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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Iowa high school football rankings: The Gazette's 2020 preseason poll
Aug. 21, 2020 9:00 am, Updated: Aug. 21, 2020 10:22 am
From April to August, not much changed. Last spring, when there were no high school sports and very little of anything to cover, we conducted an offseason football poll. The 'official' Gazette/KGYM poll is revealed today, and it pretty much mirrors the spring result.
West Des Moines Dowling, Pella, Waukon, Ida Grove OABCIG, Iowa City Regina and Don Bosco are the consensus No. 1 teams.
The only change at the top of any class came in Class 4A. In April, it was a dead heat between Dowling and Ankeny.
In today's balloting, Dowling — the seven-time defending champion — edges Ankeny by a 55-54 verdict. The Maroons were 12-1 last season; the Hawks were 7-4.
West Des Moines Valley, Cedar Falls and Waukee round out the top five. Cedar Rapids Kennedy is sixth.
Pella is a unanimous pick as the top team in 3A. The Dutch were 8-3 and quarterfinalists last season. Dallas Center-Grimes is No. 2, followed by Grinnell, Cedar Rapids Xavier and Lewis Central.
Xavier won 3A titles in 2017 and 2018. Last year's champion, Western Dubuque, is tied for eighth.
Waukon was the 2A runner-up last season and, with champion OABCIG dropping to Class 1A, the Indians are the heir apparent this fall. Monroe PCM opens at No. 2, then it's Spirit Lake, Williamsburg and Clear Lake.
Led by University of Iowa quarterback commit Cooper DeJean, OABCIG is a unanimous No. 1 selection in 1A. South Central Calhoun is next, followed by West Branch, Underwood and Dike-New Hartford.
Formerly a state powerhouse in 2A, and then 1A, Regina now resides in Class A. The Regals edged Grundy Center, 59-55, in the balloting. Grundy Center was the 'A' runner-up in 2019. Saint Ansgar is No. 3, with Edgewood-Colesburg and Wapsie Valley sharing the fourth spot.
Don Bosco won the 8-Player title last year and is a fairly substantial favorite to repeat. Remsen St. Mary's, a semifinalist last year, is No. 2. Audubon and Anita CAM are tied for third, and Fremont-Mills is No. 5.
Pollsters are Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher, Jeff Linder and Nathan Ford of The Gazette, Andy Krutsinger of the Southeast Iowa Union and Scott Unash of KGYM Radio.
Class 4A
1.
West Des Moines Dowling
55 points (4 No. 1 votes)55 points (4 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 12-1, 4A state champion
Week 1: at Indianola
2.
Ankeny
54 points (2 No. 1 votes)54 points (2 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 7-4, 4A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. No. 10 Ankeny Centennial
3.
West Des Moines Valley
45 points45 points
Last year: 12-1, 4A state runner-up
Week 1: vs. Des Moines Roosevelt
4.
Cedar Falls
35 points35 points
Last year: 10-1, 4A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Dubuque Senior
5.
Waukee
28 points28 points
Last year: 7-4, 4A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. No. 7 Southeast Polk
6.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy
25 points25 points
Last year: 10-2, 4A semifinalist
Week 1: at Cedar Rapids Prairie
7.
Southeast Polk
24 points24 points
Last year: 7-3, 4A playoff qualifier
Week 1: at No. 5 Waukee
8.
Bettendorf
14 points14 points
Last year: 9-3, 4A semifinalist
Week 1: at Washington
9.
Urbandale
11 points11 points
Last year: 7-4, 4A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Johnston
10.
Ankeny Centennial
10 points10 points
Last year: 8-2, 4A playoff qualifier
Week 1: at No. 2 Ankeny
Others receiving votes: Iowa City West 7, Linn-Mar 7, Dubuque Senior 6, Dubuque Hempstead 4, Johnston 2
Class 3A
1.
Pella
60 points (6 No. 1 votes)60 points (6 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 8-3, 3A quarterfinalist
Week 1: at No. 2 Dallas Center-Grimes
2.
Dallas Center-Grimes
43 points43 points
Last year: 9-2, 3A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. No. 1 Pella
3.
Grinnell
35 points35 points
Last year: 6-3
Week 1: at No. 6 Harlan
4.
Cedar Rapids Xavier
23 points23 points
Last year: 8-2, 3A playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. No. 8 Western Dubuque
5.
Lewis Central
22 points22 points
Last year: 10-2, 3A semifinalist
Week 1: vs. A No. 7 Council Bluffs St. Albert
6.
Harlan
19 points19 points
Last year: 7-3, 3A playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. No. 3 Grinnell
6.
North Scott
19 points19 points
Last year: 9-2, 3A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Muscatine
8.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton
15 points15 points
Last year: 10-2, 3A semifinalist
Week 1: vs. Sioux City West
8.
West Delaware
15 points15 points
Last year: 5-4
Week 0: at Anamosa
Week 1: vs. Dubuque Wahlert
8.
Western Dubuque
15 points15 points
Last year: 13-0, 3A state champion
Week 1: at No. 4 Cedar Rapids Xavier
Others receiving votes: Clear Creek Amana 14, Washington 13, Carlisle 12, Norwalk 9, Adel ADM 7, Bondurant-Farrar 4, Nevada 4, Webster City 4, Carroll 1
Class 2A
1.
Waukon
56 points (3 No. 1 votes)56 points (3 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 12-1, 2A state runner-up
Week 1: at Decorah
2.
Monroe PCM
48 points (2 No. 1 votes)48 points (2 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 8-3, 2A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Newton
3.
Spirit Lake
39 points39 points
Last year: 6-4, 2A playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. 1A No. 10 West Sioux
4.
Williamsburg
37 points37 points
Last year: 8-4, 2A semifinalist
Week 1: at No. 6 Solon
5.
Clear Lake
27 points27 points
Last year: 10-1, 2A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Aplington-Parkersburg
6.
Solon
23 points (1 No. 1 vote)23 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 12-1, 3A state runner-up
Week 1: vs. No. 4 Williamsburg
7.
Algona
20 points20 points
Last year: 11-1, 2A semifinalist
Week 1: vs. Humboldt
8.
West Lyon
15 points15 points
Last year: 12-1, 1A state champion
Week 1: at Storm Lake
9.
Sioux Center
13 points13 points
Last year: 5-4
Week 1: vs. Le Mars
10.
West Marshall
10 points10 points
Last year: 6-4, 2A quarterfinalist
Week 1: at Gilbert
Others receiving votes: Unity Christian 8, Mid-Prairie 7, New Hampton 7, Iowa Falls-Alden 6, Monticello 4, Independence 3, Albia 2, Camanche 1, Des Moines Christian 1
Class 1A
1.
Ida Grove OABCIG
60 points (6 No. 1 votes)60 points (6 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 13-0, 2A state champion
Week 1: at Ridge View
2.
South Central Calhoun
39 points39 points
Last year: 10-1, 1A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Carroll Kuemper
3.
West Branch
34 points34 points
Last year: 10-1, 1A quarterfinalist
Week 1: vs. Tipton
4.
Underwood
33 points33 points
Last year: 8-2, 1A playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Atlantic
5.
Dike-New Hartford
32 points32 points
Last year: 10-1, 1A quarterfinalist
Week 1: at Oskaloosa
6.
Panorama
26 points26 points
Last year: 8-2, 1A playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. A No. 2 Grundy Center
7.
Van Meter
20 points20 points
Last year: 12-1, 1A state runner-up
Week 1: at Winterset
8.
Osage
17 points17 points
Last year: 5-5, 1A playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. A No. 3 Saint Ansgar
9.
Sigourney-Keota
16 points16 points
Last year: 8-1
Week 1: at Mid-Prairie
10.
West Sioux
13 points13 points
Last year: 10-2, 1A semifinalist
Week 1: at 2A No. 3 Spirit Lake
10.
Western Christian
13 points13 points
Last year: 8-2, 1A playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley
Others receiving votes: Waterloo Columbus 7, Belmond-Klemme 6, South Hamilton 3, Southeast Valley 3, Guthrie Center ACGC 2, Hinton 2, Mediapolis 1
Class A
1.
Iowa City Regina
59 points (5 No. 1 votes)59 points (5 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 9-3, 1A semifinalist
Week 1: vs. Dyersville Beckman
2.
Grundy Center
55 points (1 No. 1 vote)55 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 11-2, A state runner-up
Week 1: at 1A No. 6 Panorama
3.
Saint Ansgar
37 points37 points
Last year: 11-1, A semifinalist
Week 1: at 1A No. 8 Osage
4.
Edgewood-Colesburg
30 points30 points
Last year: 7-3, A playoff qualifier
Week 1: at Clayton Ridge
5.
Wapsie Valley
30 points30 points
Last year: 5-4
Week 1: at Denver
6.
West Hancock
23 points23 points
Last year: 13-0, A state champion
Week 1: vs. Garner GHV
7.
Council Bluffs St. Albert
22 points22 points
Last year: 5-4
Week 1: at 3A No. 5 Lewis Central
8.
Woodbury Central
21 points21 points
Last year: 10-2, A semifinalist
Week 1: at Lawton-Bronson
9.
South Winneshiek
20 points20 points
Last year: 7-3, A playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. North Fayette Valley
10.
Belle Plaine
9 points9 points
Last year: 7-3, A playoff qualifier
Week 1: at Lisbon
Others receiving votes: North Tama 8, Lisbon 7, Algona Garrigan 3, East Buchanan 3, Bellevue 2
8-Player
1.
Don Bosco
59 points (5 No. 1 votes)59 points (5 No. 1 votes)
Last year: 13-0, 8-Player state champion
Week 1: at West Central
2.
Remsen St. Mary's
54 points (1 No. 1 vote)54 points (1 No. 1 vote)
Last year: 11-1, 8-Player semifinalist
Week 1: vs. River Valley
3.
Anita CAM
35 points35 points
Last year: 8-3, 8-Player quarterfinalist
Week 1: at Griswold
3.
Audubon
35 points35 points
Last year: 12-2, 8-Player state runner-up
Week 1: vs. Exira-EHK
5.
Fremont-Mills
32 points32 points
Last year: 7-2, 8-Player quarterfinalist
Week 1: at Bedford
6.
Harris-Lake Park
25 points25 points
Last year: 8-2, 8-Player playoff qualifier
Week 1: at Newell-Fonda
7.
Montezuma
14 points14 points
Last year: 6-3
Week 1: at Twin Cedars
8.
Springville
12 points12 points
Last year: 7-3
Week 1: vs. Central City
9.
Gladbrook-Reinbeck
11 points11 points
Last year: 7-3, 8-Player playoff qualifier
Week 1: vs. Meskwaki
10.
Easton Valley
10 points10 points
Last year: 9-2, 8-Player quarterfinalist
Week 1: at No. 10 Janesville
10.
Janesville
10 points10 points
Last year: 6-3
Week 1: vs. No. 10 Easton Valley
Others receiving votes: BGM 8, Ackley AGWSR 6, Coon Rapids-Bayard 6, Rockford 4, HLV 3, Turkey Valley 2, Newell-Fonda 1, Northwood-Kensett 1
Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com
Iowa City Regina's Ashton Cook (6) passes the ball in the first half of their Class 1A semifinal game last year. The Regals are ranked No. 1 in Class A in the preseason Gazette/KGYM football poll. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
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