Iowa High School Football Class Top 10 Rankings - Sept. 1, 2026

Week 1 presents plenty of change in the Top 10 for each class of Iowa high school football.

Gilbert's running back/linebacker Tayton Warg (23) battles for a few yard as getting tackle by Newton Cardinals linebacker/offensive line Nick Milburn (55) during the first quarter in the high school football class 4A quarterfinal on Nov. 7, 2025, at Tigers Stadium, Gilbert, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Upsets and big wins presented plenty of change in the Iowa high school football Top-10 rankings for each classification.

For the first few weeks, several teams play opponents in different classes until district play takes center stage. 

5A: Movement, But No Change In Top-10

Dowling Catholic took care of rival West Des Moines Valley in the biggest Class 5A game of the week, as the Maroons posted a 21-0 shutout.

While there were no newcomers to the Top-10, there was plenty of shakeup, including a drop by Waukee Northwest after the Wolves fell to Ankeny, 28-20.

4A: Carlisle Tips Newton In Key Early Season Matchup

Last year, Newton scored a 49-42 victory over Carlisle to begin the season on its way to a deep playoff run in Class 4A. This time, the Wildcats earned a defensive battle over the Cardinals, 10-7.

The win snapped a three-game run in the series by Newton.

Pella was the second team to move into the Class 4A Top-10.

3A: Des Moines Christian Leads Three Newcomers

With a one-sided win over Van Meter, Des Moines Christian jumped into the rankings, as the Lions are fourth. Mount Vernon and West Delaware joined them in the Top-10.

Sioux City Bishop Heelan and Dubuque Wahlert Catholic lost to Class 4A teams, as they fell in the rankings.

2A: Kuemper Catholic Dominates, Van Meter Stumbles

Kuemper Catholic ended 2025 unbeaten, and the Knights started 2026 the same way with a win over Cherokee Washington, 42-0.

Van Meter, meanwhile, came up short against Class 3A Top-10 newcomer Des Moines Christian, 34-17. Clarinda moved into the rankings on the heels of a 59-45 win in a scorefest over Creston.

1A: Traditional Powers Enter Top-10

Aplington-Parkersburg and Sigourney Keota both have rich histories on the gridiron. And behind Week 1 wins, they both moved into the Top-10 this week.

Harrison Schultz threw two touchdowns and Mason Pruisner ran for 164 yards to lead Aplington-Parkersburg past Grundy Center, 27-7. The Spartans had won 38 straight regular season games.

Sigourney Keota, meanwhile, downed Monroe-PCM, 14-7, as Chase Clarahan had a passing TD and ran in a score.

A: Defending Champ MMCRU Falls

The reigning Class A champions, MMCRU, dropped an 18-13 decision to Akron-Westfield out of the gates. The Royals showed fight, scoring twice in the fourth to make it a game.

Eight-Player: Iowa Valley Destroys Don Bosco

Nolan Kriegel and Iowa Valley had little trouble with a Top 10 opponent, posting a one-sided 60-25 victory over Don Bosco. The Tigers have now scored 127 points in two games.

North Union was the lone newcomer to the Top-10, as the Warriors handled business vs. Newell-Fonda, 66-7.

Top-ranked Woodbine rolled to a 60-20 win over Lenox, as Micah Moores had four rushing touchdowns and Penn State commit Landon Blum caught four passes for 77 yards. 

Here are the class-by-class rankings for Iowa high school football.

Iowa High School Football Class Top 10 Rankings - Sept. 1, 2026

Class 5A

1. Dowling Catholic
2. Sioux City East
3. Johnston
4. Iowa City West
5. West Des Moines Valley
6. Iowa City Liberty
7. Southeast Polk
8. Waukee Northwest
9. Cedar Rapids Prairie
10. Dallas Center-Grimes

Class 4A

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier
2. Sergeant Bluff-Luton
3. ADM
4. Lewis Central
5. Carlisle
6. Waverly-Shell Rock
7. Fort Dodge
8. Glenwood
9. Newton
10. Pella

Class 3A

1. Clear Lake
2. Solon
3. Sioux City Bishop Heelan
4. Des Moines Christian
5. Williamsburg
6. Carroll
7. Dubuque Wahlert Catholic
8. Sioux Center
9. Mount Vernon
10. West Delaware

Class 2A

1. Kuemper Catholic
2. OABCIG
3. Roland-Story
4. Van Meter
5. Wilton
6. Alburnett
7. Mid-Prairie
8. Okoboji
9. Centerville
10. Clarinda

Class 1A

1. West Lyon
2. Iowa City Regina
3. Pleasantville
4. South Hardin
5. Underwood
6. Treynor
7. Clarion-Goldfield/Dows
8. Aplington-Parkersburg
9. Grundy Center
10. Sigourney Keota

Class A

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

Eight-Player

1. Woodbine
2. Audubon
3. Iowa Valley
4. Bishop Garrigan
5. Edgewood-Colesburg
6. Gladbrook-Reinbeck
7. Bedford
8. Moravia
9. Clarksville
10. North Union