Three high school football teams — Anoka, Two Rivers and North Branch — moved up in their respective classifications in this week’s state rankings decided by Minnesota sportswriters. North Branch, previously unranked in Class 4A, moved into the top 10 after handing 4A’s No. 4-ranked team, Duluth Denfeld, its first loss on Friday.
Lakeville North, Maple Grove, Minnetonka top 6A in Minnesota high school football polls
Alexandria and Moorhead lead 5A. North Branch enters 4A top 10 after defeating previously undefeated Duluth Denfeld.
In Class 6A, three schools received first-place votes: Lakeville North, Maple Grove and Minnetonka. Lakeville North received the most votes and is ranked No. 1. In the Star Tribune’s all-class Minnesota Top 20 rankings, Maple Grove is No. 1.
The rankings are compiled by the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Jim Paulsen and distributed statewide by the Associated Press.
Minnesota high school football state rankings
First-place votes in parentheses, record, total points
Class 6A
1. Lakeville North (6), 5-0, 114
2. Maple Grove (4), 5-0, 108
3. Minnetonka (2), 5-0, 101
4. Edina, 4-1, 81
5. Shakopee, 4-1, 70
6. Eagan, 3-2, 56
7. Anoka, 3-2, 27
8. Blaine, 3-2, 17
9. (tie) Buffalo, 4-1, 16
9. (tie) Stillwater, 3-2, 16
Also receiving votes: Centennial 15, Eden Prairie 7, Wayzata 7, Farmington 6, Mounds View 6, Forest Lake 3, East Ridge 2, Lakeville South 2, St. Michael-Albertville 2.
Class 5A
1. Alexandria (9), 5-0, 117
2. Moorhead (2), 5-0, 107
3. Owatonna (1), 5-0, 94
4. Andover, 4-1, 79
5. Robbinsdale Armstrong, 5-0, 71
6. Elk River, 4-1, 66
7. Mankato East, 4-1, 44
8. Two Rivers, 5-0, 27
9. Chanhassen, 3-2, 15
10. (tie) Bemidji, 3-2, 9
10. (tie) Mankato West, 3-2, 9
Also receiving votes: Chaska 6, St. Thomas Academy 5, Minneapolis Washburn 4, Robbinsdale Cooper 3, Rochester John Marshall 3, Monticello 1
Class 4A
1. Becker (11), 5-0, 118
2. Totino-Grace (1), 5-0, 107
3. Orono, 5-0, 97
4. Providence Academy, 4-1, 82
5. Princeton, 5-0, 68
6. Byron, 4-1, 49
7. Rocori, 4-1, 43
8. North Branch, 4-1, 25
9. Kasson-Mantorville, 4-1, 24
10. Marshall, 4-1, 13
Also receiving votes: Hill-Murray 12, Duluth Denfeld 9, Holy Angels 6, Hutchinson 4, Hermantown 3, Mound-Westonka 1
Class 3A
1. Stewartville (11), 5-0, 119
2. Dassel-Cokato, 5-0, 103
3. Fairmont, 5-0, 84
4. Pequot Lakes (1), 5-0, 83
5. Albany, 5-0, 79
6. Waseca, 4-1, 52
7. Fergus Falls, 5-0, 44
8. Morris/Chokio-Alb., 5-0, 34
9. Holy Family, 4-1, 18
10. Pine Island, 4-1, 17
Also receiving votes: Luverne 13, Annandale 10, Pierz 4.
Class 2A
1. Barnesville (8), 5-0, 112
2. Eden Valley-Wat. (1), 5-0, 105
3. Chatfield (3), 5-0, 100
4. Jackson County Cent, 5-0 , 80
5. Caledonia, 4-1, 62
6. Holdingford, 5-0, 53
7. Norwood Young Am., 4-1, 48
8. Barnum, 5-0, 33
9. Cannon Falls, 4-1, 17
10. International Falls, 5-0, 16
Also receiving votes: Kimball Area 12, Triton 10, Staples-Motley 4, Pipestone Area 4, Rush City 3, St. Agnes 1
CLASS 1A
1. Minneota (12), 5-0, 120
2. Springfield, 5-0, 103
3. Mahnomen/Waubun 5-0, 92
4. Goodhue, 5-0, 89
5. Upsala/Swanville, 4-1, 64
6. BOLD, 4-1, 60
7. Belgrade-Brooten-E., 4-1, 35
8. Ada-Borup/West, 4-1, 18
9. Blooming Prairie, 4-1, 17
10. Fillmore Central, 4-1, 16
Also receiving votes: Parkers Prairie 14, Dawson-Boyd 10, Lester Prairie 8, West Central Area 6, Red Lake County 4, Adrian/Ellsworth 1, Breckenridge 1, Browerville/Eagle Valley 1, Deer River 1.
NINE-PLAYER
1. Nevis (8), 5-0, 116
2. Mtn Iron-Buhl (3), 5-0, 105
3. Fertile-Beltrami (1), 5-0, 94
4. Hills-Beaver Creek, 5-0, 78
5. Cherry, 5-0, 60
6. LeRoy-Ostrander/L.P., 5-0, 57
7. Spring Grove, 5-0, 50
8. Goodridge/Grygla, 5-0, 34
9. Fosston, 5-0, 28
10. Hancock, 5-0, 17
Also receiving votes: Kingsland 12, Stephen-Argyle 5, Mountain Lake Area 1.
With several teams still undefeated, though, there’s little movement in the class-by-class rankings.