Iowa High School Football Class Top 10 Rankings - Sept. 8, 2026

Iowa City Regina takes over as No. 1 in Class 1A from West Lyon.

Iowa City Regina’s Tate Wallace (0) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown Nov. 20, 2025 during the Class 1A state football championship against the West Lyon Wildcats at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The annual Beef Bowl saw West Lyon suffer a loss for the first time in 28 games, as Central Lyon/George-Little Rock snapped an incredible run of victories for the Wildcats.

With the setback, West Lyon was dropped from the No. 1 spot in Class 1A, with Iowa City Regina taking over. The Regals dominated West Branch, 49-6, to move to 2-0 on the season.

5A: Dowling Catholic’s Offense Comes To Light

One week after the defense pitched a shutout, the Dowling Catholic’s offense went off in a win over Johnston. Henry Smid ran for 250 yards, Ethan La Cava threw for 234 and Beau Williams had four receptions for 197 yards - with three of those catches going for touchdowns.

Johnston gave the Dowling Catholic defense fits, as Trevin Helming threw for 367 yards and four touchdowns, with Emri Jones recording 168 total yards and two scores. Bryce Beachem had four receptions for 123 with a touchdown.

4A: Sergeant Bluff-Luton Turns Back Lewis Central

In one of the marquee Class 4A matchups of the week, Sergeant Bluff-Luton piled up over 300 yards of total offense in defeating Lewis Central. Justin Ehlers threw for 151 yards and was one of four players to run for at least 47 in a balanced attack.

Ryan Husen had 74 yards and two scores, Ehlers ran for 50 yards and a TD, Carson Jager had 48 with a score and Emmet Kneifl added 47 with a touchdown.

Eight-Player: Top Teams Light Up The Scoreboard

Scores hitting 100 combined points by eight-player teams is the norm week in and week out, but a team doing it by themselves is rare. Two of the top teams in the state nearly did it this past week, as Audubon defeated Griswold, 95-0, and Woodbine topped Sidney, 90-0.

Not to be forgotten was Iowa Valley, as they put up 85 without allowing a point.

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

Iowa High School Football Class Top 10 Rankings - Sept. 8, 2026

Class 5A

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

Class 4A

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

Class 3A

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

Class 2A

1. Kuemper Catholic
2. OABCIG
3. Van Meter
4. Wilton
5. Alburnett
6. Okoboji
7. Centerville
8. Clarinda
9. West Burlington-Notre Dame
10. Crestwood

Class 1A

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

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. Pekin

Eight-Player

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