Top 25 Iowa high school football rankings (10/16/2023)

No. 1 SE Polk edges No. 2 Dowling in 3 OTs in 5A game of year to date

Here are SBLive’s Iowa high school football rankings for the week of Oct. 15: 

1, Southeast Polk (8-0)

Down seven to West Des Moines Dowling, Rams needed a fourth-and-goal, 18-yard TD pass from Connor Moberly to Sam Zelenovich to send the game to a second overtime. SE Polk won 37-34 in three OTs.

2. West Des Moines Dowling (7-1)

Maroons will be motivated to earn a rematch in the playoffs after falling to Southeast Polk in triple-OT in the 5A game of the year to date.

3. Western Dubuque (7-1)

Grant Glausser continues to be nearly unstoppable, adding another 302 rushing yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns in a 28-7 win over Decorah.

4. Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (8-0)

Reece Vander Zee’s 4-yard touchdown run and the ensuing kick with 4:01 left in the third quarter were the only points in a 7-0 win over previously unbeaten West Lyon.

5. Van Meter (8-0)

Ben Gordon carried 17 times for 236 yards and four TDs, upping his season rushing total to 1,335.

6. Creston (8-0)

Cael Turner passed for 242 yards and three scores, and Brennan Hayes rushed for 186 and a touchdown as the Panthers passed another big test in a 42-28 win over Nevada.

7. Pleasant Valley (7-1)

Harrison Fierce recovered a fumble in the end zone for a key touchdown in the Spartans’ 38-25 victory over Iowa City West.

8. Lewis Central (6-2)

Titans continued their recent surge, getting 203 rushing yards from Caleb Moore on 29 carries and two scores along with a third TD receiving in a 42-13 win over Norwalk.

10. Waukee Northwest (6-2)

Sam Johnson ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 64 more in an impressive 17-7 win over Ankeny Centennial.

11. North Scott (6-2)

Lancers led Clinton 55-0 at the half, and that was the final score as they held the River Kings to 134 total yards.

12. Bettendorf (7-1)

Wrigley Matthys needed only five carries to gain 138 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown burst in a 35-8 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie.

13. Underwood (7-1)

That’s four straight shutouts and five in six games for the Eagles, who hammered Red Oak 56-0.

14. Solon (7-1)

Spartans ran for 289 yards and improved to 4-0 in Class 3A, District 5 play with a 42-6 win over Fairfield.

15. West Lyon (7-1)

Wildcats managed just 88 total yards in their showdown with Central Lyon/George-Little Rock.

16. Williamsburg (7-1)

Grinnell entered with a 5-2 record, but Williamsburg steamrolled the Tigers 63-8, racing to a 49-0 halftime lead.

17. Mount Vernon (7-1)

Jackson Hird (65 yards) and Ben Pospisil (52) both returned kickoffs for touchdowns in a 65-6 win over Washington.

18. Ankeny (5-3)

Hawks entered sixth in the 5A RPI, but their playoff positioning took a hit with a last-second loss to West Des Moines Valley, 24-23.

19. Ankeny Centennial (4-4)

Jaguars were outgained by 200 total yards (363-163) in their 17-7 loss to Waukee Northwest.

20. Grundy Center (8-0)

Last year’s Class A champs wrapped up an unbeaten regular season in 1A with a 28-3 win over Hudson.

21. Johnston (4-4)

After Friday’s 21-2 win over Urbandale, the Dragons are in position to make the playoffs with a Week 9 win over Sioux City East

22. West Des Moines Valley (3-5)

Rico Alvarenga booted the game-winning 31-yard field goal as time expired, then ran into the crowd to hug his family in a 24-23, season-saving win over Ankeny.

23. Cedar Falls (5-3)

Tigers earned one of the biggest wins in Week 8, as Drake Gelhaus rushed for 143 yards in a 17-14 win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy at the UNI-Dome.

24. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (5-3)

Vincenzo Gianforte completed 18 passes to eight different receivers for 194 yards, but it wasn’t enough to take down Cedar Falls.

25. Pella (5-3)

Luke Hardman was 17 for 25 for 359 yards and three TDs with no INTs, as the Dutch turned plenty of heads across the state with a 40-13 win over Bondurant-Farrar.