New Metro Top 10 tells what we know now and what we didn't know then

It takes a season to find out what we know and what we don't.

As we approach the final games of the 2022 regular season we now know that we underestimated Rosemount.

A team that didn't appear in the first Metro Top 10 of the season, Rosemount stands second now, 7-0, with a fresh 27-17 Week 7 victory over then-No. 10 Prior Lake.

We also see that we might have been right all along on Lakeville South. The Cougars, No. 1 in the first Metro Top 10 of the season, had fallen to sixth. They are back up to fourth at 5-2, on the rise after Thursday's 28-10 victory over then-No. 4 Shakopee.

The new Metro Top 10, compiled by the Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen:

1. Maple Grove (7-0). Last week: defeated St. Michael-Albertville 30-0. The Crimson take on Mounds View on Wednesday with their sights set on an undefeated season. The coaches likely will downplay that, but come on, the players know what's at stake.

2. Rosemount (7-0). Last week: defeated Prior Lake 27-17. This is where I make my apology to the Irish: I did not have them preseason Metro Top 10, but they've swept the teams that made up the top three. What was I thinking, underestimating a Jeff Erdmann-coached team?

3. Stillwater (7-0). Last week: defeated Mounds View 35-7. For a short while Friday, MNFootballHub.com read "Mounds View 7, Stillwater 0" and there were whispers that Stillwater might be in trouble. The score was finally updated, however, and those worries subsided.

4. Lakeville South (5-2). Last week: defeated Shakopee 28-10. With opponents so focused on stopping running back Carson Hanson, the Cougars leaned on halfback Ryder Patterson. He ran for 132 yards and two scores and caught a touchdown pass, too.

5. St. Thomas Academy (5A, 7-0): Last week: defeated Apple Valley 42-7. OK, the Cadets are a tank offensively, mowing down anything in their path. But the defense is just as stout, with six sacks last week. This is a very good team.

6. Eden Prairie (5-2). Last week: defeated Edina 42-16. Eden Prairie has good players in droves. The guy who had the great game last week is rarely the same the next. Fourteen different sets of hands got the ball last week. The one constant: underrated QB Nick Fazi.

7. Centennial (5-2). Last week: defeated Minnetonka 8-7. It wasn't pretty, but the Cougars aren't much on style points. They simply don't back down, and more often than not they're the team remaining upright at the final gun.

8. Shakopee (5-2). Last week: lost to Lakeville South 28-10. This was not the game for fans of wide-open offense. Shakopee and Lakeville South combined for four pass completions, three by South. Yes, it's late-season football in Minnesota, but being able to throw does pay dividends.

9. Forest Lake (6-1). Last week: defeated Roseville 47-14. The sign of a solid team is bouncing back after a defeat. There was no letdown in the Rangers after Stillwater handed them their first loss. They got up 27-0 and led 41-6 after three quarters.

10. Elk River (5A, 7-0). Last week: defeated Alexandria 58-29. Here's what makes the Elks so tough: Opponents go in thinking they can play with them. They they get their first taste of the Elks' relentless style and know they're in for a long night. Elk River has topped 50 points four times.

On the cusp: Woodbury (6-1), Hutchinson (4A, 6-1), White Bear Lake (5-2).