The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the first round of Relative Power Index (RPI) rankings for the 2018 season.
The RPI system aims to ensure the best teams qualify for the playoffs by accounting for a program’s win-loss record, their opponents’ record, and their opponents’ opponents’ wins and losses.
PCM comes in as the No. 1 team in Class 2A heading into their showdown with Pella Christian, who is No. 5 in Class 1A. The Mustangs were buoyed by their undefeated record, while the Eagles have played the toughest schedule so far in 1A, according to the metric. Undefeated Pella is the No. 10 team in Class 3A, while Knoxville is 26th. Pleasantville is No. 28 in Class 1A. Twin Cedars and Melcher-Dallas are No. 51 and 59 respectively in 8-player.
The rankings will likely remain fluid over the next several weeks, especially as many teams in the upper half of the rankings play a tougher non-district schedule. The only automatic qualifiers for the high school playoffs are district champions, meaning teams who go 0-4 in the non-district can still earn a bid.