I traveled to Luverne back in 2016. Lovely town. Great rink, too. Blue Mound Arena, built in 1991 in basketball country amid disparaging comments from locals such as, "That thing will be full of corn in two years."

Respect has been hard to come by in extreme southwestern Minnesota, a reality made evident in the recent Let's Play Hockey coaches rankings.

Luverne was 13-0, the lone undefeated team in Class 1A, the morning the rankings were revealed, and the Cardinals held the No. 16 spot. That night they lost, 6-5 to New Prague.

Then at No. 5 sat defending state tournament champion Mahtomedi (7-8). A difference in strength of schedule plays a massive role in this case, no doubt. But what would it have taken for Luverne to crack at least the top 10 despite whatever asterisks were attached.

Boys hockey state rankings

By Let's Play Hockey

Class 2A

1. Minnetonka (14-0-1); 2. Wayzata (12-0-2); 3. Edina (13-2); 4. Chanhassen (12-4); 5. Benilde-St. Margaret's (10-3-1); 6. Rogers (10-4-2); 7. Maple Grove (9-4); 8. St. Thomas Academy (10-5-1); 9. Eden Prairie (10-4); 10. Shakopee (12-3-1).

Class 1A

1. Warroad (13-3-0); 2. Hermantown (11-3-2); 3. St. Cloud Cathedral (12-4-1); 4. East Grand Forks (11-5-1); 5. Mahtomedi (7-9); 6. Northfield (10-1-2); 7. Orono (10-4); 8. Delano (9-5-1); 9. Monticello (13-2-0); 10. Proctor (12-5-0).