Gazette boys' basketball poll: Western Christian ascends to top of Class 2A

CEDAR RAPIDS — No boys' basketball team in the state has been more dominant of late than the Western Christian Wolfpack.

Make that the top-ranked Western Christian Wolfpack. They moved to the top of The Gazette's Class 2A poll this week, the only change at No. 1.

North Linn (13-0) remains top ranked in Class 1A, Waverly-Shell Rock (12-0) in 3A and Iowa City West (10-1) in 4A.

Western Christian (11-1) lost its third game of the season to Class 3A Spirit Lake, 64-59, but has rattled off nine straight wins since then. In their last seven games, the Wolfpack have won by an average of 32.7 points.

That's being dominant.

Previous No. 1 Pella Christian (12-2) lost last week to Oskaloosa and dropped to third in 2A. Carroll Kuemper (11-1) moved up from third to second.

Dyersville Beckman (10-3) toppled previously unbeaten Cascade (13-1) this past Saturday and enters the 2A rankings at eighth. The Blazers' three losses are to 3A teams, including ranked clubs from West Delaware and Mount Vernon.

West Delaware (12-0) is a solid second to Waverly-Shell Rock in the 3A poll. Mount Vernon (9-3) is sixth.

North Linn is one of eight unbeaten teams left in the state. Three others are in the 1A poll: Ar-We-Va (fourth), Remsen St. Mary's (third) and Murray (ninth).

Iowa City West had an impressive week last week, beating Bettendorf by 12 points and avenging its only loss by stomping Cedar Rapids Prairie, 74-50. Bettendorf is eighth in this week's 4A poll.

The class remains a free-for-all, as eight of the top 10 in last week's poll lost at least once. Cedar Rapids Kennedy lost twice and went from second to out.

Below are the entire rankings, with last week's rating in parentheses.

CLASS 4A

1. Iowa City West 10-1 (1)

2. Dubuque Senior 10-2 (3)

3. Cedar Falls 9-3 (8)

4. Sioux City East 12-1 (4)

5. West Des Moines Dowling 10-3 (9)

6. Des Moines Hoover 10-3 (NR)

7. Waukee 11-3 (5)

8. Bettendorf 10-3 (6)

9. North Scott 9-3 (NR)

10. Council Bluffs Lincoln 10-1 (NR)

CLASS 3A

1. Waverly-Shell Rock 12-0 (1)

2. West Delaware 13-0 (2)

3. Pella 13-1 (3)

4. Mount Pleasant 12-2 (4)

5. Sioux City Heelan 8-3 (9)

6. Mount Vernon 9-3 (7)

7. Dallas Center-Grimes 10-3 (5)

8. Davenport Assumption 8-5 (10)

9. Storm Lake 10-3 (NR)

10. Atlantic 9-4 (NR)

CLASS 2A

1. Western Christian 11-1 (2)

2. Carroll Kuemper 11-1 (3)

3. Pella Christian 12-2 (1)

4. Osage 14-0 (5)

5. Van Meter 13-0 (5)

6. South Hamilton 12-1 (7)

7. Garner GHV 14-1 (8)

8. Dyersville Beckman 10-3 (NR)

9. Cascade 13-1 (4)

10. Camanche 14-1 (9)

CLASS 1A

1. North Linn 13-0 (1)

2. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 10-2 (2)

3. Remsen St. Mary's 12-0 (3)

4. Ar-We-Ve 15-0 (3)

5. New London 12-1 (3)

6. Grand View Christian 12-1 (6)

7. Lynnville-Sully 15-1 (7)

8. West Hancock 11-2 (NR)

9. Murray 13-0 (9)

10. Don Bosco 13-1 (10)

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com