First football rankings released

The Cedar Rapids Gazette’s preseason football rankings were released over the weekend, and the Union area has two teams ranked in the opening poll.

Mid-Prairie, a Class 2A quarterfinalist from last season, is set at No. 6 in the Class 2A rankings. The Golden Hawks earned 25 points in the poll, just one vote behind No. 5 Ida Grove OABCIG.

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Sigourney-Keota, a perennial playoff contender, lands in at No. 8 in the Class 1A rankings. The Cobras earn their Top-10 spot after losing just two games in the fall of 2024.

Although only Mid-Prairie and SK are ranked in the poll, Pekin did receive votes. After a second-place district finish in 2024, the Panthers sit with two votes heading into the new year.

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THE GAZETTE’S PRESEASON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POLL

(First-place votes in parentheses; records are from 2024)

CLASS 5A W-L Pts.

1. West Des Moines Valley (4) 10-3 55

2. West Des Moines Dowling 10-2 50

3. Iowa City Liberty 10-2 37

4. Southeast Polk (1) 9-4 35

5. Ankeny 6-5 31

6. Waukee Northwest (1) 4-5 25

7. Waukee 6-4 23

8. Cedar Falls 5-5 17

9. Sioux City East 6-4 16

10. Johnston 8-3 11

Others receiving votes: Ankeny Centennial 9, Iowa City High 7, Cedar Rapids Prairie 6, Bettendorf 3, Pleasant Valley 3, Norwalk 2.

CLASS 4A W-L Pts.

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (2) 7-4 53

2. Lewis Central (2) 10-2 46

3. Pella 11-2 41

4. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (1) 11-1 40

5. Fort Dodge 7-3 27

6. Decorah 10-1 26

7. Newton 6-4 19

8. Clear Creek Amana 6-4 16

T-9. Adel ADM 8-3 15

T-9. North Scott 9-3 15

Others receiving votes: North Polk 10, Gilbert 8, Le Mars 7, Western Dubuque 7.

Note: North Polk received one first-place vote.

CLASS 3A W-L Pts.

1. Mount Vernon (4) 10-2 58

2. Algona (1) 9-2 50

3. Sioux City Heelan 6-4 42

4. Humboldt 11-2 32

5. Clear Lake 6-4 28

6. Solon 8-3 27

7. Dubuque Wahlert (1) 13-0 25

8. Harlan 6-4 18

9. Nevada 8-3 15

10. Benton Community 7-3 11

Others receiving votes: Independence 9, MOC-Floyd Valley 8, Williamsburg 5, Webster City 2.

CLASS 2A W-L Pts.

1. Carroll Kuemper (4) 9-2 56

2. Central Lyon-GLR 6-4 40

3. Van Meter (1) 10-2 39

4. Cherokee (1) 6-3 31

5. Ida Grove OABCIG 7-3 27

6. Mid-Prairie 7-4 26

T-7. Monroe PCM 11-1 23

T-7. Roland-Story 6-3 23

9. Osage 6-4 19

10. Spirit Lake 11-2 14

Others receiving votes: Dike-New Hartford 9, Unity Christian 9, West Branch 6, Grand View Christian 3, West Burlington-Notre Dame 2, Woodward-Granger 2, Western Christian 1.

CLASS 1A W-L Pts.

1. Grundy Center (4) 13-0 58

2. West Lyon (2) 13-0 52

3. Iowa City Regina 9-2 50

4. South Hardin 9-2 35

5. Tri-Center 12-1 32

6. Pleasantville 6-3 23

7. Treynor 8-2 18

8. Sigourney-Keota 7-2 15

9. Underwood 6-5 13

10. Emmetsburg 8-2 11

Others receiving votes: Hinton 9, Ridge View 5, Shenandoah 5, Central Springs 3, Clarion CGD 1.

CLASS A W-L Pts.

T-1. Maquoketa Valley (2) 9-2 48

T-1. Saint Ansgar (1) 10-2 48

3. West Hancock (3) 12-1 46

4. Madrid 9-3 38

5. Woodbury Central 8-3 34

6. Guthrie Center ACGC 10-1 25

7. Oakland Riverside 7-3 24

8. Marcus MMCRU 7-3 22

9. Wapsie Valley 7-3 10

T-10. South Winneshiek 4-5 7

T-10. West Sioux 3-6 7

Others receiving votes: Mount Ayr 6, Sibley-Ocheyedan 5, North Linn 3, Avoca AHSTW 2, Earlham 2, Pekin 2, Lynnville-Sully 1.

8-PLAYER W-L Pts.

1. Algona Garrigan (3) 11-1 53

2. Woodbine (1) 8-2 38

3. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 11-2 32

4. Fremont-Mills 7-2 27

5. Iowa Valley 8-2 24

6. Lenox 11-1 23

7. Montezuma 10-2 22

T-8. Don Bosco 10-1 20

T-8. Remsen St. Mary’s (2) 13-0 20

T-10. Audubon 10-1 13

T-10. Bedford 8-2 13

Others receiving votes: Ar-We-Va 12, Easton Valley 8, Kingsley-Pierson 8, Clarksville 6, Edgewood-Colesburg 6, Wayne 4, Springville 1.