Iowa High School Football Class Top 10 Rankings - Sept. 22, 2026

Southeast Polk replaces Dowling Catholic atop 5A, as the other No. 1 teams remain the same.

Regina’s Tate Wallace (0) is tackled by Alburnett’s Laken Caves (24) during a high school football game Sept. 10, 2026 in Alburnett, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Thanks to a thrilling 31-28 victory over Dowling Catholic in one of the Week 4 spotlight games, Southeast Polk moved to the top in Class 5A of Iowa high school football. 

The Rams, four-time state champions in the largest classification, used a game-winning field goal late to secure the win in the showdown that could be a title game preview. They also climbed to the top spot in the High School On SI Iowa Top 25 rankings.

Dowling Catholic dropped from third to first, with Sioux City East remaining in the No. 2 spot.

The other No. 1 ranked teams in their respective classes include Cedar Rapids Xavier (Class 4A), Clear Lake (Class 3A), Kuemper Catholic (Class 2A), Iowa City Regina Catholic (Class 1A), Woodbury Central (Class A) and Woodbine (eight-player). 

4A: Another Showdown On The Horizon

Sergeant Bluff-Luton already earned a key win over Lewis Central, and with district action set to begin in Week 5, the Warriors will tangle with another highly-ranked team.

This time it is Fort Dodge, as the unbeaten Dodgers make the trek over for the matchup. Last year, Sergeant Bluff-Luton posted a convincing win on its way to an appearance in the state semifinals.

2A: Kuemper Catholic Stakes Its Claim To Being State Favorite

The defending state champion Knights used a big game from Jarin Hoffman to down OABCIG in a showdown between No. 1 and No. 2 in Class 2A. Kuemper Catholic posted a 35-20 victory over the Falcons on their home field.

Mid-Prairie jumped up in the Top 10 thanks to a 20-19 win over Wilton, as Spirit Lake did the same by taking care of Okoboji.

Iowa High School Football Class Top 10 Rankings - Sept. 22, 2026

Class 5A

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

Class 4A

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier
2. Sergeant Bluff-Luton
3. Carlisle
4. Fort Dodge
5. Western Dubuque
6. North Polk
7. Clear Creek-Amana
8. Pella
9. Waverly-Shell Rock
10. Lewis Central

Class 3A

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

Class 2A

1. Kuemper Catholic
2. Van Meter
3. Central Lyon/George-Little Rock
4. OABCIG
5. Mid-Prairie
6. Centerville
7. Spirit Lake
8. Alburnett
9. Crestwood
10. Wilton

Class 1A

1. Iowa City Regina Catholic
2. West Lyon
3. Underwood
4. South Hardin
5. Aplington-Parkersburg
6. Grundy Center
7. Dyersville Beckman Catholic
8. Treynor
9. East Sac County
10. Pleasantville

Class A

1. Woodbury Central
2. Saint Ansgar
3. West Sioux
4. Madrid
5. Wapsie Valley
6. North Linn
7. Mason City Newman Catholic
8. ACGC
9. Pekin
10. Council Bluffs St. Albert

Eight-Player

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