Johnston leapfrogged to the top of the High School On SI Iowa rankings this week after a win over Southeast Polk, ending the Rams’ unbeaten run and reshuffling the Class 5A landscape just as the regular season nears its close. The change leaves no remaining unbeaten teams in the state’s largest classification and raises the stakes heading into Week 9.
The weekly poll covers every 11-player program from Class A through 5A and reflects both late-season momentum and the start of postseason play in lower classifications. With Class 2A, 1A, A and eight-player already into the playoffs, a number of ranked teams will be balancing final regular-season assignments against playoff preparations.
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Rankings entering Week 9 — snapshot
| Rank | Team (Class) | Record | Previous | Next game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnston (5A) | 7-1 | No. 4 | at Des Moines Roosevelt — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 2 | Cedar Rapids Xavier (4A) | 8-0 | No. 2 | vs. Mason City — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 3 | Dowling Catholic (5A) | 7-1 | No. 3 | vs. Marshalltown — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 4 | Southeast Polk (5A) | 7-1 | No. 1 | vs. Des Moines East — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 5 | Sergeant Bluff-Luton (4A) | 8-0 | No. 5 | vs. Spencer — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 6 | Clear Lake (3A) | 8-0 | No. 7 | at West Delaware — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 7 | Iowa City Regina (1A) | 8-0 | No. 8 | vs. Columbus Catholic — Fri., Oct. 23 (playoffs) |
| 8 | Solon (3A) | 8-0 | No. 9 | vs. Fort Madison — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 9 | Ankeny (5A) | 6-2 | No. 6 | vs. Council Bluffs Lincoln — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 10 | Sioux City East (5A) | 6-2 | No. 10 | vs. Ames — Thu., Oct. 22 |
| 11 | West Lyon (1A) | 7-1 | No. 11 | vs. Tri-Center — Fri., Oct. 23 (playoffs) |
| 12 | Carlisle (4A) | 8-0 | No. 12 | vs. Ballard — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 13 | Des Moines Christian (3A) | 8-0 | No. 13 | vs. Winterset — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 14 | Western Dubuque (4A) | 7-1 | No. 14 | vs. Burlington — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 15 | Kuemper Catholic (2A) | 7-1 | No. 15 | vs. Unity Christian — Fri., Oct. 23 (playoffs) |
| 16 | Carroll (3A) | 7-1 | No. 16 | at Atlantic — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 17 | Indianola (5A) | 6-2 | No. 18 | at Urbandale — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 18 | Spirit Lake (2A) | 6-2 | No. 19 | vs. Cherokee — Fri., Oct. 23 (playoffs) |
| 19 | Cedar Falls (5A) | 6-2 | No. 20 | at Cedar Rapids Jefferson — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 20 | Waukee Northwest (5A) | 5-3 | No. 21 | vs. Norwalk — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 21 | Cedar Rapids Prairie (5A) | 6-2 | No. 22 | vs. Dubuque Senior — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 22 | Pleasant Valley (5A) | 6-2 | No. 23 | vs. Davenport Central — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 23 | Lewis Central (4A) | 6-2 | No. 24 | at Council Bluffs Jefferson — Fri., Oct. 23 |
| 24 | Central Lyon/George–Little Rock (2A) | 8-0 | No. 25 | vs. Southeast Valley — Fri., Oct. 23 (playoffs) |
| 25 | West Des Moines Valley (5A) | 5-3 | Unranked | at Des Moines Lincoln — Fri., Oct. 23 |
Key takeaways:
- Johnston’s victory over Southeast Polk produced the poll’s biggest jump, pushing the Dragons to No. 1 and handing the Rams their first loss of the season.
- That result means there are no remaining unbeaten teams in Class 5A, narrowing the margin for error as the regular season finishes in Week 9.
- Class 2A, 1A, A and eight-player programs have already started postseason play; several ranked teams listed above will enter the playoffs this weekend.
- Notable roster movement: No. 17 Bettendorf has fallen out of the Top 25 this week.
With only a few regular-season games left for Classes 3A–5A, rankings are likely to shift again quickly. Teams chasing seeding and momentum will treat this weekend’s matchups as essential tune-ups before postseason brackets are set.
If you follow Iowa high school football, watch the Week 9 slate closely — several games listed above have playoff or seeding consequences that could reshape the next rankings update.
