Rankings generally end when regular seasons do. Reason? It's no longer an equitable playing field or a necessary one. Some of the best teams drop out of the rankings because of a single loss. Teams that win are rewarded by advancing to another round, not by a rise in the rankings.
Survivors only: Ranking the Top 20 Twin Cities-area high school football teams still in the playoffs
Jim Paulsen made a run at a top-20 list that's heavy on Class 6A but also includes 5A and 4A squads.
October 31, 2023 at 4:31PM
So here's a ranking that fits the times: a top 20 of metro-area teams still in the playoffs and headed toward games Friday.
1. Eden Prairie (9-0): The Eagles were No. 1 in the metro for the entire regular season. Nothing's changed.
2. Lakeville North (8-1): Coon Rapids gave the Panthers a battle in the first round, as expected, but North stayed true to itself. The Panthers kept it simple, ran the ball for 300 yards and never let the Cardinals get a whiff of momentum.
3. Centennial (8-1): Is anyone playing better defense than the Cougars right now?
4. Lakeville South (8-1): In the past three games, Lakeville South has scored 14 offensive touchdowns. Before halftime.
5. Chanhassen (5A, 9-0): The offense gets all the pub, but the Storm's defense has been lights-out, giving up just one touchdown in their past 12 quarters.
6. Maple Grove (7-2): No Charles Langama, no problem. Despite their star running back being out with an injury, the Crimson still ran for 309 yards in a victory over Park of Cottage Grove.
7. Minnetonka (7-2): The Skippers are getting more and more comfortable leaning on defense and rushing since the loss of QB Milos Spasojevic.
8. Stillwater (7-2): It's good news for the Ponies that QB Nick Kinsey came back from injury and passed for 99 yards in a rout of Hopkins.
9. Edina (6-3): The deep and talented Hornets are playing their best football right now, when it matters.
10. Andover (5A, 8-1): The Huskies put up a basketball score, 84 points, in a victory over Cambridge-Isanti.
11. Becker (4A, 9-0): No. 1 in 4A knows how to win at this time of year.
12. Shakopee (6-3): A Hail Mary victory that ended the regular season has breathed new life into the Sabers.
13. Rosemount (6-3): After being shut out by Centennial, the Irish scored 48 first half-points Friday against Blaine.
14. Forest Lake (6-3): Roughneck Rangers outphysicaled Wayzata in a 31-7 victory.
15. Rogers (5A, 8-1): After a tough loss to Mankato West, the Royals posted their second shutout of Park Center in three weeks.
16. St. Thomas Academy (5A, 7-2): The Cadets gave up the game's first and last scores. In between, they scored 47 straight in a 47-14 victory over Two Rivers.
17. Robbinsdale Armstrong (5A, 7-2): Armstrong's defense got offensive, collecting three pick-sixes as the Falcons shredded St. Louis Park 63-12
18. Prior Lake (5-4): Tough-luck Lakers finally won a road playoff game after 18 tries, rallying to beat Mounds View 17-15.
19. Woodbury (5-4): The Royals ended their two-game losing streak in style with a 42-point first-half barrage.
20. Hutchinson (4A, 7-2): Since a two-game losing streak in midseason, the Tigers are obliterating opposing defenses to the tune of 45 points per game.
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
