Iowa high school football rankings: Showdowns abound this week in Class 4A

We're a week away from district play in Class 4A, but as far as premier matchups are concerned ... why wait?

Three top-10 matchups will be on display in the big-school class, including a pair of top-five encounters.

There are no changes at the top in this week's Gazette/KGYM football rankings. In Class 2A and Class 1A, the top 10 remain unchanged.

West Des Moines Valley (4A), Western Dubuque (3A), Waukon (2A), West Sioux (1A), West Hancock (Class A) and Don Bosco (8-Player) remain the No. 1 teams in their respective classes. Waukon and West Hancock are unanimous top picks in their respective classes.

Valley came from behind to defeat Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 28-14, Friday at Kingston Stadium. The Tigers host No. 10 Waukee this week.

Also in 4A, No. 2 Cedar Falls is at No. 5 Bettendorf, and No. 3 Ankeny Centennial hosts No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling.

Despite last week's defeat, Kennedy climbed a spot this week to No. 7.

There's a showdown this week in 3A, as well: No. 1 Western Dubuque entertains No. 3 North Scott at Epworth. The Bobcats defeated Decorah, 23-2, Friday; North Scott blanked Pleasant Valley, 20-0.

Two-time defending champion Cedar Rapids Xavier won its 29th straight game last week, 17-0, over Davenport Assumption and remains at No. 2. Lewis Central and Solon round out the top five.

In 2A, Waukon leads the same cast of characters — Clear Lake, Algona, Spirit Lake and Waterloo Columbus — as last week. West Sioux leads a strong pack in 1A; the Falcons are followed by Dike-New Hartford, Van Meter, West Branch and West Lyon.

West Hancock has been the top team in Class A for three weeks. The next four teams (Saint Ansgar, Edgewood-Colesburg, North Tama and Westwood) each moved up a spot after North Tama edged then-No. 2 Wapsie Valley, 13-7. Wapsie is now No. 6.

Don Bosco, Remsen St. Mary's and Turkey Valley remain the top three in 8-Player. Audubon leapfrogged New London for the No. 4 slot.

Class 4A

1.

West Des Moines Valley

3-0, 68 points (6 No. 1 votes)

3-0, 68 points (6 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat No. 8 Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 28-14

This week: vs. No. 10 Waukee

 

2.

Cedar Falls

3-0, 58 points

3-0, 58 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat No. 6 Ankeny, 28-27

This week: at No. 5 Bettendorf

 

3.

Ankeny Centennial

3-0, 56 points (1 No. 1 vote)

3-0, 56 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Waterloo West, 21-13

This week: vs. No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling

 

4.

West Des Moines Dowling

2-1, 54 points

2-1, 54 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Johnston, 17-7

This week: at No. 3 Ankeny Centennial

 

5.

Bettendorf

3-0, 38 points

3-0, 38 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Dubuque Hempstead, 49-7

This week: vs. No. 2 Cedar Falls

 

6.

Southeast Polk

2-1, 26 points

2-1, 26 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Iowa City West, 23-21

This week: at Des Moines East

 

7.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy

2-1, 21 points

2-1, 21 points

Last week: No. 8 | Lost to No. 1 West Des Moines Valley, 28-14

This week: at Cedar Rapids Prairie

 

8.

Fort Dodge

3-0, 20 points

3-0, 20 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Indianola, 28-21 (OT)

This week: at Carroll

 

9.

Ankeny

1-2, 19 points

1-2, 19 points

Last week: No. 6 | Lost to No. 3 Cedar Falls, 28-27

This week: at Des Moines Roosevelt

 

10.

Waukee

1-2, 14 points

1-2, 14 points

Last week: NR | Beat No. 9 Cedar Rapids Prairie, 43-7

This week: at No. 1 West Des Moines Valley

 

Dropped out: Cedar Rapids Prairie (9)

Others receiving votes: Cedar Rapids Prairie 5, Johnston 4, Des Moines Roosevelt 2

Class 3A

1.

Western Dubuque

3-0, 69 points (6 No. 1 votes)

3-0, 69 points (6 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Decorah 23-2

This week: vs. No. 3 North Scott

 

2.

Cedar Rapids Xavier

3-0, 61 points (1 No. 1 vote)

3-0, 61 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 2 | Beat No. 10 Davenport Assumption, 17-0

This week: vs. West Delaware

 

3.

North Scott

3-0, 52 points

3-0, 52 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Pleasant Valley, 20-0

This week: at No. 1 Western Dubuque

 

4.

Lewis Central

3-0, 51 points

3-0, 51 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Council Bluffs Lincoln, 70-7

This week: at Council Bluffs Jefferson

 

5.

Solon

3-0, 46 points

3-0, 46 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Marion, 44-0

This week: vs. Davenport Assumption

 

6.

Independence

3-0, 32 points

3-0, 32 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Maquoketa, 47-7

This week: vs. Center Point-Urbana

 

7.

Sergeant Bluff-Luton

2-1, 24 points

2-1, 24 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Sioux City East, 41-0

This week: at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley

 

8.

Washington

3-0, 22 points

3-0, 22 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat No. 9 Iowa City Liberty, 38-31

This week: at West Liberty

 

9.

Glenwood

3-0, 14 points

3-0, 14 points

Last week: NR | Beat Carroll Kuemper, 48-6

This week: vs. Dallas Center-Grimes

 

10.

Carlisle

2-1, 4 points

2-1, 4 points

Last week: NR | Beat Creston/O-M, 36-21

This week: vs. Pella

 

Dropped out: Pella (6), Iowa City Liberty (9), Davenport Assumption (10)

Others receiving votes: Iowa City Liberty 2, Knoxville 2, Norwalk 2, Davenport Assumption 1, Pella 1, Storm Lake 1, Webster City 1

Class 2A

1.

Waukon

3-0, 70 points (7 No. 1 votes)

3-0, 70 points (7 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat New Hampton, 38-6

This week: vs. Cascade

 

2.

Clear Lake

3-0, 55 points

3-0, 55 points

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Garner GHV, 28-27

This week: vs. Mason City

 

3.

Algona

3-0, 50 points

3-0, 50 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Emmetsburg, 34-14

This week: at Webster City

 

4.

Spirit Lake

3-0, 47 points

3-0, 47 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat Central Lyon/George-Little Rock, 42-14

This week: at Sioux Center

 

5.

Waterloo Columbus

3-0, 37 points

3-0, 37 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat East Marshall, 48-0

This week: vs. Vinton-Shellsburg

 

6.

Greene County

3-0, 36 points

3-0, 36 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Saydel, 48-7

This week: vs. Gilbert

 

7.

Benton Community

3-0, 26 points

3-0, 26 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Center Point-Urbana, 33-21

This week: vs. Wilton

 

8.

Crestwood

2-1, 20 points

2-1, 20 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Waverly-Shell Rock, 14-10

This week: vs. Decorah

 

8.

Southeast Valley

3-0, 20 points

3-0, 20 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat A No. 10 Belmond-Klemme, 34-18

This week: vs. 1A No. 6 South Central Calhoun

 

10.

Des Moines Christian

3-0, 18 points

3-0, 18 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Ogden, 50-14

This week: vs. Des Moines North

 

Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: Ida Grove OABCIG 4, Monticello 2

Class 1A

1.

West Sioux

3-0, 64 points (5 No. 1 votes)

3-0, 64 points (5 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Sioux Center, 24-6

This week: vs. Le Mars Gehlen

 

2.

Dike-New Hartford

3-0, 59 points

3-0, 59 points

Last week: No. 2 | Beat North Butler, 69-0

This week: at Union Community

 

3.

Van Meter

3-0, 52 points

3-0, 52 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Madrid, 42-0

This week: at Woodward-Granger

 

4.

West Branch

3-0, 49 points (1 No. 1 vote)

3-0, 49 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Williamsburg, 39-33

This week: at Tipton

 

5.

West Lyon

3-0, 44 points (1 No. 1 vote)

3-0, 44 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, 52-28

This week: vs. MOC-Floyd Valley

 

6.

South Central Calhoun

3-0, 43 points

3-0, 43 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat IKM-Manning, 31-0

This week: at 2A No. 8 Southeast Valley

 

7.

Treynor

3-0, 30 points

3-0, 30 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Shenandoah, 49-20

This week: at Red Oak

 

8.

Mount Ayr

3-0, 16 points

3-0, 16 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Central Decatur, 49-14

This week: at Clarke

 

9.

Underwood

3-0, 12 points

3-0, 12 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat Tri-Center, 49-33

This week: at Council Bluffs St. Albert

 

10.

Mediapolis

3-0, 6 points

3-0, 6 points

Last week: No. 10 | Beat Pekin, 27-20

This week: vs. Louisa-Muscatine

 

Dropped out: none

Others receiving votes: Western Christian 4, Iowa City Regina 3, Sigourney-Keota 3

Class A

1.

West Hancock

3-0, 70 points (7 No. 1 votes)

3-0, 70 points (7 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Osage, 56-18

This week: vs. Forest City

 

2.

Saint Ansgar

3-0, 54 points

3-0, 54 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Starmont, 60-0

This week: vs. Postville

 

3.

Edgewood-Colesburg

3-0, 52 points

3-0, 52 points

Last week: No. 4 | Beat East Buchanan, 41-8

This week: at North Linn

 

4.

North Tama

3-0, 50 points

3-0, 50 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat No. 2 Wapsie Valley, 13-7

This week: at Hudson

 

5.

Westwood

3-0, 39 points

3-0, 39 points

Last week: No. 6 | Beat Avoca AHSTW, 21-7

This week: vs. Missouri Valley

 

6.

Wapsie Valley

2-1, 35 points

2-1, 35 points

Last week: No. 2 | Lost to No. 5 North Tama, 13-7

This week: vs. Garwin GMG

 

7.

South O'Brien

3-0, 32 points

3-0, 32 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Alta-Aurelia, 15-0

This week: vs. Sioux Central

 

8.

Grundy Center

3-0, 22 points

3-0, 22 points

Last week: No. 9 | Beat Conrad BCLUW, 33-0

This week: at East Buchanan

 

9.

BGM

3-0, 19 points

3-0, 19 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat North Mahaska, 61-6

This week: vs. East Marshall

 

10.

MFL MarMac

3-0, 6 points

3-0, 6 points

Last week: NR | Beat Jesup, 35-6

This week: vs. Sumner-Fredericksburg

 

Dropped out: Belmond-Klemme (10)

Others receiving votes: Alta-Aurelia 2, Cardinal 2, Highland 2

8-Player

1.

Don Bosco

3-0, 68 points (5 No. 1 votes)

3-0, 68 points (5 No. 1 votes)

Last week: No. 1 | Beat Rockford, 64-14

This week: at Janesville

 

2.

Remsen St. Mary's

3-0, 59 points (1 No. 1 vote)

3-0, 59 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 2 | Beat Kingsley-Pierson, 61-2

This week: at River Valley

 

3.

Turkey Valley

3-0, 55 points

3-0, 55 points

Last week: No. 3 | Beat Midland, 52-6

This week: at Springville

 

4.

Audubon

3-1, 43 points

3-1, 43 points

Last week: No. 5 | Beat Exira-EHK, 48-6

This week: at Woodbine

 

5.

New London

3-0, 37 points (1 No. 1 vote)

3-0, 37 points (1 No. 1 vote)

Last week: No. 4 | Beat WACO, 56-50 (3OT)

This week: vs. Lone Tree

 

6.

Lenox

4-0, 26 points

4-0, 26 points

Last week: No. 7 | Beat Seymour, 58-0

This week: at East Union

 

7.

Coon Rapids-Bayard

3-0, 22 points

3-0, 22 points

Last week: No. 8 | Beat Woodbine, 62-49

This week: at Boyer Valley

 

8.

Anita CAM

3-0, 14 points

3-0, 14 points

Last week: NR | Beat No. 8 Glidden-Ralston, 56-14

This week: vs. West Harrison

 

8.

Harris-Lake Park

3-0, 14 points

3-0, 14 points

Last week: NR | Beat River Valley, 49-6

This week: vs. Ar-We-Va

 

10.

Fremont-Mills

1-1, 12 points

1-1, 12 points

Last week: No. 10 | Idle

This week: Idle

 

Dropped out: Iowa Valley (5), Glidden-Ralston (8)

Others receiving votes: Springville 11, Montezuma 10, English Valleys 7, Newell-Fonda 3, Easton Valley 2, Iowa Valley 2