

CLASS 1A W-L Pts Pvs

1. Grundy Center (6) 1-0 60 1

2. MFL MarMac 1-0 54 3

3. Underwood 0-1 47 2

4. Avoca AHSTW 1-0 31 6

5. Waterloo Columbus 1-0 29 6

6. South Hamilton 1-0 26 5

7. Iowa City Regina 1-0 22 8

8. Aplington-Parkersburg 1-0 18 10

9. Pella Christian 1-0 10 —

10. Ida Grove OABCIG 1-0 7 —

Dropped out: Sigourney-Keota (4), West Branch (9).

Others receiving votes: Sumner-Fredericksburg 6, Dike-New Hartford 5, Denver 4, Sigourney-Keota 3, Wilton 3, Pleasantville 2, Treynor 2, West Branch 1.

CLASS A W-L Pts Pvs

1. West Hancock (5) 1-0 59 1

T-2. Lynnville-Sully 1-0 49 4

T-2. Woodbury Central (1) 1-0 49 2

4. Saint Ansgar 1-0 32 10

5. East Buchanan 0-1 30 3

6. Southwest Valley 1-0 26 6

7. Madrid 1-0 21 7

8. Nashua-Plainfield 1-0 19 8

9. North Linn 1-0 10 —

10. Maquoketa Valley 1-0 8 —

Dropped out: Columbus Community (5), Le Mars Gehlen (9).

Others receiving votes: Columbus Community 7, Lake Mills 5, Mount Ayr 5, Guthrie Center ACGC 2, Lisbon 2, Logan-Magnolia 2, Wapsie Valley 2, Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley 1.

8-PLAYER W-L Pts Pvs

1. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (4) 1-0 57 1

T-2. Anita CAM (1) 1-0 49 2

T-2. Winfield-Mount Union 1-0 49 4

4. Lenox 1-0 34 9

T-5. Remsen St. Mary’s (1) 1-0 30 8

T-5. WACO 1-0 30 10

7. Central City 0-1 29 3

8. Montezuma 2-0 21 —

9. Bedford 1-0 14 —

T-10. Iowa Valley 2-0 4 —

T-10. Ruthven GTRA 1-0 4 —

Dropped out: Southeast Warren (5), Moravia (6), Fremont-Mills (7).

Others receiving votes: Turkey Valley 3, Don Bosco 2, Easton Valley 2, Fremont-Mills 1, Southeast Warren 1.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com