Defending Champs Take Over in Latest Iowa Prep Football Poll

North Polk moves back to the top in Class 4A

North Polk’s Bryce Burke makes a diving attempt for a reception in the end zone against ADM-Adel Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, during a high school football game at North Polk Stadium in Alleman. The ball fell incomplete. Mandatory Credit: Bryon Houlgrave-The Des Moines Register | Bryon Houlgrave/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The latest Associated Press rankings for Iowa high school football have been released, as new teams sit atop several classifications.

* Iowa High School Football Top 25 State Rankings

In Class 4A, defending state champion North Polk moved ahead of Cedar Rapids Xavier following a thrilling victory over No. 7 ADM in overtime last Friday night.

The Comets won their first state football title last fall and are off to a perfect 3-0 start this year. Cedar Rapids Xavier received more first-place votes than North Polk and sits two points behind them.

Solon received five of the 10 first-place votes in 3A to move to the top after Sioux City Bishop Heelan dropped following a loss to 5A Top 10 Sioux City East.

Carroll Kuemper is No. 1 in 2A, defending three-time state champion Grundy Center holds the top spot in 1A, ACGC is No. 1 in A and Bishop Garrigan moved to the front in eight-player after a loss by Fremont-Mills to Woodbine.

Waukee Northwest held off Iowa City Liberty to stay No. 1 in 5A, as both received five first-place votes. 

Here are the latest Iowa high school football rankings from the Associated Press:

Iowa High School Football Associated Press Rankings

Class 5A

1. Waukee Northwest
2. Iowa City Liberty
3. West Des Moines Valley
4. Iowa City West
5. Dowling Catholic
6. Southeast Polk
7. Sioux City East
8. Ankeny
9. Cedar Falls
10. Indianola

Class 4A

1. North Polk
2. Cedar Rapids Xavier
3. Pella
4. Decorah
5. Fort Dodge
6. Gilbert
7. ADM
8. Glenwood
9. Sergeant Bluff-Luton
10. Clear Creek-Amana

Class 3A

1. Solon
2. Clear Lake
3. Des Moines Christian
4. Nevada
5. Independence
6. Sioux City Bishop Heelan
7. West Delaware
8. Central DeWitt
9. (tie) Dubuque Wahlert
10. MOC-Floyd Valley

Class 2A

1. Carroll Kuemper
2. Woodward-Granger
3. Okoboji
4. Osage
5. (tie) Van Meter
6. Centerville
7. Bellevue
8. PCM
9. (tie) Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley
10. Alburnett
11. (tie) OABCIG

Class 1A

1. Grundy Center
2. West Lyon
3. Iowa City Regina
4. South Hardin
5. Pleasantville
6. Union LaPorte City
7. MVAOCOU
8. Treynor
9. Emmetsburg
10. Hinton
11. (tie) Underwood

Class A

1. ACGC
2. MMCRU
3. Saint Ansgar
4. North Linn
5. West Hancock
6. Wapsie Valley
7. West Sioux
8. Pekin
9. Woodbury Central
10. West Fork

Eight-Player

1. Bishop Garrigan
2. Woodbine
3. Iowa Valley
4. Audubon
5. Gladbrook-Reinbeck
6. WACO
7. GTRA
8. Easton Valley
9. Edgewood-Colesburg
10. Fremont-Mills