The final regular-season class-by-class high school football rankings were revealed Monday, just before the playoffs begin across Minnesota.
Maple Grove, Moorhead sit atop Class 6A and 5A high school football rankings in final regular-season media polls
Becker, Stewartville, Barnesville, Minneota and Nevis were voted No. 1 in respective polls for Class 4A through nine-player classifications.
For Classes 5A through Nine-Player, the first round of playoffs will be held Tuesday. Class 6A, which has 32 teams and represents the largest schools in the state, will begin first-round play on Friday, Oct. 25.
The rankings are compiled by the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Jim Paulsen from votes submitted by a panel of 12 media members (Randy Shaver, Talk North; Gary Giombetti, Mesabi Daily News; Ron Haggstrom, Minnesota Star Tribune; Jamey Malcomb, Duluth News Tribune; Joe Brown, West Central Tribune; Brian Jerzak, PrepRedZone; Steve Thomson, WCCO Radio; Chad Courrier, Mankato Free Press; David La Vaque, Minnesota Star Tribune; Pat Ruff, Rochester Post Bulletin; Jace Frederick, St. Paul Pioneer Press; Jim Paulsen, Minnesota Star Tribune) and distributed statewide by the Associated Press.
Here’s a look at last week’s poll.
Minnesota high school football state rankings
First-place votes in parentheses, record, total points
Class 6A
1. Maple Grove (12), 8-0, 120
2. Shakopee, 7-1, 107
3. Edina, 6-2, 84
4. Lakeville North, 7-1, 83
5. Minnetonka, 6-2, 79
Related Coverage
6. Eden Prairie, 5-3, 52
7. Forest Lake, 6-2, 40
8. Eagan, 5-3, 29
9. Mounds View, 6-2, 26
10. Blaine, 5-3, 14
Also receiving votes: Anoka 11, Lakeville South 7, East Ridge 3
Class 5A
1. Moorhead (10), 8-0; 117
2. Owatonna (2), 8-0, 108
3. Robbinsdale Armstrong, 8-0, 96
4. Elk River, 7-1, 83
5. Andover, 7-1, 59
6. Two Rivers, 8-0, 57
7. Alexandria, 6-2, 44
8. Mankato West, 5-3, 39
9. Robbinsdale Cooper, 7-1, 28
10. Bemidji, 6-2, 16
Also receiving votes: Mankato East 9, Chanhassen 1, Monticello 1, Rochester John Marshall 1
Class 4A
1. Becker (11), 8-0, 119
2. Totino-Grace (1), 8-0, 109
3. Princeton, 8-0, 94
4. Byron, 7-1, 81
5. Rocori, 6-2, 56
6. Providence Academy, 6-2, 54
7. Marshall, 7-1, 48
8. Hill-Murray, 7-1, 37
9. Orono, 6-2, 33
10. Hermantown, 7-1, 26
Also receiving votes: Holy Angels 2, North Branch 1
Class 3A
1. Stewartville (12), 8-0, 120
2. Pequot Lakes, 8-0, 102
3. Albany, 8-0, 95
4. Waseca, 7-1, 79
5. Dassel-Cokato, 7-1, 71
6. Fergus Falls, 8-0, 64
7. Annandale, 7-1, 41
8. Fairmont, 6-2, 29
9. Morris/Chokio-Alberta, 7-1, 27
10. Two Harbors, 7-1, 16
Also receiving votes: Holy Family 8, Pine Island 5, Minneapolis North 3
Class 2A
1. Barnesville (9), 8-0, 115
2. Chatfield (3), 8-0, 109
3. Jackson Co. Central, 8-0, 94
4. Norwood Young America, 8-0, 74
5. Kimball Area, 8-0, 72
6. Barnum, 8-0, 68
7. Eden Valley-Watkins, 7-1, 49
8. Caledonia, 6-2, 28
9. Rush City, 8-0, 24
10. Staples-Motley, 8-0, 13
Also receiving votes: Holdingford 6, Moose Lake-Willow River 2, Pillager 1, St. Agnes 1, Triton 1
Class 1A
1. Minneota (12), 8-0, 120
2. Springfield, 8-0, 103
3. Mahnomen/Waubun, 8-0, 92
4. Goodhue, 8-0, 90
5. Upsala/Swaville, 8-0, 68
6. BOLD, 7-1, 63
7. Blooming Prairie, 7-1, 36
8. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, 7-1, 33
9. Fillmore Central, 7-1, 32
10. Red Lake County, 7-1, 19
Also receiving votes: Deer River 3, Adrian/Ellsworth 1
Nine-Player
1. Nevis (7), 8-0, 115
2. Mountain Iron-Buhl (4), 8-0, 106
3. Fertile-Beltrami (1), 8-0, 94
4. Hills-Beaver Creek, 8-0, 81
5. LeRoy-Osatrander/Lyle-Pacelli, 8-0, 73
6. Spring Grove, 8-0, 63
7. Fosston, 8-0, 50
8. Hancock, 8-0, 42
9. Cherry, 7-1, 20
10. Goodridge/Grygla, 7-1, 12
Also receiving votes: Kingsland 4
The Elks relied on their power run game to drain the clock and keep the ball out of the Cardinals’ hands.