Metro Football Top 10

Very little change at the top of the rankings, with Prior Lake the only team in the top eight to lose Friday. That loss may have dropped the Lakers out of the Top 10, but it was at Eden Prairie. Completely understandable. I'm having more difficulty at the bottom of the Top 10 as teams that seem sound and solid one week struggle the next. Mounds View dropped out after losing to Stillwater. Kudos to the Ponies, who have defeated Woodbury and Mounds View in consecutive weeks.

1. Eden Prairie (6-0): I was certain that Eden Prairie would struggle with Prior Lake in a low-scoring game. The 56-29 victory was neither a struggle nor low-scoring. So what do I know? How about the fact that the Eagles are clearly the state's best team?

2. Lakeville North (6-0): The Panthers, known for hard-nosed defense, have given up 111 points in six games, exactly the amount they gave up in 12 games in 2014.

3. Rosemount (6-0): Being undefeated at this point says a lot. How the Irish fare in their next two games — at Burnsville and at home against Lakeville North — will say more.

4. Totino-Grace (5-1): Sign of a great team: Go on the road, take a quality opponent's best shot and pull away at the end. That was the story of the Eagles' 24-10 victory over Champlin Park.

5. Burnsville (5-1): The Blaze has the second-best scoring defense in Class 6A, giving up just 50 points in six games. Burnsville will face the top defense, Rosemount, Friday.

6. Wayzata (5-1): The Trojans are staring at a classic trap game Friday. They play at Edina, which is better than its 2-4 record, with a date at Eden Prairie to follow.

7. Maple Grove (4-2): The Crimson just finished a five-game streak against Lake Conference teams, going 4-1.

8. East Ridge (5-1): What a great addition QB Otumos Paye has been. The transfer from North Carolina has rushed for 100 or more yards in three of the past four games.

9. Woodbury (5-1): Senior QB Brady Mundahl might be the MVP of the East Metro Blue subdistrict. He's accounted for 65 percent of the Royals' total offense.

10. St. Michael-Albertville (5-1): Since a season-opening loss to Moorhead, the Class 5A Knights have won five in a row, all by at least 20 points.

JIM PAULSEN