Staff writers David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen, in their annual competition of predicting winners of high school football games, did nothing to separate themselves in Week 7, and that makes matters exciting for Week 8. Jim is 15-9 and David 14-10, and they don't agree on a thing about the last games of the regular season.
Their Week 8 picks and analysis:
Class 6A: No. 4 Eden Prairie Eagles (5-2) at No. 3 Stillwater Ponies (7-0), 7 p.m.
Jim says: Last seasonStillwater was undefeated going into its season finale at Eden Prairie, seeking validation of its perfection. The Ponies played the Eagles to a standoff, losing on a touchdown with 48 seconds left. Similar circumstances, but Stillwater is no longer the upstart. The Ponies remember. The pick: Stillwater 35, Eden Prairie 24
David says: Yes, Stillwater proved the worth of the top teams from the weaker Maroon District. And yes, the Ponies QB and receiver corps are second to none. And yes, the defense returns three starters who missed two games for disciplinary reasons. But Eden Prairie needs this victory and should be inspired. The Eagles better be, anyway. The pick: Eden Prairie 28, Stillwater 21
Class 5A: No. 3 Elk River Elks (7-0) at No. 4 St. Francis Saints (7-0), 7 p.m.
Jim says: Expect an offensive show. St. Francis has played, and beaten, its toughest foes — Coon Rapids, Andover and Sauk Rapids — at home. Relentless Elk River represents the Saints' biggest chore to date. The ball will be going up and down the field all night, and the game will be decided by who gets the most stops. The pick: Elk River 44, St. Francis 32
David says: Let's start with the bottom line: Can St. Francis make Elk River's power-T offense go backward? Doing so is the best way to diffuse a potentially explosive rushing offense. The formula is easy to understand, hard to execute. The Elks do their thing well. If St. Francis QB Jaxon Skogquist and the Saints' stable of running backs can do their thing, I sense a minor upset. The pick: St. Francis 38, Elk River 28
