Day 2 of Week 1 begins the way Day 1 did: David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen are tied.
La Vaque and Paulsen, Minnesota Star Tribune reporters who make an annual competition of predicting high school football winners, were 0-0 on Thursday morning, and it’s still that close because they agreed on every Thursday night game they considered. Yes, sometimes they agree.
Not this time. The result of the Friday game between Holy Angels and Minneapolis North is in dispute, and it will be what separates them when we update the standings.
The picks and their analysis of three Friday games:
Cooper Hawks at Park Center Pirates, 3 p.m.
Jim says: This is the second year in a row that these two north metro suburban neighbors have faced each other in the season opener, Cooper winning 20-7 at home in 2023. The Hawks are looking for a road victory to get the season off to a fast start and have a fantastic piece to help them in 6-3, 225-pound linebacker Emmanuel Karmo, arguably the top college prospect in the state. Karmo committed to Minnesota in April. The pick: Cooper 22, Park Center 13
David says: The Hawks will have their hands full against athletic Park Center, which returns 16 starters from 2023. The veterans learned to keep themselves in games. Now the Pirates look to replace moral victories with the real deal. But not here. Cooper holds the edge again this season. The pick: Cooper 21, Park Center 20
Holy Angels Stars at Minneapolis North Polars, 6 p.m.
Jim says: Holy Angels, led by wonderfully athletic QB/LB Damian Devine, looks to kick off its season of retribution, hoping to rebound from its first sub-.500 record since 2016. The Stars went 4-6 in 2016. The next season they went 12-1 and won the Class 4A state title. The Stars were 4-6 last year. Good omen? The pick: Holy Angels 26, Minneapolis North 24
David says: North lost a lot of skill to graduation and must replace its top runner and quarterback from 2023 but returns playmaking slot receiver J’Marion Sanders. This one is going to be close. I predict a minor upset. The pick: Minneapolis North 21, Holy Angels 17
