Preseason Rankings

[Charles86]

What is your preseason top 10? Also, who are some of the early favorites to take home the title?

Early favorites:
Regina, Iowa City
Dike-New Hartford
West Sioux
West Branch
South Central Calhoun
Pella Christian
Cascade, Western Dubuque
Wilton

Defending champ Van Meter lost a lot from that senior class, so I don’t see them getting back to the dome, but with that success, you never know.

Any additions to favorites? Thoughts? Share your favorites and top 10. Almost kickoff time!

 

[Mustang3314]

Regina
West Sioux
West Lyon
West Branch
Dike New Hartford
Pella Christian
Wilton
Cascade
Van Meter
Beckman Catholic

 

[HawkPT]

Pella Christian has a killer non-district schedule this year. It includes:

• Week #1: HOME vs. Oskaloosa (3A) - playoff qualifier last two years
• Week #2: AWAY @ Van Meter (1A) - state champion last year
• Week #3: AWAY @ Iowa City Regina (1A) - state runner-up last year
• Week #4: HOME vs. PCM (2A) - expected to be a strong team and playoff participant this year

Their district is not expected to be a powerhouse, though, with the following games: vs. Woodward Academy, @ Pleasantville, vs. Colfax-Mingo, @ Woodward-Granger, and vs. I-35 Truro. PC could potentially make the playoffs and have 4+ losses.

 

[Charles86]

Does Pleasantville challenge PC for the district title or will PC run the table no problem?

 

[HawkPT]

Not sure. They still have the ultra-fast back Tyree, I believe, and the game is at Pleasantville. I expect a good game.

 

[Charles86]

PC @ Regina could be a preview of a potential playoff game down the road. Possibly to go to the dome. Regina has quite the non district schedule themselves. Both will be battled tested early on.

 

[ISUfan00]

I’m a West Branch fan and Alum, but I don’t think their a preseason top 10. Maybe top 15. Beau will have to carry the load. This team will have to show steady improvement each week to be considered a real contender come week 9. Can they do it? I think they can but any early setbacks early on could be a blow to this young team confidence

 

[Charles86]

I think based on tradition and the fact they bring Beau back, West Branch will get a top 10 nod maybe somewhere between 8-10.

 

[Bluejay89]

I’m a West Branch fan and Alum, but I don’t think their a preseason top 10. Maybe top 15. Beau will have to carry the load. This team will have to show steady improvement each week to be considered a real contender come week 9. Can they do it? I think they can but any early setbacks early on could be a blow to this young team confidence

Beau is good. So is Tanner Lukuvsky (sp?) Big strong RB and LB. He will be a load as well and will be equally important. His injury last year really hurt WB down the stretch.

 

[Bluejay89]

PC @ Regina could be a preview of a potential playoff game down the road. Possibly to go to the dome. Regina has quite the non district schedule themselves. Both will be battled tested early on.

Regina could easily end up 5-4 and miss out on the playoffs. #1 3A Xavier, #1 2A Williamsburg, #1 1A DNH, and PC. I don't know if these rankings are right as I have not seen them. Although this is the rankings that I heard. Personally, I believe PC deserves to be #1 in 1A.

 

[Charles86]

PC will be extremely tough this year. Seems like they just reload at the skills spots every year and have really good sized linemen to go with that. Also, they have given Regina fits the last few years but have come up short. Maybe this is the year they get past the Regals.

 

[gdkid2010]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Bellevue. I think they’re a force to be reckoned with.

I’m intrigued by the week 5 matchup between them and West Branch. If they both make it out of a brutal non-District schedule, they’d be kicking off District play as one of the best matchups of the week.

 

[gdkid2010]

I think based on tradition and the fact they bring Beau back, West Branch will get a top 10 nod maybe somewhere between 8-10.

Beau is a big piece for sure but the team has playmakers all over the field, including a freshman who is going to be exciting to watch. Sure, they graduated two of the best receivers in program history but West Branch has always been a program of depth and fill. This year is no different.

 

[Charles86]

Beau is a big piece for sure but the team has playmakers all over the field, including a freshman who is going to be exciting to watch. Sure, they graduated two of the best receivers in program history but West Branch has always been a program of depth and fill. This year is no different.

District 4 looks like one of the toughest in 1A. Whoever comes out on top will be battle tested for sure. Who do you think will be the district champ?

Beckman Catholic, Dyersville
Bellevue
Cascade, Western Dubuque
North Cedar, Stanwood
Northeast, Goose Lake
West Branch

 

[HawkPT]

PC will be extremely tough this year. Seems like they just reload at the skills spots every year and have really good sized linemen to go with that. Also, they have given Regina fits the last few years but have come up short. Maybe this is the year they get past the Regals.

The big question is: How will the PC lines perform? They lost some good players in the trenches, and the replacements will be athletic but smaller. And the OL will be protecting a new QB. Overall, their skill players, though, will be very good.

 

[GoEagles23]

District 4 looks like one of the toughest in 1A. Whoever comes out on top will be battle tested for sure. Who do you think will be the district champ?

Beckman Catholic, Dyersville
Bellevue
Cascade, Western Dubuque
North Cedar, Stanwood
Northeast, Goose Lake
West Branch

Bellevue lost all state caliber QB Cade Daugherty but returns almost every other player. They will be scary good if they can find a guy who can man the pocket with poise. Hunter Clasen was the best RB and best LB in the district last season. Their line is undersized but so technically sound.

West Branch will hinge upon their offensive line. They lost Barnwart (I think that's his name) who was the best in the district the last two seasons. They also lost a kid who on film looked like the goose to the gander. Turns out he's going to play at my alma mater for the next four years (Central).

Cascade might be good but they lost so many important keys to the ignition from last year. I would bet they will be in the hunt, no doubt.

DB was under the radar in a very tough 2A district last year. They might be the spoiler.
Northeast and NC aren't key players.

Prediction:

If healthy, I see WB beating Bellevue on the road in week 5 and then running the table. WB returns 6 players who started both ways and always seem to find a way to find kids there.

GDKid who is this freshman WB has? Is he a transfer or a homegrown?

 

[Charles86]

Des Moines Register Preseason Rankings

Class 1A
1. Iowa City Regina
2. West Sioux
3. Van Meter
4. West Lyon
5. South Central Calhoun
6. Pella Christian
7. Aplington-Parkersburg
8. Cascade
9. Dike-New Hartford
10. West Branch

Can’t say that I agree with everything here. West Lyon might be top 10 but not top 5. They were basically all seniors last year and have a lot to replace. Van Meter was heavy on the senior side as well I believe and will replace a lot. West Branch could be a bit higher and no Bellevue in the top 10. I guess we’ll see what it looks like after a few weeks.

 

[GoEagles23]

Top 10

Pella Christian
Dike NH
West Sioux
SCC
AP
Wilton
Regina
WB
Bellevue
West Lyon

Hon Men: Cascade, Sig Keota, Western Christian, and Emmetsburg

 

[Charles86]

Toughest disticts based on some of the rankings would be

District 1: West Sioux, West Lyon, Western Christian and Emmetsburg

District 4: Bellevue, Cascade, West Branch

Not to mention the non district schedules for some of these teams. West Sioux and West Lyon I believe will both play Central Lyon, BHRV, and Sioux Center as part of theirs. So important to get victories out of district so we’ll see if these teams can get the job done.

 

[rc1963]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Bellevue. I think they’re a force to be reckoned with.

I’m intrigued by the week 5 matchup between them and West Branch. If they both make it out of a brutal non-District schedule, they’d be kicking off District play as one of the best matchups of the week.

Brutal ND Schedule? Bellvue has Ed-Co, Comanche, Monte, and Clayton Ridge - Which one of those is the brute? Or were your talking WB? They have Williamsburg, that's punching up, but otherwise WL, Wapello and Tipton should be no particular challenge. Not trying to pick a fight and certainly not saying anything negative about Bellevue or WB, just don't understand the comment.

 

[Charles86]

Brutal ND Schedule? Bellvue has Ed-Co, Comanche, Monte, and Clayton Ridge - Which one of those is the brute? Or were your talking WB? They have Williamsburg, that's punching up, but otherwise WL, Wapello and Tipton should be no particular challenge. Not trying to pick a fight and certainly not saying anything negative about Bellevue or WB, just don't understand the comment.

Yeah Bellevue should be 4-0 with relative ease going into the home game vs WB. Williamsburg/WB could be a classic. Either way, that first district game between Bellevue and WB will be a great matchup

 

[Bluejay89]

West Branch and Williamsburg both lose a lot of their line from last year. This game will be interesting to see who can establish control of the LOS. Both teams have REALLY good running backs.

 

[Charles86]

West Branch and Williamsburg both lose a lot of their line from last year. This game will be interesting to see who can establish control of the LOS. Both teams have REALLY good running backs.

Williamsburg might have the fastest back in 2A

 

[GoEagles23]

West Branch actually returns 3 of 5 linemen, but Barnwart and #59 (Frise?) are gone. Both are all-district and/or all-state players.