This week in preps: Section soccer finals; football tunes up for playoffs

The boys' and girls' soccer state tournament fields will be set this week, with section finals taking place Tuesday and Thursday.

In addition, the final night of the football regular season is Wednesday, with section playoffs beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

Here's a quick look at some of the most notable matchups in both sports this week:

Rogers at St. Michael-Albertville, 7 p.m.: The Mississippi 8 Conference is probably the most underrated in the metro, and schedulers should be commended for putting this marquee matchup on the last night of the season. As they have for the past four years, these archrivals are squaring off with the league title in the balance.

Hopkins at Eden Prairie, 7 p.m.: Can the Royals extend their four-game winning streak and pull off the upset? They're finding ways to win games they frequently lost in previous seasons. That's a good sign.

Mounds View at Stillwater, 7 p.m.: Stillwater got a wake-up call in 32-14 loss to Cretin-Derham Hall on Oct. 3. A Ponies' loss to Mounds View would mean a much tougher first-round matchup in the Section 4, 6A playoffs.

Section 2, 2A final — Bloomington Jefferson at Minnetonka, 7 p.m.: Two teams at the top of their games. Jefferson has won seven in row while Minnetonka's only blemishes are a pair of late-season ties.

Section 3, 1A final — St. Paul Como Park at Blake, 7 p.m.: Defending Class 1A champion Como Park was a surprise 1-0 winner over top-ranked Minneapolis Washburn in the semifinals while Blake is looking for its first state tournament berth since winning the Class 1A title in 2008.

Section 3, 1A final — Blake at Minneapolis Washburn, 7 p.m.: Top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Minneapolis Washburn hasn't been back to the state tournament since 1992. To get there, it'll have to beat longtime nemesis Blake, which has won five consecutive sections titles. The undefeated Millers beat Blake 3-0 on Oct. 2.