In the latest state football rankings, the conflict is deep within

Some weeks, games are played for championships, for the top spot, for the No. 1 ranking.

Some weeks, the best you can do is third place.

It's a third-place week.

The latest state football rankings, compiled by the Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen from votes by a statewide media panel, show no change in the top two spots in any of the seven classes. No. 3 is where the change is happening.

Stillwater rose to No. 3 in Class 6A, replacing Eden Prairie. The Eagles fell to fifth after their Saturday loss to Shakopee.

Dassel-Cokato rose from fourth to third in Class 3A, and Milaca fell to seventh after losing to New London-Spicer.

Barnesville reached No. 3 in Class 2A, replacing Caledonia, which lost to No. 1 Chatfield and fell to fifth.

Thursday's football schedule

Friday's football schedule

In Class 1A, Mahnomen/Waubun replaced New York Mills at No. 3, and New York Mills wound up tied for No. 10 after a loss to Menahga.

In Class 5A, Robbinsdale Armstrong rose to No. 4, replacing Mahtomedi. The Zephyrs, after losing to No. 2 St. Thomas Academy on Friday, fell to sixth. St. Francis made it to No. 5 after a victory over Sauk Rapids-Rice, which fell to No. 9.

The first change in Class 4A doesn't come until No. 6, where Marshall landed when Rocori lost to Willmar and fell to 10th.

Two games remain in the regular season for Minnesota high school football teams. For all but a handful, the regular season will end in about a week, after games Wednesday night.

STATE RANKINGS

Updated Oct. 11, 2022

Based on votes of media members from across Minnesota and compiled by the Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen. Includes first-place votes in parentheses, record and total voting points.

CLASS 6A

1. Maple Grove (8) 6-0 89; 2. Rosemount (1) 6-0 82; 3. Stillwater 6-0 72; 4. Shakopee 5-1 63; 5. Eden Prairie 4-2 51; 6. Lakeville South 4-2 47; 7. Prior Lake 4-2 33; 8. Centennial 4-2 29; 9. Forest Lake 5-1 14; 10. Woodbury 5-1 8. Also receiving votes: Minnetonka 3, East Ridge 2, White Bear Lake 2.

CLASS 5A

1. Mankato West (8) 6-0 97; 2. St. Thomas Academy (2) 6-0 92; 3. Elk River 6-0 81; 4. Robbinsdale Armstrong 6-0 68; 5. St. Francis 6-0 54; 6. Mahtomedi 5-1 51; 7. Chanhassen 5-1 48; 8. Rochester Mayo 5-1 35; 9. Sauk Rapids-Rice 5-1 15; 10. Waconia 4-2 6. Also receiving votes: Andover 4, St. Paul Harding/Humboldt 3, Bloomington Kennedy 1, Spring Lake Park 1.

CLASS 4A

1. Stewartville (7) 6-0 90; 2. Hutchinson (1) 5-1 86; 3. Simley (1) 6-0 82; 4. Mound Westonka 6-0 68; 5. Becker (1) 5-1 66; 6. Marshall 6-0 53; 7. Grand Rapids 6-0 41; 8. North Branch 5-1 18; 9. Willmar 5-1 16; 10. Rocori 5-2 9. Also receiving votes: Holy Angels 6, Winona 6, Princeton 3.

CLASS 3A

1. Esko (8) 6-0 95; 2. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (2) 6-0 89; 3. Dassel-Cokato 5-1 74; 4. Rochester Lourdes 5-1 72; 5. Cannon Falls 5-1 52; 6. Waseca 5-1 45; 7. Milaca 5-1 34; 8. Watertown-Mayer 5-1 30; 9. Minneapolis Henry 6-0 22; 10. New London-Spicer 5-1 19. Also receiving votes: Plainview-Elgin-Millville 11, Pierz 3, Pequot Lakes 1.

CLASS 2A

1. Chatfield (9) 6-0 99; 2. Minneapolis North (1) 6-0 89; 3. Barnesville 6-0 78; 4, Jackson County Central 6-0 67; 5. Caledonia 5-1 55; 6. Eden Valley-Watkins 6-0 52; 7. Kimball Area 6-0 37; 8. St. Clair/Mankato Loyola 6-0 27; 9. Pipestone Area 5-1 14; 10. Blue Earth Area 5-1 11. Also receiving votes: Concordia Academy 7, Rush City 6, West Central Area/Ashby 3, St. Agnes 2, Osakis 1.

CLASS 1A

1. BOLD (7) 6-0 94; 2. Lester Prairie (2) 6-0 86; 3. Mahnomen/Waubun 6-0 76; 4. Fillmore Central 6-0 65; 5. Deer River (1) 6-0 58; 6. Mayer Lutheran 5-1 45; 7. Minneota 5-1 39; 8. Martin Co. West 6-0 34; 9. (tie) Lakeview 5-1 17; 10. (tie) New York Mills 5-1 17. Also receiving votes: Dawson-Boyd 9, Rushford-Peterson 5, Ottertail Central 3, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 1.

NINE-MAN

1. Wheaton/Herman-Norcross (6) 6-0 92; 2. Lanesboro (1) 6-0 78; 3. Fertile Beltrami (2) 6-0 75; 4. Mountain Iron-Buhl 6-0 67; 5. Verndale (1) 6-0 62; 6. Spring Grove 6-0 60; 7. Renville County West 6-0 50; 8. Kittson Co. Central 6-0 32; 9. Hancock 5-1 10; 10. Cherry 5-1 9. Also receiving votes: Nevis 7, Mabel-Canton 5, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo 3.

The panel of media voters: Gary Giombetti, Mesabi Tribune; Jace Frederick, St. Paul Pioneer Press; Randy Shaver, KARE-11 TV; Chad Courrier, Mankato Free Press; Brian Jerzak, Prep Redzone.com; Joe Brown, West Central Tribune, Willmar; Pat Ruff, Rochester Post Bulletin; Alex VandenHouten, Rochester Post Bulletin; Ron Haggstrom, Star Tribune; David La Vaque, Star Tribune; Jim Paulsen, Star Tribune.