Iowa prep football rankings: Pella, Norwalk, Xavier share top spot in 3A

Who's No. 1? In Class 3A, three teams can claim that distinction after four weeks of football.

Pella and Cedar Rapids Xavier have joined Norwalk atop The Gazette's rankings this week.

Each team is 4-0, with two-time defending champion Pella garnering the most first-place votes (three). Norwalk received two, while Xavier, which owns perhaps the best win among the three (Class 1A No. 1 Iowa City Regina), has one.

Some separation should come eventually — Pella and Norwalk meet Oct. 7. Xavier will be heavily favored in its last five games.

There's no question who the No. 1 teams are in 4A, 2A and 1A. West Des Moines Valley, North Fayette Valley and Regina are again unanimous picks. Don Bosco is a solid No. 1 in 8-player while Gladbrook-Reinbeck holds onto the top spot in Class A.

No. 2 Saint Ansgar and No. 5 Council Bluffs St. Albert also got Class A No. 1 votes. Algona Garrigan moved down to No. 3, West Sioux is fourth.

Iowa City High made one of the biggest leaps of the week, moving from No. 10 to No. 6 in Class 4A after beating rival Iowa City West, which dropped four spots to No. 9. Waterloo West is a new entrant, tied for 10th with Waukee.

Washington (Iowa) dropped out of the Class 3A rankings following a 36-15 loss to Solon, which re-joined the poll at No. 10.

Cascade's second straight top-10 defeat was enough to move the Cougars out of the Class 2A rankings, where South Central Calhoun and Williamsburg grabbed the final two spots.

Ackley AGWSR fell from the 8-Player top 10 following a 54-12 defeat to Don Bosco.

CLASS 4A W-L PTS. PVS

1. West Des Moines Valley (6) 4-0 60 1

2. West Des Moines Dowling 3-1 54 2

3. Cedar Rapids Washington 4-0 46 3

4. Ankeny Centennial 4-0 42 4

5. Lewis Central 3-0 37 6

6. Iowa City High 3-1 25 10

7. Bettendorf 2-2 18 9

8. Muscatine 3-1 16 7

9. Iowa City West 3-1 15 5

10. Waukee 2-2 8 7

(tie) Waterloo West 4-0 8 —

Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: Cedar Rapids Prairie 1

CLASS 3A W-L PTS. PVS

1. Pella (3) 4-0 51 2

(tie) Norwalk (2) 4-0 51 1

(tie) Cedar Rapids Xavier (1) 4-0 51 2

4. Creston/Orient-Macksburg 4-0 41 4

5. Carroll 4-0 38 6

6. West Delaware 4-0 31 7

7. Gilbert 4-0 24 8

8. Glenwood 3-1 14 10

9. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 4-0 10 —

10. Solon 3-1 9 —

Dropped out: Washington (Iowa) (4), Ballard (9)

Others receiving votes: Clear Creek-Amana 6, Storm Lake 2, Washington (Iowa) 2

CLASS 2A W-L PTS. PVS

1. North Fayette Valley (6) 4-0 60 1

2. Union 4-0 51 2

3. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 3-1 41 4

(tie) New Hampton 4-0 41 4

5. Mount Vernon 2-2 32 5

6. Garner-Hayfield/Ventura 4-0 29 6

7. Waukon 3-1 24 7

8. Carroll Kuemper 3-1 17 9

9. South Central Calhoun 3-1 8 —

10. Williamsburg 3-1 7 —

Dropped out: Clarion CGD-CAL (8), Aplington-Parkersburg (10), Cascade (10)

Others receiving votes: Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 5, Dike-New Hartford 5, Monroe PCM 4, Cascade 3, Underwood 2, Roland-Story 1

CLASS 1A W-L PTS. PVS

1. Iowa City Regina (6) 3-1 60 1

2. Pella Christian 4-0 46 2

3. Hinton 4-0 41 3

4. West Lyon 4-0 34 4

5. Denver 4-0 33 4

(tie) Van Meter 4-0 33 6

7. Madrid 4-0 27 7

8. Western Christian 3-1 26 8

9. West Branch 3-1 20 9

10. Wilton 4-0 7 10

Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: Sigourney-Keota 2, Pleasantville 1

CLASS A W-L PTS. PVS

1. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (3) 4-0 51 1

2. Saint Ansgar (2) 4-0 49 3

3. Algona Garrigan 4-0 47 2

4. West Sioux 4-0 39 4

5. Council Bluffs St. Albert (1) 4-0 36 5

6. Lynnville-Sully 4-0 30 7

7. West Hancock 3-1 25 8

8. Lisbon 4-0 21 6

9. Hudson 4-0 10 10

(tie) Akron-Westfield 2-2 10 —

Dropped out: Mason City Newman (9)

Others receiving votes: Belle Plaine 9, Grundy Center 2, Wapsie Valley 1

8-PLAYER W-L PTS. PVS

1. Don Bosco (5) 4-0 59 1

2. Audubon 4-0 49 2

3. Fremont-Mills (1) 4-0 48 3

4. Lone Tree 5-0 38 4

5. Bedford 4-0 30 5

6. Turkey Valley 4-0 25 6

7. Coon Rapids-Bayard 3-1 23 7

8. Harris-Lake Park 4-0 21 9

9. Newell-Fonda 3-1 12 —

10. Ruthven GTRA 3-1 10 10

Dropped out: Ackley AGWSR (8)

Others receiving votes: Lenox 8, Midland 6, Ackley AGWSR 1