4A East's big 3: Xavier, West, PV

 It's looking more likely by the week that the east side of the state will have three unbeaten Class 4A teams at the end of the regular season.Cedar Rapids Xavier and Pleasant Valley improved to 4-0 with convincing wins last week, while Iowa City West stayed perfect by rallying past Cedar Rapids Prairie.The east-side trio holds down three of the top four spots in The Gazette's rankings.Xavier, which has posted three straight shutouts (including 38-0 over Dubuque Wahlert last week), has been No. 1 all season. West Des Moines Dowling remains second after coming from behind to beat Urbandale. Then it's West and Pleasant Valley.The other No. 1s remain the same from last week. Sioux City Heelan (3A), Iowa City Regina (1A) and Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton (Eight-Man) are unanimous; Waukon (2A) and BGM (Class A) are the other top teams.Xavier has won 13 straight regular-season games and appears to face two legitimate road blocks the rest of the way -- this week at Cedar Rapids Kennedy (3-1) and Oct. 18 at home against Cedar Falls (3-1).West has a couple challenges left, against Dubuque Hempstead and Iowa City High, both 3-1, in Weeks 7 and 8.Pleasant Valley already has handled its two toughest competitors in the Mississippi Athletic Conference (Davenport Assumption and Bettendorf). Regina won its 46th straight game Friday, handling Eddyville EBF, 42-12. The Regals host Cardinal in a homecoming contest this week.Waukon still hasn't allowed a defensive touchdown, and BGM is averaging 59.3 points per game.  

THE GAZETTE WEEKLY FOOTBALL POLL

Week 4, Sept. 23

(First-place votes in parentheses)

Class 4A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (4)

4-0

40

1

2. West Des Moines Dowling

4-0

36 

2

3. Iowa City West

4-0

32 

3

4. Pleasant Valley

4-0

26

5

5. Urbandale

3-1

24

4

6. Ames

4-0

22

6

7. Waukee

3-1

10

9

8. Davenport Assumption

3-1

8

--

9. Bettendorf

3-1

5

8

(tie) Indianola

4-0

5 

--

Dropped out: Cedar Falls (7), Ankeny Centennial (10).

Others receiving votes: Southeast Polk 4, Sioux City East 3, West Des Moines Valley 3, Cedar Falls 2. 

Class 3A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Sioux City Heelan (4)

4-0

40

1

2. Spencer

4-0

34

2T

3. Decorah

4-0

33

2T

4. Clear Lake

4-0

28

5T

5. Pella

4-0

24

5T

6. Webster City

4-0

16

8

7. Boone

4-0

14

10

8. Williamsburg

3-1

13

9

9. Harlan

3-1

8

4

10. Washington

3-1

5 

--

Dropped out: Grinnell (7).

Others receiving votes: Carroll 3, Humboldt 1, West Delaware 1. 

Class 2A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Waukon (3)

4-0

39

1

2. Carroll Kuemper (1)

4-0

37 

2

3. West Marshall

4-0

32 

3

4. Spirit Lake

4-0

26 

4T

(tie) Union

4-0

26 

4T

6. Albia

4-0

19 

6

7. Mediapolis

4-0

13

7

(tie) New Hampton

4-0

13 

8

9. North Polk

4-0

8

10

10. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley

3-1

6 

--

Dropped out: Garner-Hayfield/Ventura (9).

Others receiving votes: Garner-Hayfield/Ventura 1, Sheldon 1. 

Class 1A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Iowa City Regina (4)

4-0

40

1

2. Dike-New Hartford

4-0

34

2T

3. Council Bluffs St. Albert

4-0

33 

2T

4. South Winneshiek

4-0

28

4

5. Wilton

4-0

22 

5

6. Mount Ayr

4-0

21 

6

7. Maquoketa Valley

4-0

16 

7

8. Van Meter

4-0

11

9

9. Fort Dodge St. Edmond

4-0

7

--

(tie) North Fayette Valley

4-0

7

10

Dropped out: Saint Ansgar (8).

Others receiving votes: North Cedar 1. 

Class A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. BGM (3)

4-0

39

1

2. West Lyon (1)

4-0

37 

2

3. Wapsie Valley

4-0

31 

3

4. Ackley AGWSR

5-0

29

4

5. Montezuma

4-0

23 

5

6. Avoca AHST

4-0

18

7

7. East Mills

4-0

14

9T

8. Lawton-Bronson

3-1

11 

--

9. Lisbon

2-2

9 

--

10. Pekin

3-1

8 

--

Dropped out: Akron-Westfield (6), Woodward-Granger (8), Logan-Magnolia (9).

Others receiving votes: Belmond-Klemme 1. 

Eight Man

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton (4)

4-0

40

1

2. Don Bosco

5-0

32 

2

(tie) Newell-Fonda

4-0

32 

3

4. Glidden-Ralston

4-0

28

4

5. Adair-Casey

5-0

24 

5

6. Springville

5-0

20

6

7. West Bend-Mallard

5-0

17 

7

8. Murray

4-1

12 

8

9. River Valley

4-0

5

9T

10. HLV

4-1

4 

9T

Dropped out: Coon Rapids-Bayard (9), Easton Valley (9).

Others receiving votes: Coon Rapids-Bayard 3, Easton Valley 3.