Week 5 Top 10

[CoachNel4]

1. Pella 4-0
2. Xavier 4-0
3. West Delaware 4-0
4. Heelan 4-0
5. Webster City 4-0
6. DC-G 3-1
7. Chariton 4-0
8. Norwalk 3-1
9. Glenwood 4-0
10. Independence 4-0

Looking in... Harlan 3-1, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 3-1, Washington 3-1, Creston 3-1, Gilbert 3-1, Bondurant-Farrar 3-1, Assumption 2-2

 

[jen44]

1. West Delaware 4-0
2. Pella 4-0
3. Xavier 4-0
4. Heelan 4-0
5. Independence 4-0
6. Chariton 4-0
7. Webster City 4-0
8. Glenwood 4-0
9. Norwalk 3-1
10. Washington 3-1

 

[El_Doce]

youre right Jen. Pella doesnt deserve #1. They haven't beat 2 of your top ten teams by a combined 40 points. Also where is all the Hype on Chariton coming from? Has anybody looked at who they've played? Current combined record of their opponents is 2-14......IMO all of the teams in Steady's "looking in" could beat them.

 

[mtdew_fever]

I'd agree on Chariton. They are 4-0 and have an All-State WR/TE, but their opponents are a combined 2-14. Both of those wins are against a Clunk Community (Osceola)....and they are likely the worst team in class 2A in the state.

youre right Jen. Pella doesnt deserve #1. They haven't beat 2 of your top ten teams by a combined 40 points. Also where is all the Hype on Chariton coming from? Has anybody looked at who they've played? Current combined record of their opponents is 2-14......IMO all of the teams in Steady's "looking in" could beat them.

 

[fmclonefan]

Chariton will, most likely, be 5-0 after this week as they play Osky, but I don't see them winning another game after that (except, maybe against Knoxville). They should most certainly not be ranked. Also, I think Pella should probably be ranked #1 just because they are the defending champs and haven't done anything to not be ranked #1 this year, but West Delaware looks to be outstanding so is certainly no crime to have them at #1. I think we are all still trying to get a feel as to who the real top 10 teams are this year, which is a big part of the fun.

 

[Larry76]

1. Pella 4-0
2. Xavier 4-0
3. West Delaware 4-0
4. Heelan 4-0
5. Webster City 4-0
6. DC-G 3-1
7. Chariton 4-0
8. Norwalk 3-1
9. Glenwood 4-0
10. Independence 4-0

Looking in... Harlan 3-1, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 3-1, Washington 3-1, Creston 3-1, Gilbert 3-1, Bondurant-Farrar 3-1, Assumption 2-2

 

[Larry76]

So Assumption gets beat by Bettendorf 35 to 28 (one touchdown). No one else has come close to Bettendorf who is ranked 2nd in 4A. Assumption goes up to Xavier and gets beat 14 to 7 (Assumption turned the ball over 4 times in the red zone). Have beat their last 2 opponents 111 to 0 and they are not ranked in the top 10 ? The Knights can't wait to play Xavier again.

 

[El_Doce]

So Assumption gets beat by Bettendorf 35 to 28 (one touchdown). No one else has come close to Bettendorf who is ranked 2nd in 4A. Assumption goes up to Xavier and gets beat 14 to 7 (Assumption turned the ball over 4 times in the red zone). Have beat their last 2 opponents 111 to 0 and they are not ranked in the top 10 ? The Knights can't wait to play Xavier again.

Agreed Larry, I think that Assumption is still being punished over last years record, while Harlan gets a lot of positive noise despite only having 3 wins last year(thats what happens when you are a dynasty). I think that Washington v. Assumption and West Del vs. Inde. will be great games near the end of the season. Another point on Chariton is that one of their returning starters and best athletes (Laing) is not even playing this year to probably focus on Bball.

 

[NeverReadTheTermsOfService]

Assumption is for sure one of the top teams, but no 2-2 team will be ranked in the top ten after week 4, especially when the wins are against Ft. Madison and Keokuk (even if they were completely brutal). I don't think Washington has a snowball's chance against Assumption in that game. Pella and Chariton probably play in the best district. Pella is by far the best team in 3A and Norwalk is probably top five. Chariton plays Norwalk on the road in a couple of weeks. I'd keep them in "teams to watch" and see how long they can stay in that game. Haven't played any really good teams yet and will probably be somewhere between 3-5 in that district.

One thing with polls, and this bothered me in basketball. Having a super tough schedule is great, and it will help you in the playoffs, but you can't expect to be ranked in the top 10 just because you lost to tough teams. I'd bet Assumption is top five by the end of the year, but that doesn't mean they deserve to be ranked ahead of unbeatens now.

 

[fmclonefan]

I hadn't heard that Laing wasn't playing. That guy is a stud. He was the other threat last year to take some heat of Hockensen.

Agreed that Assumption should be top 10. Granted Fort Madison and Keokuk aren't very good, but Assumption did what they were supposed to do and put them away early. Assumption and Xavier will have to face-off, most likely, somewhere along the line come playoff time to get to the dome, but not necessarily. If CRX goes north and Assumption stays with the SE Iowa teams then they could potentially not see each other until the dome, if they would both make it that far. Solon and Washington will be in the mix as well in Eastern/SE Iowa. Pella may get thrown in there as well, depending how things play out in Central Iowa. Wash plays Solon this week and then Assumption at end of the season. Those games will be interesting to see where Washington is in the mix. I watched them play Pella week #1 and Washington will be very good. They are young, so they should just keep getting better.

 

[Cyclone1968]

Washington scored more points on Pella than the other three teams combined and that was when they had Schulte in the line up for 3 of those quarters.

Washington is young with lots of room for improvement. Their defense is very good and once their o line gels they will be a tough out.

 

[fmclonefan]

That is true, but it was 42-10 with about 2:30 minutes left in the game and Pella's subs fumbled inside their own 10 which lead to a td and then Wash scored a long Hail Mary pass at the very end of the game. Score was closer then the game was. That being said, Wash has a very nice team and I look forward to seeing how they do against Solon this week.

 

[La_Fleur]

Do you guys think Xavier and West Delaware will meet before the dome again this year, assuming they each win their district?

 

[fmclonefan]

They did last year so I would say that there would be a good chance they will again this year. Lots of variables in there though.

 

[mtdew_fever]

I would agree on Assumption needing to be in the top 10. One could argue that Solon has the talent to there and will probably get there later on this season, but has faced tougher opponents than a lot of the top 10 has.

Also, I have to give Independence some credit. Over the past decade or two, they have been really terrible. This year they are off to a great start with a new(ish) head coach and will likely make the playoffs for the first time since 1985. Yeah.....30 years!!

 

[El_Doce]

I think you could drop both Glenwood and Chariton from the list, based on Strength of Sched and replace with Assumption and Solon:

1. Pella
2. W. Del
3. Xavier
4. Heelan
5. Inde
6. Webster City
7. Assumption
8. Norwalk
9. DCG
10. Solon

Harlan, Washington looking in. With Solon/Wash deciding this week.

 

[NeverReadTheTermsOfService]

That is true, but it was 42-10 with about 2:30 minutes left in the game and Pella's subs fumbled inside their own 10 which lead to a td and then Wash scored a long Hail Mary pass at the very end of the game. Score was closer then the game was. That being said, Wash has a very nice team and I look forward to seeing how they do against Solon this week.

I agree with fmclone fan, this game wasn't that close. That's not a knock on Washington at all, Pella is just a force.

 

[FLBP]

In the past 4 weeks Pella has beat 3 teams in the so called top 10. They probably deserve the #1 spot.

 

[ronsss]

harlan play most of the dallas cg game without 3 starters, their best receiver and leading tackler were 2 of the missing...when these guys return along with the starting guard, should be a big plus for the cyclones

 

[fmclonefan]

Will be interesting to see how the playoffs shake up. Harlan and DCG may be on a collision course to go to the dome to represent SW Iowa, but is hard to predict how the matchups will occur. DCG could get pulled into central Iowa. Harlan could get pulled up to play NW Iowa. But, I would guess they end up having to matchup again and it will probably be at DCG this time. My dome favorites at this time would probably be:

Pella
West Delaware
Heelan
DCG

 

[FLBP]

harlan play most of the dallas cg game without 3 starters, their best receiver and leading tackler were 2 of the missing...when these guys return along with the starting guard, should be a big plus for the cyclones

The WR went down during the game but didn't he come back? Same can be said for DCG, Missing one of our best defensive backs, our center, our running back .

 

[KidSilverhair]

Do you guys think Xavier and West Delaware will meet before the dome again this year, assuming they each win their district?

Remember, district champions can't face each other until the quarterfinals, so there are a LOT of variables at play before that third round.

Also, with the state doing the playoff scheduling and trying to reduce travel, Assumption is kind of on an island out there east. If Wahlert or the southeast Iowa teams aren't in play, they'll likely get paired up with Solon or Xavier at some point. There's just not a lot of nearby choices. I would guess if Assumption, Xavier and West Delaware all win their districts, and they're all still alive by the quarters, you'll see Xavier vs Assumption, with West Delaware taking on somebody else.

I could be wrong. (Pella-Xavier, West Del-Assumption? Maybe.) Still a lot of, yes, variables to be worked out.

 

[KidSilverhair]

Actually, looking at things again, if the last four teams left in the east are those four (Pella, Xavier, Assumption, West Delaware), it probably would be Xavier-Pella and West Delaware-Assumption. Talk about a quarterfinal round!

 

[fmclonefan]

Kid, that would be an insane quarterfinal round. Obviously lots of variable involved in this, but I wouldn't be surprised if Assumption and Pella would matchup since CRX and West Del are only about 50 miles apart, I think. For Pella, it would be 2 hours away from Cedar Rapids or 2 1/2 hours from Davenport. In saying that though I would guess that Pella might be drawn more into central Iowa, but I'm purely speculating. The unknown of the playoff match ups down the line does make it kinda fun though.

 

[KidSilverhair]

Assumption is about 100-ish miles from Manchester and Pella is about 100 miles from Cedar Rapids. The state might choose to match Xavier and West Delaware, but then they're having Pella go past CR all the way to Davenport (again, assuming they're all district champs, it's alphabetical order this year so Pella would be at Assumption). I doubt they do that, but it's possible.

 

[La_Fleur]

Kid and fm, would you guys say (assuming Pella, Xavier, West Delaware and Assumption win their districts) it's more likely that those four play in the quarterfinals in some way or that Pella gets drawn into central Iowa and it's the other three and someone else?

 

[KidSilverhair]

Oh, man ... it all depends on how the first couple of rounds play out. Who qualifies, what upsets happen, all that stuff. I haven't taken a shot at a playoff forecast yet (I intend to do that after this week's games), so I dunno. One wild card in the east is Crestwood - if they make the playoffs, there are only six other teams in the state (outside their district) that are within the 125-mile limit for the first round, and then if they advance ... well, they're a long way from everywhere.

You really can't make much of a prediction right now, because it depends on so much. Okay, I will take a stab, based on current district standings.

My entirely uneducated, wildly inaccurate guess has Heelan, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Dallas Center-Grimes, West Delaware, Xavier, Assumption, Bondurant-Farrar, and Pella as the eight quarterfinalists. If that turns out to be accurate, I would guess Pella goes east with Xavier/Assumption/West Delaware. (Heelan and Sergeant Bluff-Luton would get paired, then probably Dallas Center-Grimes with Bondurant-Farrar).

I reserve the right to be ridiculously wrong in about five weeks.

 

[KidSilverhair]

Will be interesting to see how the playoffs shake up. Harlan and DCG may be on a collision course to go to the dome to represent SW Iowa, but is hard to predict how the matchups will occur. DCG could get pulled into central Iowa. Harlan could get pulled up to play NW Iowa. But, I would guess they end up having to matchup again and it will probably be at DCG this time. My dome favorites at this time would probably be:

Pella
West Delaware
Heelan
DCG

Good grief, I left Harlan out of my figuring, since I was just going on current standings (another reason why I was waiting until after this week to start thinking about this!).

That District 1 up in northwest Iowa ... Sioux City/Sergeant Bluff/BHRV/etc. is just so far away from anywhere else. Last year the chips fell to force a district rematch in the first round, because there just weren't any other options. With the possibilities of Glenwood and Harlan getting in this year, though, I think it's possible two teams from D1 might reach the quarters. If they do, they probably end up playing each other (as I said above), so if Harlan gets that far, they probably do get matched with a central Iowa team. Should only one D1 squad advance that far (*cough* Heelan *cough*), I would bet on a Harlan/Heelan game ... again, if they are both still alive in the third round.

I've gotta stop speculating on this stuff ... I could go on all day and I'm probably boring everyone to death. After this week, though, I'm making a stab at waaaaaay too early playoff pairings!

 

[Teenage Dirtbag]

I don't really follow 3A but have to ask Jen...how can you disrespect the defending 3A champions Pella? They are the defending champs!! You are not allowed to pick anyone against them. Anyone who follows the 2A forum gets the inside joke. West Delaware and Pella...two great teams.