Summer sports are in full swing, but in conjunction with summer sports is workouts and preparations for the upcoming football season are well under way as well. 2023 was one of the best high school football seasons from start to finish in recent memory, 2024 looks to provide much as the same.
I’ll take you through my Way-Too-Early Top 10’s for all 7 classes in Iowa:
Class 5A
- Ankeny
- West Des Moines, Valley
- Dowling Catholic
- Southeast Polk
- Johnston
- Waukee
- Cedar Rapids Kennedy
- Iowa City, City High
- Waukee Northwest
- Pleasant Valley
A bit of a surprise will come by my not having Southeast Polk at the top of my preseason poll, but the Rams have an awful lot of production to replace on both sides of the ball. However, their ability to churn out stars has them still in my top 5. Valley might be the most talented team in the Top 10, but the injury bug has to stay away for the Tigers. Ankeny returns many key pieces from their state runner-up team in 2023.
Class 4A
- Lewis Central
- North Scott
- Cedar Rapids Xavier
- Pella
- Gilbert
- North Polk
- Norwalk
- Decorah
- Ballard
- Waverly-Shell Rock
The defending champs earn the #1 spot thanks to a returning QB and RB, and their ability to reload year-in and year-out. North Scott brings back many starters to compete for a title as well. District 4 showcases talent from top to bottom, with Pella and Gilbert bringing back a lot of talent from winning teams in 2023. Waverly-Shell Rock is one to watch, returning a number of starters after a tough 2023.
Class 3A
- Clear Lake
- Williamsburg
- Algona
- West Delaware
- Independence
- Solon
- Humboldt
- Nevada
- Harlan Community
- Webster City
The defending champion Raiders of Williamsburg grab the #2 spot with a number of young contributors ready to step up and fill the roles of key stars. Clear Lake is the preseason #1, returning their leading rusher and receiver, as well as a young, promising quarterback in Jaxon McIntire ready to step into the fold. District 2 appears to be the “Group of Death” once again, while West Delaware and Independence appear to be on a collision course.
Class 2A
- Spirit Lake
- Van Meter
- West Lyon
- PCM
- Western Christian
- Clarinda
- Mid-Prairie, Wellman
- Carroll Kuemper
- Waukon
- Roland-Story
Class 2A features a lot of turnover from last year, defending state champion Van Meter comes in at #2 after graduating their quarterback, running back, 3 of their top 4 receivers and their top 3 tacklers. Spirit Lake is locked and loaded for a run to the Dome with QB Caden Lundt, RB Bode Higgins and RB William Ditsworth. Two teams to watch outside those 2 include PCM with RB Adrien Robbins, and a battle-tested Mid-Prairie team.
Class 1A
- Grundy Center
- Dike-New Hartford
- OABCIG
- Wilton
- Emmetsburg
- AHSTW, Avoca
- Treynor
- South Hardin
- Sigourney-Keota
- Underwood
Class 1A also sees a lot of turnover from last year, but defending champions Grundy Center top our rankings, as they bring back a good chunk of contributors from their top defense a season ago. County-rivals Dike-New Hartford come in at #2, returning a majority of their production from 2023. Wilton, Emmetsburg and AHSTW are 3 teams lurking at making a run for a state title.
Class A
- Madrid
- AC/GC
- Woodbury Central
- Wapsie Valley
- West Hancock
- Saint Ansgar
- Starmont, Arlington
- Lisbon
- MMCRU
- Mount Ayr
Two teams with a lot of recent history top my Class A rankings, with Madrid holding the #1 spot and AC/GC holding #2. Defending champions West Hancock come in at 5, as we should expect the Eagles to reload instead of rebuild. A sneaky team to watch is Mount Ayr at #10, a team made up of almost entirely sophomores and juniors a year ago.
Class 8-Player
- Lenox
- CAM, Anita
- Bishop Garrigan
- St. Mary’s Remsen
- Clarksville
- Bedford
- Audubon
- Don Bosco
- Iowa Valley
- Colo-NESCO
Lenox tops our 8-man rankings with the top QB/RB combo returning in Gabe Funk and Jordan Martin-England. CAM returns QB Chase Spiekler, who puts them in title consideration. Don’t sleep on the defending champs Bishop Garrigan, number of contributors returning for Marty Wadle’s squad.