The 10 finalists for the Minnesota Mr. Football Award have been named, including two players whose teams will compete for state championships next weekend. Those two are Blaine quarterback James Peterson (5A) and Northfield linebacker Cole Jirik (4A).

The other finalists are Anders Lee, QB Edina; Tydan Storrusten, QB Pelican Rapids; Jake Gibbons, RB Becker; Kurtis Huisman, RB Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City; Colby Ring, RB Brainerd; Casey Dehn, OT Owatonna; Brett Skoog, LB Orono; and Varmah Sonie, DB Apple Valley.

The winner will be announced at the Mr. Football banquet Dec. 13 at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park.

It was no more than a formality, but the final days of the Classic Lake Conference have been assured. Conference superintendents have voted to dissolve the league at the conclusion of the 2009-10 school year.

Earlier this month, the conference voted to exclude Armstrong from the league beginning with the 2010-11 school year. That left the conference with four schools, one less than allowed in Minnesota. Those four are Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Wayzata.

“For the past three years, the CLC included only five schools, which made it difficult to effectively schedule events,” Hopkins superintendent John Schultz said. “Our schools have traveled great distances, and at times to other states, to play football games. We don’t play our first conference basketball game until the 19th game of the season, and in the spring, we’ve played triple-round-robin contests. While it is difficult to see the end of the Classic Lake Conference, the vote to dissolve is in the best interest of our students.”

All five current Classic Lake schools must individually attempt to join an existing conference, as required by the Minnesota State High School League. If any school is unable to find a league that will accept them, the MSHSL will place them in a conference.

According to a statement from the Classic Lake superintendents, “It is expected that final decisions on conference placement will be made no later than fall 2009 so scheduling for the 2010-2011 school year can be completed.”

Here’s your chance, prep fans … what should happen with these five schools? What would be best for those schools, as well as high school activities in general?

Let’s hear your opinions…

Three Minnesota high school volleyball players have been named senior All-Americans by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

St. Michael-Albertville’s Katherine Harms, a hitter who has signed with the Gophers, was named to the 24-player first team. Among 24 players named to the second team were Lakeville North hitter Amy Braun, who has signed with Northern Iowa, and Wayzata blocker Tia Gaffen, who has signed with California.

Braun also was named Minnesota’s Ms. Volleyball, an award given by the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association.

With space at a premium, sometimes tough cuts need to be made. And so it goes with the girls’ hockey. Here’s a look at some of the best of girls’ puck from Thursday (games listed in alphabetical order according to winning team):

ANOKA 3, TOTINO-GRACE 0

Anoka broke open a 0-0 tie with two goals 11 seconds apart in the second period and the Tornadoes went on to beat the Eagles. Janessa Haller’s power-play goal at 2:55 of the second period was followed quickly by a goal from Megan Leo. Goalie Samantha Ubl whitewashed the Eagles with 21 saves.

BLOOMINGTON JEFFERSON 2, ROSEMOUNT 1

Nicole Neumann and Maddie McGraw scored goals one-minute apart in the second period and goalie Jenny Gathery made them stand up by making 23 saves for Jefferson. Rachel Kelly scored Rosemount’s lone goal.

EAGAN 7, EDEN PRAIRIE 1

Eagan handed defending Class 2A champion Eden Prairie it’s worst loss since 2004. Haley Juricko scored two goals and three assists and Kait Mason scored twice and chipped in with an assist for the Wildcats. The loss was just the third for Eden Prairie over the last three years.

EDINA 2, BLAINE 0

Goalie Cara Gulbrandson was unbeatable, making 24 saves to earn the shutout for the No. 1, Class 2A Hornets. Christie Brauer scored inthe first period and Kelly Thotland added an insurance goal in the second period for the Hornets.

FOREST LAKE 1, CAMBRIDGE-ISANTI 1

Jessice Newstrom kicked out 43 shots and Meghan Eustice scored the tying goal at 11:51 of the third period for Cambridge-Isanti.

HASTINGS 4, BURNSVILLE 4

Robbie Scherer’s goal with 1:05 left in the third period lifted Hastings to a 4-4 tie. The Raiders led 3-1 after one period, but Burnsville’s three unanswered goals in the second period gave the Blaze the lead heading into the final period.

HOPKINS 8, CENTENNIAL 2

What was billed as a matchup between two of the top teams in Class 2A turned into a one-sided affair. Hopkins, ranked No. 4 in Class 2A, scored on the power play three times. The Royals got two goals each from Becky Kortum and Briana Stephens. No. 7, 2A Centennial was outshot 32-17 in the game.

HUTCHINSON 3, HOLY ANGELS 1

Hutchinson head coach Mitch Fabel said his team “played the game of our lives” in handing the Stars their first Missota Conference loss in nearly two years. Tigers’ goalie Zandra Floeder stopped 30 shots for the Tigers, who were outshot 31-9 in the game. Holy Angels’ last conference loss was 3-2 to Farmington on Jan. 23, 2007.

IRONDALE 11, ANDOVER 5

Gina McDonald scored four goals and Meghan Lorence added a hat trick and three assists for the Knights. Andover wasted a marvelous performance from forward Alex Nelson, who scored all five of the Huskies’ goals.

MAPLE GROVE 4, MOUNDS VIEW 3, OT

Casey Hirsch’s power-play breakaway goal at 5:09 of overtime lifted Maple Grove to victory. After winning a face-off, Hirsch picked up the puck at center ice, split the defense and scored for Maple Grove.

NORTHFIELD 4, VISITATION/SPA 2

Northfield scored four unanswered goals inthe third period to rally from a two-goal deficit. The Raiders had just 11 shots inthe first two periods but threw 12 pucks on net in the final period, getting goals from Katie Jirik, Shelby Stark, Maren Dvorak and Carly Oto.

RICHFIELD 1, NEW PRAGUE 0

Kalie Johnson scored the lone goal of the game on an assist from Michelle Lunneborg and goalie Rebecca Hendrickson turned away all 20 shots she faced for the Spartans.

WAYZATA 5, SHAKOPEE 4, OT

Two goals by sophomore Mackenzie Shannon, including the game-winner 34 seconds into overtime, paced Wayzata. Shakopee’s Nicole Anderson had sent the game to overtime with her second goal of the night at 15:27 of the third period.

Blaine is the surprise team in Class 5A football this season. There are several reasons, including a Northwest Suburban Conference that had some good balance. Blaine’s only loss was a 21-7 decision at Champlin Park in Week 4.

The Bengals were No. 9 in the final Star Tribune Metro Top 10 and No. 7 in the final Associated Press statewide 5A poll.

Blaine has one game to go, of course, and that’s the Prep Bowl matchup with Wayzata.

During a lengthy interview with Blaine coach Shannon Gerrety, I asked him if he was surprised to see his team playing for a state championship. His answer:

“No, we’re not surprised. We think we’ve had a special team all year. We’re not the most talented team in the state. But we told the kids that when we won it in 1988 we weren’t the most talented team then, either. There’s something about some groups who just get the job done. I don’t know all the answers, but I do know some kids play hard for each other, and this is one of those groups.”