Maple Grove offensive tackle Michael Wagner (57) rushes towards the student section and holds up the trophy with his teammates after defeating Minnetonka 28-21 in the Class 6A Football State Championship at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Star Tribune’s Minnesota Top 20 (Final Rankings)

Class 6A unless noted

1. Maple Grove (13-0): No arguments here. The undefeated Crimson have spent the entire season imposing their will on opponents. And you can’t argue with undefeated.

2. Minnetonka (10-3): The Skippers are the poster boys for the benefits of line-play. QB Caleb Francois goes nowhere if not for these brawny dudes.

3. Shakopee (10-2): Some dismissed the Sabers. They learned their lesson quickly. Shakopee was not a team to be trifled with.

4. Elk River (5A, 12-1): I learned long ago to never underestimate the Elk. They know how to win.

5. Alexandria Area (5A, 10-3): A two-game slide at the end of the regular season simply steeled the resolve of the deepest team in 5A.

6. Becker (4A, 13-0): Some ask, “How would Becker do in 5A or 6A?” My response? Pretty well. The Bulldogs are fast, and speed always matters.

7. Moorhead (5A, 9-1): It’s a shame the best rivalry in the state this season — Moorhead vs. Alexandria — didn’t happen in front of a statewide audience at U.S. Bank Stadium.

8. Stewartville (3A, 14-0): Two years ago, the Tigers were a Class 4A power. The drop-in classification was for administrative purposes only. They have the depth to match up with just about anyone.

9. Mounds View (8-3): Did I undervalue Mounds View all season? Yes. Consider this my mea culpa. These guys can play.

10. Totino-Grace (4A, 12-1): It’s crazy to think that it had been eight years since the Eagles’ last Prep Bowl appearance.

11. Anoka (8-4): Coach Bo Wasurick has built a program that looks like it will be consistently good for at least the near future. There are graduation holes to fill, but talent in the pipeline

12. Lakeville North (9-2): The gritty Panthers showed they can win the close ones, going 5-1 in games by a touchdown or less.

13. Owatonna (5A, 11-1): The Huskies had the misfortune of playing in Class 5A, the deepest in the state. In another season …

14. Edina (8-3): After coming within a whisker of the 6A title in 2023, the Hornets battled a brutal schedule and unrealistically high expectations this season.

15. Armstrong (5A, 10-1): Even with the presence of RB Kevon Johnson, the Falcons ran into big game-tested Alexandria in the state quarterfinals.

16. Chanhassen (5A, 8-4): It took the defending state champion Storm a few weeks to get rolling, but they were playing their best football at season’s end.

17. Princeton (4A, 9-1): The Tigers were world-beaters all season until running into Becker in the Section 8 finals. But that shouldn’t diminish a season to remember.

18. Forest Lake (7-3): If anything, the Rangers (with Howie Johnson setting the tone) established a reputation as a physical bunch of scrappers who don’t back down.

19. Marshall (4A, 10-2): It was a tremendous season for the Tigers, highlighted by finally getting past Hutchinson in the postseason, but Becker in the 4A state semifinals was too big a hurdle.

20. Minneota (1A, 13-0). Normally I wouldn’t consider a Class 1A team for this list, for obvious reasons. But the Vikings have won three consecutive state titles and 33 straight games. They rarely have a slump. This is well-deserved.