Prep Blog: Week 5, Previewing 'The Big 4'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It's hard to believe we are halfway through the high school football season in Minnesota. We are four weeks in, and there's four weeks left to go before we get into the playoff season.
There are few surprises so far on the prep football landscape. At least three of last year's state champions are currently undefeated and ranked either No. 1 or near the top of their classes as we're halfway through the season. Eden Prairie is 5-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, Mankato West is 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 5A and Hutchinson is also undefeated at 4-0 and is the top-ranked team in Class 4A. Grand Meadow, last year's 9-Man state champion, is undefeated at 4-0 and ranked No. 1. Not to be forgotten is Mahnomen in Class A, who hasn't lost a game since the 2011 Prep Bowl. The Indians have won the last two state titles, are 4-0 this season and have a 32-game win streak going.
The one big surprise might be Elk River, which went from not ranked to No. 5 in Class 5A as the Elks are off to a 4-0 start.
Every week gets a little bit bigger in football, and Week 5 is no exception. There are plenty of big games and great match-ups with conference title and playoff implications at state. Here's are top four games of the week.
Featured Game: Totino-Grace (4-0) at Maple Grove (4-0)
There's a fantastic match-up between two top-10 and unbeaten teams in the northwest metro Friday night as Maple Grove hosts Totino-Grace in a Northwest Suburban Conference showdown. The Crimson are ranked No. 3 in Class 6A, while the Eagles are ranked No. 7. The game's outcome will have conference title implications, and it's our featured game for WCCO-TV's High School Sports Rally.
Maple Grove is off to a 4-0 start, and it hasn't really been tested yet this season. The Crimson have scored at least 27 points in every contest, and they're outscoring opponents by a combined 151-42. They're coming off a 43-14 win over Champlin Park last week, and last season they were undefeated at 10-0 before losing a heartbreaker to Roseville in the state playoffs. This year, the Crimson are led by the rushing attack of Clark Weineke and Isaac Collins. Weineke averages nearly 130 yards per game on the ground and has 10 touchdowns on the season. Collins runs for just less than 100 yards per game. Quarterback Brad Davison also had three passing touchdowns on the year.
Totino-Grace went 9-3 last season, its first in Class 6A, and lost to Eden Prairie in the state semifinals. This year, the Eagles are 4-0 and got tested in Week 3 with a 34-33 overtime win over Spring Lake Park. It was slightly less stressful last week as they beat Wayzata 42-14. Totino-Grace is led by running back Kez Flomo, who is averaging nearly 200 yards per game on the ground and has nine touchdowns. Lance Benick is also a dual threat quarterback with a combined nine touchdowns, five passing.
The closer and lower scoring the Eagles keep it, the better off they are. I'll pick Maple Grove in a tight one with the home field advantage, but it should be the toughest test of the year yet for both teams.
Champlin Park (2-2) at Elk River (4-0)
Elk River, perfect at 4-0 but not ranked in the Class 5A top 10, looks to keep its undefeated season alive Friday night as it hosts Champlin Park in Northwest Suburban Conference action. The Elks have scored at least 39 points in every game this season and are coming off a 42-30 win over Park Center last week. They're led by running back Zach Ernst, who averages more than 200 yards per game on the ground and has nine touchdowns on the season. Devell Miller also averages more than 80 rushing per game and has three touchdowns. The Rebels are looking to bounce back from a 42-13 loss to Maple Grove last week.
Lakeville North (3-1) at Eastview (2-2)
Both Eastview and Lakeville North are at crucial times in their seasons as they face off Friday night in Apple Valley in South Suburban Conference action. The Panthers are looking to rebound from taking a gut punch in a 10-7 loss to Prior Lake last week in a game delayed by weather. Lakeville North is led by Drew Stewart's 128 passing yards per game and three touchdowns. The Lightning has recovered nicely from an 0-2 start with wins over Lakeville South and Shakopee to get back to .500 on the season. A win for either team can do a lot momentum-wise for the rest of the season.
Roseville (2-2) at East Ridge (4-0)
East Ridge, ranked No. 4 in Class 6A, is looking to stay unbeaten and on top of the Suburban East Conference Friday night as it hosts Roseville, a team that once had league title aspirations. The Raptors are outscoring their opponents by a combined 155-14 on the season, including a 50-0 thrashing of rival Woodbury last week. East Ridge is led by start quarterback Seth Green, who passes for nearly 200 yards per game and has 10 touchdowns. He has also run for three scores. The Raiders are looking to bounce back from a 38-0 loss to Mounds View last week.
Tune into WCCO-TV's High School Sports Rally at about 10:20 p.m. Friday as Mike Max, Frank Vascellaro and David McCoy will have all the action covered.