Prep Blog: Week 8, Previewing 'The Big 4'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It still feels like the high school football season just kicked off, but we're already in the final week of the regular season.
There are several conference titles on the line as well as the chance for home field advantage in the playoffs as teams kick off this week, and they're doing so on short notice. It's the week of Minnesota's annual teacher's conferences, so a majority of teams across the state are on a short week with games on Wednesday night.
It means condensing an entire week's worth of preparation for the final game in about half the normal time. It's tough to do, but coaches and players alike will say everybody is in the same boat when games kick off. Many teams have the goal of winning a conference championship, and for some it will become a reality. For the state's powers, it's just one step on the way to winning a state championship.
There are several huge games across the state this week, and here's our "Big 4."
Hopkins (5-2) at Eden Prairie (7-0)
Two top-10 teams in Class 6A square off in the west Twin Cities metro Wednesday night with the Lake Conference title on the line as Eden Prairie hosts Hopkins. The Eagles are the No. 1 team in the state, while the Royals are ranked No. 9. It's our featured game for the final week of the regular season.
Eden Prairie comes in at 7-0 and has really only been tested once this season, a 19-15 victory in early September at Eastview. Led by legendary coach Mike Grant, there isn't much mystery to the Eagles' approach. They run it down your throat on offense and pound you at the line of scrimmage. They have a balanced rushing attack, led by Will Rains, who has 19 rushing touchdowns on the season. Eden Prairie has won 24 straight games and three consecutive state championships.
Hopkins can win its first Lake Conference title with an upset victory as both teams enter the game 3-0 in league play. The Royals went just 2-7 and were 0-4 in the Lake Conference last year, so it's been quite a rebound season. They feature a rarely-seen two quarterback system as Tyler Lee and Oscar Johnson-Dorothy have a combined nine touchdown passes and average about 270 yards per game together. D.T. Williams leads the rushing attack at about 88 yards per game and five touchdowns on the season.
Eden Prairie beat Hopkins 37-0 last year and is a heavy favorite at home. It should be a closer game this time around, but the Eagles will be tough on their home turf.
Rogers (7-0) at St. Michael-Albertville (6-1)
The Mississippi 8 Conference title is on the line Wednesday night as pair of rivals square off when St. Michael-Albertville hosts Rogers. It's also a battle of top five teams in Class 5A as Rogers enters the contest ranked No. 2 and St. Michael-Albertville is ranked No. 4. If the Knights win, they would clinch a share of the league title with Rogers. It could be a three-way tie if Chisago Lakes beats St. Francis as all three would be 7-1 in league play. The Royals and Knights met last year twice, with the first game going to overtime in a 38-37 win for Rogers. They met again with a trip to the state playoffs on the line, and the Knights took that game 21-7. The St. Michael-Albertville defense has been impressive this year with three shutouts, and it'll need that type of effort to knock off Rogers again.
Mounds View (6-1) at Stillwater (6-1)
The Suburban East Conference title is on the line Wednesday night in Stillwater as a pair of top 10 teams in Class 6A square off. The No. 9-ranked Ponies host No. 3-ranked Mounds View. The Mustangs need a win to take the league crown outright, but Stillwater could earn a share of it also with a victory. Mounds View knocked off the other favorite, East Ridge, last week, and is unbeaten against Minnesota teams. The Ponies cruised past Woodbury last week after suffering their only loss of the season to Cretin-Derham Hall. Expect it to be a game with plenty of defense and a lot of running from both teams.
Owatonna (5-2) at Northfield (6-1)
An old rivalry in the Big 9 Conference will be renewed Wednesday night as Northfield hosts Owatonna with second place in the league on the line. The Raiders have had an impressive 6-1 season after going just 4-6 last season. The Huskies are 5-2 after going a perfect 13-0 last year to win the Class 5A state championship. Northfield's run game will be put to the test against a tough Owatonna run defense. The Huskies are coming off a 25-24 win over Rochester John Marshall, while the Raiders beat Century 37-14 last week for their fifth straight victory. Their only loss of the season came to Mankato West, the No. 1-ranked team in Class 5A, which is expected to win the league title.
WCCO-TV will have all of Wednesday night's action covered, and tune into High School Sports Rally Friday night as we gear up for the playoffs.