Xavier, Regina, BGM open at No. 1

 Three consecutive state championships. A win streak of 42 straight games. And a lot coming back.Yeah, you could say Iowa City Regina was an easy choice for No. 1. Unanimous, even.The Regals join Cedar Rapids Xavier and BGM as top-ranked area teams in The Gazette's inaugural preseason football poll, released today.It's a new undertaking for The Gazette staff, but one deemed necessary after the newspaper cut ties with the Associated Press.Voting in the poll are prep writers Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher, Jeremiah Davis and Jeff Linder.The four largest classes are led by parochial schools.The 4A state runner-up last year (it dropped a 23-17 decision to Ankeny in the title game), Xavier received three No. 1 votes to lead the 4A list.Xavier was 13-1 last season and returns the majority of a defense that allowed just 8.6 points per game. Matt Nelson, a University of Iowa commitment, is a returning first-team all-state defensive end.West Des Moines Dowling is No. 2, followed by Iowa City West.Sioux City Heelan is the top-ranked team in 3A. The Crusaders were 12-2 and state runners-up last year. Grinnell is second, with defending champion Decorah at No. 3.Carroll Kuemper got the nod in 2A after a 12-1, state-semifinalist season in 2012. Waukon (9-3) returns four all-staters and is rated second; Dyersville Beckman (11-2) is No. 3 behind a prolific passing attack.Regina has not tasted defeat yet this decade, and is chasing the state's all-time record of 56 games without a loss. The Regals outscored their opposition by an average of 41-10 last year, and bring back running back Riley Dixon, among many other veterans. Dike-New Hartford (12-1) and Council Bluffs St. Albert (12-2) fell to the Regals in the final two rounds of the playoffs and start this season at Nos. 2 and 3.The tightest race for No. 1 is in Class A, where BGM edged West Lyon by a 34-33 margin. BGM (10-3) advanced to the state semifinals last year, while West Lyon (9-2) was bumped in the second round. Defending champion Wapsie Valley (14-0) and Lisbon (9-2) share the No. 3 ranking.Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton assumes the top spot in Eight Man after posting a 12-1 mark and advancing to the semifinals last year. Last year's runner-up, Don Bosco (12-1) is No. 2.The first regular-season poll will be released Monday, Sept. 2. 

THE GAZETTE WEEKLY FOOTBALL POLL

Preseason 2013

(First-place votes in parentheses)

Class 4A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (3)

13-1

39

--

2. West Des Moines Dowling

9-3

32

--

3. Iowa City West

10-1

24

--

4. Urbandale

7-3

23

--

5. West Des Moines Valley

9-3

19

--

6. Southeast Polk

10-3

17

--

7. Ankeny (1)

14-0

16

--

8. Pleasant Valley

11-1

15

--

9. Cedar Falls

11-2

10

--

10. Waukee

8-3

8

--

Others receiving votes: Dubuque Senior 6, Ames 4, Sioux City East 4, Cedar Rapids Prairie 2, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln 1. 

Class 3A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Sioux City Heelan (3)

12-2

39

--

2. Grinnell

12-1

28

--

3. Decorah (1)

14-0

25

--

4. Spencer

7-4

24

--

5. Williamsburg

11-2

18

--

6. Harlan

8-2

16

--

7. Clear Lake

8-3

14

--

8. Pella

7-4

10

--

9. Webster City

4-6

8

--

10. Washington

7-4

7

--

Others receiving votes: Boone 6, DeWitt Central 6, Marion 6, Lewis Central 5, Crestwood 4, Carroll 2, Perry 1, West Delaware 1.

Class 2A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Carroll Kuemper (2)

12-1

37

--

2. Waukon (1)

9-3

32

--

3. Dyersville Beckman

11-2

28

--

4. West Marshall

11-1

25

--

5. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley

11-1

20

--

6. Spirit Lake (1)

13-1

14

--

7. Union

9-2

12

--

8. Albia

8-2

11

--

(tie) Mediapolis

13-1

11

--

10. Bondurant-Farrar

10-2

8

--

Others receiving votes: New Hampton 5, Forest City 4, Louisa-Muscatine 4, North Polk 4, Garner-Hayfield/Ventura 3, Mid-Prairie 2. 

Class 1A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Iowa City Regina (4)

14-0

40

--

2. Dike-New Hartford

12-1

33

--

3. Council Bluffs St. Albert

12-2

30

--

4. Emmetsburg

11-2

22

--

5. South Winneshiek

9-2

20

--

6. Aplington-Parkersburg

9-3

17

--

(tie) Mount Ayr

11-1

17

--

8. Wilton

8-3

10

--

9. Sigourney-Keota

4-6

9

--

10. Maquoketa Valley

10-2

7

--

Others receiving votes: IKM-Manning 5, South O'Brien 4, West Branch 3, Van Meter 2, Western Christian 1. 

Class A

W-L

Pts

Last

1. BGM (2)

10-3

34

--

2. West Lyon (1)

9-2

33

--

3. Lisbon

9-2

27

--

(tie) Wapsie Valley (1)

14-0

27

--

5. Lynnville-Sully

9-3

19

--

6. Woodward-Granger

11-1

17

--

7. Hinton

10-4

13

--

8. Logan-Magnolia

11-2

9

--

9. Mason City Newman

6-4

7

--

10. Lawton-Bronson

6-3

6

--

(tie) North Tama

10-2

6

--

Others receiving votes: Ackley AGWSR 5, Akron-Westfield 4, Algona Garrigan 4, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 3, Madrid 3, Montezuma 2, Pekin 1. 

Eight Man

W-L

Pts

Last

1. Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton (2)

12-1

35

--

2. Don Bosco (1)

12-1

31

--

3. Murray

12-1

29

--

(tie) Newell-Fonda

11-1

29

--

5. Glidden-Ralston

9-3

23

--

6. Adair-Casey

10-2

15

--

7. Marcus MMC (1)

14-0

14

--

8. HLV

9-1

9

--

9. West Bend-Mallard

6-5

8

--

10. Easton Valley

9-2

7

--

(tie) Springville

8-3

7

--

Others receiving votes: Sidney 5, Harris-Lake Park 3, Remsen Union 3, Laurens-Marathon 1, West Harrison 1.