Audubon has been No. 1, wire to wire.
Woodbury Central started in a tie for the top, dropped to No. 2 for most of the season, then claimed sole possession of the top slot at the end.
Iowa City Regina moved to the front of the line early in the season, Alburnett later on.
Those four teams conclude the regular season as the top-ranked teams in The Gazette’s post-Week 8 football poll, released Monday.
Alburnett (Class 2A), Regina (1A), Woodbury Central (Class A) and Audubon (8-Player) take No. 1 rankings into their respective postseasons.
After starting the season at No. 3 and despite a Week 2 loss to Regina, Alburnett (7-1) has been atop the 2A rankings since Carroll Kuemper’s Week 6 loss to Spirit Lake. The Pirates open the playoffs at home against Vinton-Shellsburg (4-4).
The lone unbeaten in 2A, Central Lyon/Georgia-Little Rock is No. 2, with Kuemper and Ida Grove OABCIG sharing the third spot. Mid-Prairie is No. 5.
West Lyon is the reigning 1A champion and started the season at No. 1, but lost the spot to Regina after suffering a 14-13 defeat to CL-GLR in Week 2. The Regals have held that top rating tight ever since.
Aplington-Parkersburg is third, followed by Treynor and Underwood.
In Class A, Woodbury Central and West Sioux shared the preseason No. 1 spot, then West Sioux held a slight edge through most of the regular season.
Woodbury closed with a convincing 41-7 romp over Council Bluffs St. Albert, though, and that was enough to flip-flop the top two spots. The Wildcats have a 76-75 edge on West Sioux in poll points, with both teams earning four first-place votes.
Saint Ansgar and Madrid are third and fourth, with East Buchanan and North Linn holding the next two spots.
Eight-player has been the most chalkish of the seven classes all season, and each of the top six teams — Audubon, Woodbine, Iowa Valley, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Edgewood-Colesburg and Bedford — march into the postseason as unbeatens.
One week remains in the 5A/4A/3A regular season, and the final poll for those three classes comes next Monday.
The last 5A unbeaten fell last week when Johnston took down Southeast Polk. The Dragons share the No. 1 spot with West Des Moines Dowling with the Rams at No. 3. Waukee Northwest and Sioux City East round out the top five.
Winner of 21 consecutive games, Cedar Rapids Xavier retains No. 1 status in 4A. Fellow unbeatens Sergeant Bluff-Luton and Carlisle are next in line, followed by Western Dubuque and Lewis Central.
Unbeatens Solon, Clear Lake and Des Moines Christian are the top three 3A teams. Carroll and West Delaware are fourth and fifth, with the Hawks welcoming Clear Lake to Manchester on Friday.
#1 (tie) Johnston (7-1), 75 poll points (2 first-place votes), #3 last week
#1 (tie) West Des Moines Dowling (7-1), 75 poll points (5 first-place votes), #2 last week
#3 Southeast Polk (7-1), 66 poll points, #1 last week
#4 Waukee Northwest (5-3), 54 poll points, #5 last week
#5 Sioux City East (6-2), 40 poll points, #6 last week
#6 Ankeny (6-2), 37 poll points, #4 last week
#7 Cedar Rapids Prairie (6-2), 26 poll points, #9 last week
#8 Dallas Center-Grimes (6-2), 23 poll points, #8 last week
#9 West Des Moines Valley (5-3), 12 poll points, NR last week
#10 Pleasant Valley (6-2), 11 poll points, NR last week
Dropped out — Waukee (7), Cedar Falls (10).
Others receiving votes — Indianola 8, Cedar Falls 6, Waukee 5, Iowa City Liberty 2.
#1 Cedar Rapids Xavier (8-0), 80 poll points (8 first-place votes), #1 last week
#2 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (8-0), 71 poll points, #2 last week
#3 Carlisle (8-0), 63 poll points, #3 last week
#4 Western Dubuque (7-1), 58 poll points, #4 last week
#5 Lewis Central (6-2), 47 poll points, #5 last week
#6 Waverly-Shell Rock (6-2), 41 poll points, #6 last week
#7 Ballard (6-2), 28 poll points, #8 last week
#8 Glenwood (6-2), 17 poll points, #10 last week
#9 Newton (5-3), 15 poll points, NR last week
#10 North Polk (5-3), 11 poll points, #7 last week
Dropped out — Clear Creek Amana (9).
Others receiving votes — Pella 6, Spencer 3.
#1 Solon (8-0), 79 poll points (7 first-place votes), #1 last week
#2 Clear Lake (8-0), 73 poll points (1 first-place vote), #2 last week
#3 Des Moines Christian (8-0), 64 poll points, #3 last week
#4 Carroll (7-1), 56 poll points, #4 last week
#5 West Delaware (7-1), 46 poll points, #5 last week
#6 Sioux Center (7-1), 41 poll points, #7 last week
#7 Davenport Assumption (6-2), 31 poll points, #9 last week
#8 Sioux City Heelan (5-3), 23 poll points, #10 last week
#9 Mount Pleasant (7-1), 12 poll points, #6 last week
#10 Dubuque Wahlert (5-3), 10 poll points, NR last week
Dropped out — Mount Vernon (8).
Others receiving votes — Williamsburg 2, Mount Vernon 2, Algona 1.
(FINAL)
#1 Alburnett (7-1), 76 poll points (4 first-place votes), #1 last week
#2 Central Lyon-GLR (8-0), 73 poll points (4 first-place votes), #2 last week
#3 (tie) Carroll Kuemper (7-1), 57 poll points, #4 last week
#3 (tie) Ida Grove OABCIG (7-1), 57 poll points, #3 last week
#5 Mid-Prairie (7-1), 50 poll points, #5 last week
#6 Van Meter (7-1), 44 poll points, #6 last week
#7 Spirit Lake (6-2), 33 poll points, #7 last week
#8 Wilton (6-2), 17 poll points, #9 last week
#9 Osage (7-1), 11 poll points, NR last week
#10 Crestwood (7-1), 10 poll points, NR last week
Dropped out — Centerville (8), Waukon (9).
Others receiving votes — Dike-New Hartford 6, Roland-Story 5, Waukon 1.
(FINAL)
#1 Iowa City Regina (8-0), 80 poll points (8 first place votes), #1 last week
#2 West Lyon (7-1), 72 poll points, #2 last week
#3 Aplington-Parkersburg (8-0), 62 poll points, #3 last week
#4 Treynor (7-1), 57 poll points, #4 last week
#5 Underwood (7-1), 45 poll points, #6 last week
#6 (tie) Clarion CGD (7-1), 35 poll points, #8 last week
#6 (tie) Dyersville Beckman (7-1), 35 poll points, #7 last week
#8 Grundy Center (6-2), 18 poll points, #9 last week
#9 Northeast (7-1), 13 poll points, #5 last week
#10 South Central Calhoun (7-1), 11 poll points, #10 last week
Dropped out — None.
Others receiving votes — South Hardin 8, West Marshall 4.
(FINAL)
#1 Woodbury Central (8-0), 76 poll points (4 first-place votes), #2 last week
#2 West Sioux (8-0), 75 poll points (4 first-place votes), #1 last week
#3 Saint Ansgar (8-0), 65 poll points, #3 last week
#4 Madrid (8-0), 55 poll points, #5 last week
#5 East Buchanan (7-1), 42 poll points, #6 last week
#6 North Linn (7-1), 36 poll points, #7 last week
#7 Council Bluffs St. Albert (7-1), 31 poll points, #4 last week
#8 Pekin (8-0), 24 poll points, #10 last week
#9 West Fork (8-0), 23 poll points, #9 last week
#10 Wapsie Valley (6-2), 6 poll points, #8 last week
Dropped out — None.
Others receiving votes — Oakland Riverside 3, Lynnville-Sully 2, Mason City Newman 2.
(FINAL)
#1 Audubon (8-0), 77 poll points (5 first-place votes), #1 last week
#2 Woodbine (7-0), 74 poll points (2 first-place votes), #2 last week
#3 Iowa Valley (8-0), 65 poll points (1 first-place vote), #3 last week
#4 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (8-0), 56 poll points, #4 last week
#5 Edgewood-Colesburg (8-0), 46 poll points, #5 last week
#6 Bedford (8-0), 44 poll points, #6 last week
#7 Algona Garrigan (7-1), 33 poll points, #7 last week
#8 North Union (7-1), 21 poll points, #8 last week
#9 Kingsley-Pierson (7-1), 16 poll points, #9 last week
#10 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-2), 5 poll points, #10 last week
Dropped out — None.
Others receiving votes — Clarksville 2, Don Bosco 2, Lansing Kee 2.