For fans of Minnesota high school football, this is the week you’ve been waiting for.
Sure, the big Class 6A teams tend to hog the attention, but it’s been obvious the last few weeks that the real intrigue in high school football this season is in Class 5A.
There are five undefeated teams among the many talented squads in 5A, but eyes will be on one game in particular on the final Friday of the regular season.
No. 2-ranked Moorhead and its juggernaut offense averaging more than 50 points per game makes the 100 or so mile trip down Interstate 94 to play at No. 1 Alexandria and its wealth of athletic talent.
Both are undefeated and enjoy high-level quarterbacking, with 6-foot-8 senior Chase Thompson for Alexandria and sophomore Jett Feeney for Moorhead.
Adding to the pregame hype, both teams are in Section 8, 5A. While this game won’t decide anything other than regular-season bragging rights, it’s the type of titanic matchup that makes the regular season so compelling... and it will add spice to a potential post-season meeting.
While Moorhead vs. Alexandria is the marquee matchup in 5A this weekend, it’s not the only one worth watching.
East and West High Schools will pack ‘em in when they square off in the seasonal Battle of Mankato at Blakeslee Stadium on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato on Friday. The same night, neighboring rivals Chaska and Chanhassen play each other, and undefeated Owatonna (6-0) puts its perfect season on the line when it travels to meet Rochester John Marshall (5-1).