The first class-by-class football state rankings of the 2024 season show Edina, a dominating winner against Eden Prairie on Friday, atop Class 6A.
The first class-by-class high school football state rankings of the season are revealed
Edina leads Class 6A, and it’s Elk River in 5A, Hutchinson in 4A, Stewartville in 3A, Caledonia in 2A, Minneota in 1A. Nevis and Mountain Iron-Buhl are tied for first in Nine-Player.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 10, 2024 at 2:51PM
The other top-ranked teams are Elk River in 5A, Hutchinson in 4A, Stewartville in 3A, Caledonia in 2A, Minneota in 1A, and Nevis and Mountain Iron-Buhl tied for No. 1 in Nine-Person.
The class-by-class rankings are compiled for the third year in a row by the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Jim Paulsen, who takes votes from 11 other media members. Paulsen began managing the rankings when the Associated Press dropped them in 2022; the rankings still are distributed statewide by the Associated Press. They are released annually after the season’s second regular-season game and typically will be published online on Tuesdays.
The other voters: Randy Shaver, Talk North; Gary Giombetti, Mesabi Daily News; Ron Haggstrom, Minnesota Star Tribune; Jamey Malcomb, Duluth News Tribune; Joe Brown, West Central Tribune; Brian Jerzak, PrepRedZone; Steve Thomson, WCCO Radio; Chad Courrier, Mankato Free Press; David La Vaque, Minnesota Star Tribune; Pat Ruff, Rochester Post Bulletin; Jace Frederick, St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Paulsen also does his own ranking, new this season, the Minnesota Top 20. That ranking shows Paulsen’s opinion of the 20 strongest teams in the state, regardless of class. It typically will be published online on Mondays.
Football state rankings
First-place votes in parentheses, record, total points
CLASS 6A
1. Edina (7), 2-0, 107
2. Lakeville North (2), 2-0, 101
3. Maple Grove (2), 2-0, 98
4. Blaine 2-0, 69
5. Minnetonka 2-0, 65
6. Shakopee 2-0, 62
7. Eden Prairie 1-1, 31
8. Lakeville South 1-1, 28
9. Rosemount 1-1, 18
10. Eagan 1-1, 17
Others receiving votes: Forest Lake 10, Park of Cottage Grove (1) 10, Stillwater 9, Centennial 8, Mounds View 6, Prior Lake 6, St. Michael-Albertville 6, Anoka 4, Wayzata 4, East Ridge 1.
CLASS 5A
1. Elk River (7), 2-0, 99
2. Alexandria (1), 2-0, 85
3. Owatonna (2), 2-0, 72
4. Moorhead (1), 2-0, 68
5. Waconia 2-0, 64
6. Mankato East (1), 2-0, 49
7. Robbinsdale Armstrong 2-0, 34
8. Sauk Rapids-Rice 2-0, 32
9. Andover 1-1, 24
10. Rochester John Marshall 2-0, 20
Others receiving votes: Robbinsdale Cooper 19, Mankato West 18, Two Rivers 18, Duluth East 12, Minneapolis Washburn 10, St. Thomas Academy 9, Tartan 4, Chaska 3, Mahtomedi 2, Park Center 2, St. Cloud Tech 2.
CLASS 4A
1. Hutchinson (6), 2-0, 104
2. Becker (4), 2-0, 92
3. Orono 2-0, 68
4. Totino-Grace 2-0, 67
5. Marshall (1), 2-0, 61
6. Detroit Lakes 2-0, 52
7. Mound Westonka (1), 2-0, 42
8. Hermantown 2-0, 24
9. (tie) Chisago Lakes 2-0, 21
9. (tie) Holy Angels 2-0, 21
Others receiving votes: Duluth Denfeld 17, Providence Academy 14, Byron 13, Princeton 11, Kasson-Mantorville 10, St. Anthony 9, Minneapolis Camden 8, North Branch 8, Benilde-St. Margaret’s 7, Rocori 6, New Ulm 3, Zimmerman 2.
CLASS 3A
1. Stewartville (11), 2-0, 110
2. Dassel-Cokato 2-0, 78
3. (tie) Albany 2-0, 66
3. (tie) Fairmont 2-0, 66
5. Holy Family 2-0, 65
6. Pequot Lakes 2-0, 53
7. Pierz 2-0, 31
8. St. Croix Lutheran 2-0, 29
9. Pine Island 2-0, 27
10. Waseca 1-1, 23
Others receiving votes: Fergus Falls 19, Annandale 18, Luverne 13, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 10, Litchfield 9, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 8, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 6, New London-Spicer 6, Two Harbors 6, Esko 4, Rochester Lourdes 2, East Grand Forks 1.
CLASS 2A
1. Caledonia (5), 2-0, 98
2. Barnesville (2), 2-0, 93
3. Eden Valley-Watkins (5), 2-0, 79
4. Jackson Co. Central 2-0, 74
5. Cannon Falls 2-0, 69
6. Chatfield 2-0, 52
7. Triton 2-0, 34
8. Holdingford 2-0, 31
9. Norwood Young America 2-0, 30
10. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 2-0, 16
Others receiving votes: Barnum 15, Kimball Area 14, International Falls 9, St. Agnes 9, Staples-Motley 7, Randolph 7, Pillager 6, Minnesota Valley Lutheran 6, Pelican Rapids 5, Dover-Eyota 3, Hawley 3.
CLASS 1A
1. Minneota (8), 2-0, 103
2. Springfield 2-0, 82
3. BOLD (2) 2-0, 70
4. Mahnomen/Waubun 2-0, 55
5. Goodhue 2-0, 53
6. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 2-0, 46
7. Browerville/Eagle Valley 2-0, 39
8. Parkers Prairie 2-0, 36
9. Dawson-Boyd 2-0, 34
10. Upsala/Swanville, 2-0 28
Others receiving votes: Blooming Prairie (1) 25; Fillmore Central (1), 23; Lester Prairie 19; Ada-Borup/West 17, Deer River 16, Red Lake County 8, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 8, Mille Lacs 3, Wabasha-Kellogg 3.
NINE-PLAYER
1. (tie) Nevis (6), 2-0, 93
Mountain Iron-Buhl (2), 2-0, 93
3. Fertile-Beltrami (1), 2-0, 75
4. Hills-Beaver Creek 2-0, 61
5. Cherry 2-0, 44
6. Verndale 2-0, 40
7. Leroy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli (1), 2-0, 34
8. Spring Grove 2-0, 33
9. Mabel-Canton (1), 2-0, 31
10. Goodridge/Gryglya 2-0, 25
Others receiving votes: Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 23, Kingsland 22, Hancock (1) 20, Kittson County Central 17, Mountain Lake Area 17, Fosston 8, Stephen-Argyle 8, Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 7, Bertha-Hewitt 6, Cromwell-Wright 5, Clearbrook-Gonvick 1, Littlefork-Big Falls 1.
How the votes are tallied: Each voter picks a top 10 in each class. No. 1-ranked teams get 10 points, No. 2s get 9, etc.
The voters: Randy Shaver, Talk North; Gary Giombetti, Mesabi Daily News; Ron Haggstrom, Minnesota Star Tribune; Jamey Malcomb, Duluth News Tribune; Joe Brown, West Central Tribune; Brian Jerzak, PrepRedZone; Steve Thomson, WCCO Radio; Chad Courrier, Mankato Free Press; David La Vaque, Minnesota Star Tribune; Pat Ruff, Rochester Post Bulletin; Jace Frederick, St. Paul Pioneer Press; Jim Paulsen, Minnesota Star Tribune.
We hit the highest points, from Isaiah Wright and his 39 rushing TDs for Nine-Player’s Fertile-Beltrami to Dylan Hudgens and his tackling challenge in Minnetonka’s Class 6A rematch with Maple Grove.
