Everything you need to know about the remaining unbeatens in Iowa Class A

We are officially halfway through the 2018 Iowa high school football season. Every team has played at least five games. 331-teams began the season undefeated, but five weeks in, there are only 33 teams who still have the realistic goal of finishing the season undefeated. Only six of these teams at most will finish the year with zero losses, but why don't we take some time, break down these teams and give them some of the recognition they deserve for starting the season 5-0 or in some cases 6-0. 

We've already looked at Class 8-Man, now let's look at Class A. 

Undefeated Teams Remaining: 7

1: AHSTW

Wins: Underwood 41-14, Shenandoah 45-0, Westwood 48-27, Martensdale-St. Mary's 65-8, Riverside 48-3

Remaining Schedule: at Earlham, vs. Nodaway Valley, at Southwest Valley, vs. St. Albert

Last year, the Vikings were darn good, they started the season 8-0 before dropping two games, I think this year's team is even better. They've won their five games by an average of 40-points-per-game. Blake Osbahr has done a stellar job replacing AHSTW legend R.J. Harris, Osbahr has chucked the pigskin for over 700-yards and a Class A best 12-touchdowns and has added two scores with his legs. Gabe Pauley has bruised his way through defenders for 547-yards and eight scores. Osbahr's favorite receiver has been Drake Partridge, who has corralled 11-passes for 342-yards and seven scores, Brayton Tuma has nine catches for three scores while Korbin Martin and Gabe Madsen have also been on the receiving end of Osbahr touchdown throws. Four Vikings; Blake Tuma, Brayton Tuma, Partridge and Osbahr have an interception on the year with Partridge's resulting in a pick six. Pauley leads the team in tackles and has a fumble recovery. This team has bullied it's way through their first five games including an impressive win over a good Westwood team, their biggest test will come in Week 8 against another unbeaten, Southwest Valley, however, don't sleep on matchups with Earlham or St. Albert. 

2: Belmond-Klemme 

Wins: Eagle Grove 61-6, Nashua-Plainfield 55-0, Southeast Valley 43-36, North Butler 49-6, West Fork 21-14

Remaining Schedule: at Bishop Garrigan, vs. Graettinger-Terril, at North Union, vs. West Hancock.

The Broncos have posted three blowout wins, squeaked a touchdown victory over a solid Southeast Valley squad and held on for the win over West Fork last week. Quarterback Easton Barrus has only thrown 38-times, but he's got 332-passing yards and three scores. The Broncos prefer to beat you on the ground with running back Tucker Kroeze, who has 456-yards for 10-touchdowns on 45 carries, Gustavo Suarez has added 435-yards and six scores, while Barrus has found the end-zone seven times on the ground. Logan Heaberlin has been the go-to wideout for the Belmond-Klemme signal callers, hauling in nine passes for 225-yards and four scores. On the defensive side, five Broncos have a pick; Barrus, Heaberlin, Kroeze, Koty Kuhlers and Jayden Warren. They've also recovered seven fumbles, two of which were scoop and scores. The Broncos will be put to the measuring stick this week when they take on a Bishop-Garrigan squad that I have ranked second in Class A. Speaking of which. 

3: Bishop Garrigan

Wins: Emmetsburg 14-12, Newman Catholic 28-21, Lake Mills 48-28, St. Edmond 52-0, West Hancock 28-14

Remaining Schedule: vs. Belmond-Klemme, at North Union, vs. West Fork, at Graettinger-Terril

The Golden Bears have relied on Brad Capesius's six passing touchdowns and five on the ground to propel themselves to a 5-0 start. They haven't done it pretty, winning two games by one possession, but a win is a win. They have a very balanced rushing attack helmed by Capesius and Preston Kohlhaas, who has run for a team-best 378-yards and five scores. Eric Thul has added four scores and Sam Vaske has found pay dirt twice. T.J Schnorr has been Capesius's favorite receiver, hauling 10-passes for 179-yards and four scores, Tristan Ferguson and John Meis also have a receiving score for the Golden Bears. Capesius has played ball-hawk defensively, picking off four passes, Ferguson has three INTs and Vaske has snagged one as well. The Golden Bears have a tough test this week with the team I have ranked fifth in Class A, Belmond-Klemme, but they have the pieces to move to 6-0. 

4: BGM, Brooklyn

Wins: Lisbon 35-24, Grandview Christian 58-0, North Mahaska 56-0, East Marshall 41-0, Highland, Riverside 31-22.

Remaining Schedule: vs. Belle-Plaine, vs. Pekin, at Durant, vs. Cardinal, Eldon

You could certainly make the case that the Bears are playing with a little extra motivation given the tragic passing of recent BGM grad Mollie Tibbetts. It's been Mollie's younger brother, Scott that has led the Bears thus far. The senior signal caller has thrown for 578-yards and eight touchdowns, he's also scored two rushing touchdowns. Tibbetts has been aided by the dominance of running back Noah Beck who has 598-yards for 12-scores. Dawson Owens has two receiving scores. On the defensive side, Beck has snagged two passes, so has Devon Maxfield. Ulises Felix and Hunter Rudd have each accounted for an INT and Dylan Staker has scooped up two fumbles. The Bears have looked good in the first five games and just took a down a stellar Highland, Riverside team, but their last four-games are not a cake-walk every one of their opponents boast a winning record. If they go 9-0, they will have earned it. 

5: Hinton

Wins: Woodbury Central 30-19, Unity Christian 28-14, Lawton-Bronson 42-0, Logan-Magnolia 31-14, Akron-Westfield 17-16.

Remaining Schedule: at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, vs. MMCRU, vs. Gehlen Catholic, at South O'Brien

There's got to be something in the water in Northwest Iowa because football, particularly in small class 11-man is so darn good up there. The Hinton Blackhawks are a prime example of that, they've been led by quarterback Braden Vonk, who has thrown for 730-yards and seven touchdowns to go with the two scores he's picked up on the ground. Wyatt Stucky has found the end-zone five times on the ground, Jesse Ridgeway and Tate Kounkel have two rushing scores. Kyle Brighton also boasts a score. Vonk has spread the wealth through the air, Brighton has been the recipient of two-passing scores as has Jacquez Williams, Aiden Brock, Keanan Wiseler and Thomas Bishop each hold claim to one receiving score this season. The Blackhawks have forced opposing teams to cough up the ball seven times and seven different players have scooped it up for the Blackhawks. As I mentioned, football in Northwest Iowa is so tough, but the Blackhawks might have the toughest part of their schedule in the rear-view mirror as Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn is the only team they face that currently has a winning record.

6: Hudson

Wins: Jesup 46-8, Columbus Catholic 14-0, GMG, Garwin 35-0, North Tama 24-21, BCLUW 49-0

Remaining Schedule: vs. St. Ansgar, at Wapsie Valley, vs. Grundy Center, at East Buchanan

The defending state runners-up and consensus top-ranked team have played smashmouth old-school football. The Pirates' quarterback, Jacob Murray has completed just 47-percent of his passes but has thrown for 457-yards and seven scores, Murray has also added one score on the ground. The Pirates rely on a hefty-dose of the run game led by the thunder and lightning duo of Christian Seres and Ethan Fulcher. Seres has bruised his way to 843-yards and 11-scores despite not having a carry of longer than 25-yards, Fulcher is averaging 15.9 yards-per-touch on 17 carries for four scores including an 82-yard scamper for six. Four different Pirates have been on the receiving end of touchdown tosses from Murray; Fulcher, Jackson Lehr and Payton Stuart have all caught two, Izik Rodriguez has the other. On the defensive side, the Pirates force their opponents to put the ball on the ground a lot.  Fulcher has three fumble recoveries to go with two by Lehr and Carter Swope, three other Pirates each have one scoop. The Pirates have defeated three teams that are 1-4, but they've also beat two teams that hold a 4-1 record. Their next three opponents all boast 4-1 records, the Pirates will probably be favored in those games, but they are not guaranteed victories.  

7: Southwest Valley 

Wins: Red Oak 24-21, Central Decatur 25-14, West Central Valley 20-18, Clarinda 20-16, Nodaway Valley 28-6

Remaining Schedule: at St. Albert, vs. Earlham, vs. AHSTW, at Riverside.

The Timberwolves have been the cardiac cats this year and to be honest, their 5-0 record is a bit surprising to me given how much production they lost from last year's 9-0 team. Coach Anthony Donahoo will be the first to tell you that they have not won pretty, but a win is a win. Senior Dustin Lund was tasked with filling the shoes of do-all quarterback Chance Cobb and he's done a stellar job, throwing three scores and adding eight with his leg. Aiden Gaule has found the end-zone three times while Blaine Venteicher and Matt Johnston each have a rushing score to their name. Lund's favorite receiver has been Teagan Lundquist, the senior has hauled in 13-passes for 159-yards and two scores. 

Where Southwest Valley has made it's mark this year on the defensive side of the ball, The T-Wolves love to hit the quarterback, boasting 15-sacks on the season; five from Jacob Webb, three from Tucker TePoel and Hunter Poston and two apiece from Scotty Adcock and Evan Davis. The T-Wolves have also been opportunistic in the secondary, picking off 11-passes. Lund leads the team with three, but eight others have an INT to their name; Venteicher, Lundquist, Gaule, Davis, Tepoel, Brendan Knapp, Brendan Pearson and Tallen Myers. The T-Wolves defense has also scooped up eight fumbles. This defense is bananas. The Timberwolves hold close victories over an underrated Red Oak squad, a gritty Central Decatur team and a tough Clarinda team, but they have a tough stretch to finish their season with a road trip to St. Albert and a date with AHSTW in Week 8, who is also unbeaten. This team surprised me that they are 5-0, but then again it should not have. 

Everything you need to know about the remaining undefeated teams in Iowa Class 8-Man

We are officially halfway through the 2018 Iowa high school football season. Every team has played at least five games. 331-teams began the season undefeated, but five weeks in, there are only 33 teams who still have the realistic goal of finishing the season undefeated. Only six of these teams at most will finish the year with zero losses, but why don't we take some time, break down these teams and give them some of the recognition they deserve for starting the season 5-0 or in some cases 6-0. 

We will begin with Class 8-Man.

Undefeated Teams Remaining: 9

1: Ar-We-Va

Wins: Boyer Valley 41-0, Woodbine 68-6, West Bend-Mallard 38-22, Harris-Lake Park 39-6, St. Mary's Remsen 49-12.

Remaining Schedule: at Newell-Fonda, vs. Clay Central-Everly, at Kingsley-Pierson, at River Valley.

The Rockets have been a juggernaut so far, last year the Rockets mustered a post-season appearance despite replacing Jake Danner, one of the most prolific passers in the history of 8-man. Keegan Simons stepped in to replace Danner and he's done a stellar job, tossing 13-touchdowns while adding seven more with his legs. Drew Schurke has been Simons' favorite target, hauling in 26-passes for 425-yards and six scores, he's also ran for 332-yards and four-touchdowns. While Schurke leads the team in catches and yards, Derek Oeser leads this team in touchdowns with eight, he's only caught 17-passes this year. That means nearly half of the passes he caught have gone for touchdowns. As good as Simons has been offensively, he's been just as good defensively, hauling in five interceptions, two of which he returned for scores. The Rockets play an incredibly tough district that consists of a handful of recent powers, they have a big matchup this week with another undefeated, Newell-Fonda, a game in which I might be at---maybe.

2: Central City

Wins: Colo-Nesco 61-22, Tripoli 61-16, West Central-Maynard 55-10, Kee, Lansing 60-12, Turkey Valley 56-42

Remaining Schedule: at Easton Valley, vs. Central Elkader, at Midland, Wyoming, vs. Springville

Central City is an interesting team because unlike most successful 8-man teams, they have multiple weapons that split the load rather than one or two work-horses. Quarterback Nick Reid has thrown just 28-passes but has completed 19 of them for seven touchdowns. When Reid is throwing passes, he's catching them, hauling in five catches for three scores The Wildcats have been led on the ground by the rushing-trio of Trey Holub, Isaiah Damm and Kyle Marsh who have combined to run for over 1,500 yards and 26 scores. Holub has been responsible for over 700 of those yards and 11-scores. He's also caught just four passes this year but found the end zone on three of them. Holub also leads the team in tackles and has hauled in four interceptions, tied with Ethan Tye for team-best. The Wildcats picked up a big win over a previously unbeaten Turkey Valley squad last week, their next toughest test will come in three weeks when they face Midland-Wyoming.

3: Don Bosco, Gilbertville

Wins: Gladbrook-Reinbeck 50-6, Baxter 84-6. Rockford 80-6, Janesville 46-34, Tripoli 64-6

Remaining Schedule: vs. Northwood-Kensett, at Dunkerton, vs. North Iowa, at Riceville

The Dons are the consensus number-one team in the state and rightfully so. They've outscored their five opponents by an average of 65-12, and 34 of those points came in one game, outside of that, they've allowed just six points in each of the four games. The Dons have been led by quarterback Cael Frost, who has completed 26 passes with half of them resulting in touchdowns. Thomas Even has led the ground attack, rushing for 598-yards and 14 scores. Frost's favorite receiver has been Kendall Becker, who has hauled in nine-catches for 262-yards and four scores, a pair of Tenolds, Cael and Cade have also been on the receiving end of four scores. On the defensive side, they have just two interceptions, but they've recovered 8 fumbles, QuikStats does differentiate whether they were offensive or defensive, but Easton Larson does have one scoop and score on the season. The Don's toughest test will come this week when they face an unbeaten Northwood-Kensett squad.

                                                          4: Exira-EHK

Wins: Fremont-Mills 45-27, Sidney 43-8, Audubon 34-28, Glidden-Ralston 51-20, CAM 52-34 

Remaining Schedule: vs. West Harrison, at Woodbine, vs. Boyer Valley, at Coon Rapids-Bayard.

One cannot overlook how ridiculously tough the first five games were for the Spartans. Take away their wins over these teams and those five teams are a combined 18-2. I anticipated the Spartans to make huge steps forward this year, but not even I expected them to come out of this five-game gauntlet unbeaten. Signal-caller Josh Pettepier has thrown for over 1000-yards and tossed 11-scores while adding four with his feet. The treat that is Cole Burmeister has run for 7-scores and caught 30-passes for 444-yards and six touchdowns. The Spartans have also relied on receivers Jayden Goodwin and Trey Nelson, who have hauled in three and two scores respectively. Baumeister has been equally effective on the defensive side of the ball, snagging four picks. Cade Bruns has also corralled two interceptions and scooped up a fumble. The hardest part of their schedule is undoubtedly behind them, but given how wild their district has been, there's not a given win left on their schedule.

5: Iowa Valley

Wins: Collins-Maxwell 62-16, WACO 46-32, Lone Tree 56-17, Tri-County 64-6, Winfield-Mt. Union 84-22

Remaining Schedule: at English Valleys, vs. New London, at Montezuma, vs. HLV, Victor

The Tigers are another team that has rolled in their first five games, winning them by an average of 62-19. It is important to note that the five teams they beat have a combined record of 7-22, but they've still looked dominant night in and night out. They've been led by quarterback Ben Smith who has thrown just four touchdowns, but he's made up for it by racking up 510-yards and seven scores on the ground. Noah Mumby has contributed 425-yards and seven scores, Garet Sims has found the end zone five times on just 10-carries. Zach Pierce has been responsible for three-touchdowns, Derek Leonard, Gavin Patterson, Evan Reuter and Brody Ward have all found the end-zone twice for the Tigers. Their toughest test is yet to come with upcoming matchups against English Valleys (4-1), New London (5-0) and HLV-Victor (4-1) to cap off the season. 

6. New London

Wins: HLV, Victor 51-16, Moravia 42-0, WACO 71-12, Lone-Tree 53-6, Tri-County 81-8

Remaining Schedule: vs. Winfield-Mt. Union, at Iowa Valley, at English Valleys, vs. Montezuma

The Tigers have had a balanced attack this season, relying on quarterback Isaac McSorley, who has thrown for over 600-yards and 10-scores while adding 362-yards and nine scores with his legs. Keontae Lockett has been productive both in the receiving game and on the ground. Lockett has 524-yards and six scores while averaging an excess of 10-yards a clip. Lockett has also hauled in two receiving touchdowns. Darius Whaley and Mason Porter lead the Tigers in receiving with four touchdowns apiece. On the defensive side, the Tigers have been mighty opportunistic, picking off nine passes and recovered 10-fumbles. McSorley has been responsible for three of those interceptions including one he took for a score, while Mason Porter also had a pick six this season. In total, the Tigers have returned four interceptions for touchdowns. They have a few tests coming up with unbeaten Iowa Valley as well as a road trip to a solid English Valleys squad. 

 7. Newell-Fonda 

Wins: Collins-Maxwell 53-14, Coon Rapids-Bayard 37-26, Clay Central-Everly 59-13, Kinglsey Pierson 27-26, River Valley 52-8

Remaining Schedule: vs. Ar-We-Va, at Harris-Lake Park, vs. St. Mary's-Remsen, vs. West Bend-Mallard

While most 8-man teams on this list have dominated, the Mustangs have eked out close wins over good Kingsley-Pierson and Coon Rapids-Bayard squads.  The Mustangs have been led by junior quarterback Bryce Coppock, who has completed 22 passes, eight of which have gone for scores. Coppock has added 763-yards and 13-scores on the ground. Tanner Gerke has 25-carries but is averaging 6.8 yards a clip and has found pay dirt four times this season. Coppock's favorite pass catcher has been Damon Bartek, who has corralled in 5-catches for 191-yards and three scores, Hunter Christiansen also has three-scores. Their kicker, R.J. Rojas has made plays with his hands as well, picking off four passes and scooping up four fumbles on the defensive side of the ball. Newell-Fonda has played a tough schedule so far and it won't get easier. They host an unbeaten Ar-We-Va squad this week and only one of their last three opponents (Harris-Lake Park) boast a losing record. This district is bananas. 

8. Northwood-Kensett

Wins: Clay Central-Everly 67-0, Harris-Lake Park 26-0, Dunkerton 42-8, North Iowa 54-0, Riceville 41-0

Remaining Schedule: at Don Bosco, vs. Janesville, vs. Tripoli, at Rockford 

The Vikings have allowed just eight points all season while averaging 46-per-game, but their five opponents have a combined record of 7-18. The Vikings have thrown the ball just 25-times this year and have relied on a heavy dose of the running game. Lane Anderson has been their go-to with 10-scores, quarterback Logan Bejegerdes has found the end-zone eight times, Caden Shrage has found it three times and they have four other players who have rushed for at least one touchdown. Wide Receiver Nathan Cordle has caught two of Bejegerdes' five passing scores, Anderson, Marquise Berry and Trey Waldamar have each caught one score. The Vikings have been greedy on the defensive side of the ball, Schrage has picked off four passes, Kliment has two INTs and Bejergedes has one as well. Their schedule has been in their favor thus far, but they will be put to the test this weekend against top-ranked Don Bosco.

9. Southeast Warren

Wins: Montezuma 46-35, Griswold 63-22, Clarinda Academy 57-8, Moravia 46-8, Seymour 82-12, East Union 78-14

Remaining Schedule: at Lenox, vs. Mormon Trail, at Murray, vs. Lamoni 

The Warhawks are the only squad that is 6-0 on the season. In their first year as an eight-man team, they have an offense that might be the best in the state. Quarterback Colby Page has tossed 8-man best 26 touchdowns. The Warhawks are super-balanced with senior running back Alex Hommer racking up 814-yards for 10-scores, Page has found the end-zone five times with his legs. Bryce Hall has hauled in 27-passes for 568 yards, the second most in 8-man, he's also found the end-zone nine times. Teammate Kaleb Bauer has caught 20 balls for 407-yards and 9 touchdowns. Hall has also found the ball on defense, picking off four passes. Bauer, Hommer and Mason Merfeld hold claim to two interceptions on the season. The Warhawks gave up 57-points in their first two games, but they've allowed just 42 in the last four. They face a Lenox squad this week that is coming off a 108-point performance and led by the bruiser of a running back that is Colton Gordon. This will be the toughest test of the year for Southeast Warren. 

A Composite High School Football Ranking After Two Weeks

A couple weeks ago before the season started, I decided to do a composite ranking of all six high school football classes in Iowa.

http://trevorstakeonsports.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-composite-preseason-high-school.html

After I did this I got to thinking that it might be cool to do another ranking every few weeks, look back and compare. 

We are only two weeks into the high school football season, so we do not have the largest sample size but we have a much better feel for teams than we did before the season started. So here is a composite ranking through two weeks. 

The rankings come from the Des Moines Register, Cedar Rapids Gazette and Radio Iowa. 

A team received 10 points for 1st place, 9 for second and so on. Props to the six people at the Gazette who voted, because they did a similar criterion, the caveat to their system is that created ties, in the event of a tie, the teams split the points in half or in-thirds if it was a three-way tie.

All schools that received top-ten rankings by at least one publication are on this composite.

Any who, let’s look at those composite rankings.

Record and total votes are in parentheses.

CLASS 8-MAN

Undefeated Teams Remaining: 18

1: Don Bosco (2-0, 30)

2: Newell-Fonda (2-0, 23)

3: Midland, Wyoming (3-0, 20)

4: New London (2-0, 19)

5: Exira-EHK (2-0, 18)

6: Iowa Valley (3-0, 16)

7: Turkey Valley (2-0, 13)

8: Ar-We-Va (2-0, 11)

9: CAM, Anita (2-0, 4)

10: Riceville (2-0, 3)

10: Southeast Warren (3-0, 3)

10: Fremont-Mills (1-1, 3)

13: Coon Rapids-Bayard (1-1, 2)

Thoughts

Don Bosco is the consensus top team and rightfully so. The Dons, who were also the favorite in the preseason, have won their first two games by a combined score of 134-12. Fremont-Mills came into the season ranked 2nd in the composites, but they suffered a crushing loss to Exira-EHK on opening night. Speaking of the Spartans, they began the season in a four way tie for 10th, but have posted two impressive wins to begin the season. One team missing from this composite is Gladbrook-Reinbeck. The Rebels have been an 11-man power, but they recently dropped down to 8-man. The transition from 11-man to 8-man is not as easy as you think and it certainly did not help that they drew two ranked opponents (Don Bosco and Turkey Valley) to kick off the season. Ar-We-Va began the season ranked seventh with 7.5 total points, since then they've posted two impressive victories and gained 3.5 points, but lost one spot in the composite rankings. CAM, Southeast Warren and Coon Rapids-Bayard failed to garner any preseason love, but have all had two strong games to start the season and find themselves getting some statewide attention.

                                                          My Top Ten

1: Don Bosco

2: Newell-Fonda

3: Exira-EHK

4: New London

5: Turkey Valley

6: Iowa Valley

7: Midland, Wyoming

8: CAM, Anita

9: Fremont-Mills

10: Southeast Warren

CLASS A

Undefeated Teams Remaining: 19

1: Hudson (2-0, 30)

2: Bishop Garrigan (2-0, 27)

3: AHSTW (2-0, 16)

4: St. Albert (1-1, 15)

5: East Buchanan (2-0, 13)

6: Wapsie Valley (2-0, 12)

7: West Hancock (1-1, 10.5)

8: Belmond-Klemme (2-0, 10)

9: Pekin (2-0, 8)

9: IKM-Manning (2-0, 8)

11: St. Ansgar (1-1, 5)

11: Sioux Central (2-0, 5)

13: Westwood, Sloan (2-0, 3)

14: Hinton (2-0, 2.5)

Thoughts

The top three appear pretty clear at this point according to the composite. Fourth on is where it gets interesting. In the three polls, St. Albert has a third-place vote, a fourth-place vote and is not in the top ten in the other one. It is worth noting, that the poll that has the Falcons ranked third also has their record listed as 2-0 (they lost to Kuemper in Week 1). I'm not saying the Falcons aren't worthy of being ranked fourth, their track record would say that they are, but it could be part of why they are ranked so high. Outside of St. Albert, the rest of the top ten are separated by a mere five points. The top ten is pretty similar to what it was a few weeks ago except Belmond-Klemme has made their way in thanks to a pair of 55-point wins along with Wapsie Valley, who boasts wins over Denver and Clayton Ridge-Guttenberg. The two teams they ousted? Belle Plaine and Lynnville-Sully, who dropped games to Grundy Center and Sigourney respectively. Two area Class A teams, Southwest Valley and Tri-Center are on the outside looking in, but they could find themselves cracking the top ten if they keep winning.

My Top Ten

1: Hudson

2: Bishop Garrigan

3: AHSTW

4: Belmond-Klemme

5: East Buchanan

6: St. Albert

7: Wapsie Valley

8: IKM-Manning

9: Pekin

10: Sioux Central

CLASS 1A

Undefeated Teams Remaining: 15

1: Van Meter (2-0, 26)

2: Iowa City, Regina (1-1, 22)

2: Dike-New Hartford (2-0, 22)

4: West Branch (2-0, 20)

5: West Lyon (2-0, 19)

6: South Central Calhoun (2-0, 17)

7: West Sioux (1-1, 14)

8: Wilton (2-0, 9)

9: Pella Christian (1-1, 7)

10: Panorama (2-0, 2)

11: Bellevue (2-0, 2)

12: Cascade (1-1, 2) 

13: Sumner-Fredericksburg (2-0, 1)

14: Interstate 35 (2-0, 1)

15: North Linn (2-0, 1)

Thoughts

This is the only class where each of three sets of rankings has a different team ranked number one; defending champion Van Meter along with Iowa City Regina and Dike-New Hartford all boasts a number one ranking in a respective poll. Van Meter and Dike-New Hartford have started their 2018 seasons with two wins while Regina suffered a 44-7 loss to Cedar Rapids, Xavier, the top-ranked team in Class 3A. West Branch has relied on the arm of Beau Cornwell to pick up two wins by a combined 61-points while perennial power West Lyon has picked up two wins over Central Lyon and Sioux Center. South Central Calhoun looked pretty salty in a 36-6 handling of Kuemper Catholic last weekend and don't overlook the one loss suffered by both Pella Christian and West Sioux. Those two losses came at the hands of Van Meter and Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley respectively. Both of those teams are ranked number one in their respective classes, so those are quality losses for sure. Interstate 35 has been one of the most interesting teams so far this season. The Road Runners have amassed early season wins over former Pride of Iowa Conference foes Central Decatur and Mount Ayr. They will host Panorama next week, another team that has received some state-wide love thanks to wins over St. Edmond and Manson-Northwest Webster by a combined 71 points.

                                                             My Top Ten

                                                              1: Van Meter

2: Dike-New Hartford

3: West Lyon

4: Iowa City, Regina

5: West Branch

6: South Central Calhoun

7: West Sioux

8: Pella Christian

9: Wilton

10: Interstate 35

    CLASS 2A

Undefeated Teams Remaining: 17

1: Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (2-0, 29)

2: Union Community (2-0, 27)

3: PCM, Monroe (2-0, 25)

4: Spirit Lake (2-0, 20)

5: Benton (2-0, 14)

6: Waukon (1-1, 12)

7: Clear Lake (1-1, 9)

8: Southeast Valley (2-0, 5)

9: Centerville (2-0, 5)

10: Sheldon (2-0, 4)

10: Algona (2-0, 4)

10: West Marshall (1-1, 4)

13: Estherville Lincoln Central (2-0, 3)

13: Greene County (2-0, 3)

Thoughts

This should not surprise anyone, but Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley is good at football. They boast two impressive wins over West Sioux and Western Christian but face a tough task with West Lyon this week. The other team to receive a first place ranking, Union Community has relied on a balanced offense and a stingy defense to start the season 2-0. PCM is coming off an impressive win over West Marshall. Southeast Valley has started their season off with wins over Hampton-Dumont and Pocahontas Area by a combined score of 88-14. Kuemper Catholic has dropped from the state rankings after a 36-6 loss to South Central Calhoun. I think that's a tad excessive, that is a good South Central Calhoun team that defeated Kuemper, not to mention the Knights controlled St. Albert the week before. Williamsburg, who was ranked second in the preseason composite poll has suffered losses to West Marshall and Western Dubuque, both of those programs are receiving state-wide attention, but the Raiders have lost those two games by a combined 53 points and have fallen out of state rankings entirely.

My Top Ten

1: Boyden Hull/Rock Valley

2: PCM, Monroe

3: Union Community

4: Benton

5: Spirit Lake

6: Southeast Valley

7: Waukon

8: Sheldon

9: Algona

10: Centerville

CLASS 3A

Undefeated Teams Remaining: 15

1: Xavier, Cedar Rapids (2-0, 29)

2: Lewis Central (2-0, 28)

3: Pella (2-0, 23)

4: West Delaware (2-0, 20)

5: Solon (2-0, 16)

5: North Scott (1-1, 16)

7: Waverly-Shell Rock (2-0, 11)

8: Bishop Heelan (2-0, 9)

9: Epworth, Western Dubuque (2-0, 7)

10: Sergeant Bluff-Luton (1-1, 5)

11: Independence (2-0, 1) 

Thoughts

I think you can make a valid argument for both Lewis Central and Xavier holding the top ranking. Xavier holds a 44-7 victory over Regina, the second-ranked team in Class 1A. However, Lewis Central holds claim to a dominant 42-14 over a really good Sergeant Bluff team as well as a 42-7 road win over Carlisle. The teams that were ranked third and fourth in the preseason rankings; Sergeant Bluff-Luton and North Scott have each suffered one loss. Sergeant Bluff lost in the aforementioned Lewis Central game, while North Scott suffered a 28-7 loss to Class 4A Iowa City West. I consider both of those quality losses. West Delaware has a blowout win over Wahlert and a slim victory over Marion while Solon holds a 20-point victory over Mount Vernon and a 7-0 win over West Liberty. Waverly-Shell Rock just posted an impressive 35-7 win over the seventh ranked team in Class 2A, Clear Lake. While we can almost always expect Bishop Heelan to be good, the Crusaders have impressed me this year with a 44-0 win over Sioux City East and a stingy 21-7 victory over Glenwood. 

My Top Ten

1: Lewis Central

2: Xavier, Cedar Rapids

3: Pella

4: Solon

5: Wahlert

6: Waverly-Shell Rock

7: Bishop Heelan Catholic

8: Sergeant Bluff-Luton

9: North Scott

10: Epworth, Western Dubuque

CLASS 4A

Undefeated Teams Remaining: 14

1: Valley, West Des Moines (2-0, 28)

2: Johnston (2-0, 25)

2: Bettendorf (2-0, 25)

4: Cedar Falls (2-0, 21)

4: Dowling Catholic (1-1, 21)

6: Prairie, Cedar Rapids (2-0, 15)

7: Ankeny Centennial (2-0, 11.5)

8: Cedar Rapids, Kennedy (2-0, 8)

9: Iowa City West (1-1, 6.5)

10: Fort Dodge (2-0, 3)

11: Waukee (1-1, 1)

Thoughts

Two media outlets have Valley ranked as the top team in Iowa's biggest class, while a third has Johnston ranked as the top dog. Valley took it to previously top-ranked Dowling Catholic this week and as Ric Flair once said, "to be the man, you got to beat the man,” If you buy that logic, then Valley is the top team thus far.  Johnston holds a 20-point victory over Urbandale and a 14-9 win over Ankeny while Bettendorf is fresh off a 10-7 victory over ninth-ranked Iowa City West. Cedar Falls has yet to surrender a point this season, The Tigers hold wins over Ames and Iowa City, City High by a combined score of 78-0. Ankeny Centennial holds claim to wins over Urbandale and Ankeny while Prairie is averaging 45 points per game. The top 10 consists of the same teams from the preseason with the exception of Fort Dodge and Cedar Rapids, Kennedy. Kennedy has allowed just seven points through two games while the Dodgers has scored 100-points in two games thanks to 851-yards from senior quarterback Drake Miller, who threw for an astounding 481-yards and five touchdowns in a 52-24 win over Ames. This is a team that has shown signs early on that they score with anybody.

My Top Ten

1: Valley, WDM

2: Bettendorf

3: Johnston

4: Dowling Catholic

5: Cedar Falls

6: Ankeny Centennial

7: Cedar Rapids, Kennedy

8: Iowa City, West

9: Fort Dodge

10: Prairie, Cedar Rapids