Prep Blog: Week 7, Previewing 'The Big 4'
October is a great month for the high school sports scene. Every game is big in every sport, and on the Friday night football fields, the sun is down before kickoff.
We can often see the players breathe through their helmets, and every play has a little more meaning with playoff implications coming in every game. There are no conference champions this year, but there will be sub-district and district winners.
It's that much more important for football teams to get a win Friday night with only one more regular season week left. It's also a big week to win because many teams are on a short week for the final regular season game. Many teams play on Wednesday and Thursday, and a shorter week means less time to prepare.
There are a lot of big games this week featuring teams on the brink of undefeated seasons. There are also games with home playoff seeding on the line. We preview four football games around the Twin Cities this week, and throw in a school that's hosting a Friday afternoon soccer game as their homecoming.
Rosemount (6-0) at Burnsville (5-1)
It's a huge game in the south Twin Cities metro Friday night, and probably one of the biggest games for the Burnsville program in recent memory. The Blaze are having a special season at 5-1, ranked No. 5 in Class 6A and they host undefeated and No. 3-ranked Rosemount, a traditional state power.
The Blaze suffered their only loss of the season in Week 3 at home to Lakeville North, who is also unbeaten. Since, Burnsville has beaten Apple Valley, Farmington and Eagan by a combined 97-15. They are led by quarterback Kamal Martin, a Gophers commit. He has five passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns on the season as a dual threat. Along with Martin, Michael Schiller and Steph Olson Jr. are rushing for more than 50 yards per game on average. Schiller and Olson Jr. have combined for seven touchdowns.
Rosemount has always featured a bruising rushing attack. The Irish have also dominated defensively all season. Last week was just the second time they've allowed double digits in points in a 53-21 win at Farmington. The Irish are led by Jared Hanson's six passing touchdowns on the season. Running back Blake Storholm is averaging more than 60 yards per game on the ground and has eight rushing touchdowns.
Burnsville has already had a promising season, but a win over Rosemount would take that program to the next level.
Maple Grove (4-2) at Prior Lake (4-2)
There is another big game in the south metro between a pair of 4-2 teams looking to lock up a high playoff seed as Prior Lake hosts Maple Grove. The Lakers had won two straight before traveling to Eden Prairie last week and losing 56-29. The Lakers are strong defensively, and will be tested by Maple Grove's offensive attack. The Crimson have won two straight since a tough 28-20 loss at Eden Prairie. They beat Wayzata 24-6 and Minnetonka 35-14.
Orono (6-0) at Chaska (5-1)
Those west of the Twin Cities metro looking for a great football game Friday night should head to Chaska. The 5-1 Hawks host unbeaten Orono, the No. 3-ranked team in Class 4A. Chaska has won five straight since a season-opening 28-21 loss to Spring Lake Park. The win streak includes shutouts of Richfield and Holy Angels. The Hawks beat rival Chanhassen 30-13 last week. The Spartans have yet to really be tested this season and have scored at least 35 points in every game this year. They've scored at least 40 in all but one game. Orono is coming off a 57-28 win over Bloomington Kennedy last week.
Mounds View (4-2) at Woodbury (5-1)
A pair of old Suburban East Conference rivals meet Friday night with playoff implications on the line as Mounds View travels to Woodbury. The Royals rebounded from their only loss of the season at Stillwater with a 27-20 win over White Bear Lake last week. The Mustangs had won three straight games, but are now looking for a bounce back win after falling at Stillwater last week.
Extra: Friday Girls Soccer - Hill-Murray (5-3-3) at St. Paul Academy (4-7-1)
Hill-Murray and St. Paul Academy have always been strong programs in girls soccer. The Pioneers were a Class A state tournament team a year ago, getting to the semifinals before losing to Minneapolis Washburn. St. Paul Academy was 12-5 last year and lost a double overtime heartbreaker to Visitation in the Section 3A semifinals. The Spartans host the Pioneers Friday afternoon, and it's our featured game for WCCO-TV's High School Sports Rally.
St. Paul Academy has had an up-and-down year. The Spartans are 4-7-1 on the season and are 2-2-1 on their home field. They've beaten Mounds Park Academy and Northfield and tied Breck on their home turf. The Spartans just snapped a two-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over Providence Academy on Tuesday.
Hill-Murray is 5-3-3 on the season and has won three of its past four games. Those victories have all been shutouts for the Pioneers by a combined 6-0. They are led by the trio of Jenna Meader, Kiley Knutson and Maddie Connors. Meader leads the team in scoring with 10 points, including three goals. Conners also has three goals on the season, and Knutson has two. Goalkeeper Emma Sloot has logged 520 minutes in net and has made 28 of a possible 31 saves. That's a .46 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.
It should be a competitive game between two traditional powers in girls soccer.
Tune into WCCO-TV's High School Sports Rally at about 10:30 p.m. as Mike Max, Frank Vascellaro and David McCoy will have all the action covered.