The first night of the high school football playoffs tends to feature unconventional matchups and potential routs, because many games pit higher seeds vs. lower seeds.
High school football predictions remind us: Every game's a big game
The first round of section playoffs appears to offer mismatches, but Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque indicate there's more there.
October 24, 2023 at 12:12PM
Still, there are always reasons to pay attention.
As part of their annual contest to see who can predict the most football winners, Star Tribune reporters Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque provide here some of those reasons as they justify their decisions. Worth knowing: Each of them has been right 19 times and wrong only eight this season.
Their analysis and picks from three Tuesday games:
Class 4A, Section 3 quarterfinals
South St. Paul Packers (3-5) at Simley Spartans (5-3), 6 p.m.
Jim says: Simley used the big play — three 50-yards-plus touchdowns — to take a 21-6 halftime lead (and winning 35-12) the first time these neighborhood rivals met. If South St. Paul hopes to continue its season past Tuesday night, the Packers need to take the pressure off their offense, which has its share of playmakers, and end the trend of giving up explosive, game-changing scores. The pick: Simley 34, South St. Paul 21
David says: South St. Paul won't pack up and go home without a fight. But it's hard not to notice the two losses that followed the aforementioned Simley setback. South St. Paul gave up 35 and 42 points. That's just not how teams looking to play into November play in October. The pick: Simley 31, South St. Paul 14
Class 5A, Section 3 quarterfinals
Hastings Raiders (2-6) at Two Rivers Warriors (7-1), 7 p.m.
Jim says: You can't fault Two Rivers players for feeling slighted. The Warriors put together a terrific one-loss season, tied for the best record in the section, but it didn't impress the people who mattered, who saddled them with the No. 4 seed. They've talked all season about proving themselves; it looks like they'll have to do it one more time. This is their chance to avenge the only blemish on their record, a 9-7 loss to Hastings in Week 2. The pick: Two Rivers 26, Hastings 17
David says: Two Rivers can extend the hard feelings toward media members voting the program into a tie for ninth in the final rankings. Or the Warriors can buck up and employ some well-deserved confidence for entering the playoffs on a six-game tear. That is how to make believers out of football observers beyond Mendota Heights. The pick: Two Rivers 42, Hastings 14
Class 3A, Section 2
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Lakers (3-5) at Rockford Rockets (7-1), 7 p.m.
Jim says: Rockford's defense has been its calling card and has allowed only 53 points during the Rockets' current six-game winning streak. Howard Lake's offense couldn't budge the Rockets the first time they played. The Lakers' only score in the 28-8 loss was a fourth-quarter pick-six. They had no answer for 1,000-yard rusher Logan Stedman in that game, and I predict more of the same. The pick: Rockford 30, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 8
David says: Rockford looks nothing like last year's team, which sputtered down the stretch. These Rockets are scoring in bunches and not allowing opponents to do likewise — senior linebacker Phil Gorder and the defense are seeing to the latter. The pick: Rockford 35, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 13
To see the section tournament brackets and the Class 6A state tournament bracket, click here.
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
