All Things 2022 Minnesota High School Football Thread

[MNVCGUY]

Fair comment Gophers_4life. I guess we'll know better in about three weeks. Maple Grove schedule suspect too. As my old ball coach used to say, "That's why you play the game".

I honestly don't think there is a true favorite this year in 6A. My guess is that the first two rounds will be fairly lopsided as the bad teams are knocked out. But once we get to the final 8 all bets are off and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

 

[Gophers_4life]

But going back to the days of the Suburban East ... I feel like that was one of the lower end 5A conferences back then? Not sure what is different these days, but would assume the most power is still in the Western and Southern suburbs.

NW Suburban used to be very good too, with Blaine and Champlin. I think they've fallen off a bit from those days. Maple Grove is up now.

 

[Some guy]

I honestly don't think there is a true favorite this year in 6A. My guess is that the first two rounds will be fairly lopsided as the bad teams are knocked out. But once we get to the final 8 all bets are off and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

Any of the following wouldn’t shock me winning the whole thing:
Rosemount
Maple grove
Eden prairie
Shakopee
Prior lake
Lakeville south


anybody else would shock me.

 

[gwbbfan82]

I feel like it’s hard to gauge the true relative strength of the East Metro teams vs the (North)West/South metro, without many crossover datapoints.

Are there any true conferences like Suburban East anymore for football? Roseville is in the Suburban East but played Wayzata, White Bear, Stillwater, Anoka, Osseo, Moundsview, Forest Lake & Minnetonka. I think there are more crossover games than there used to be. Why doesn't Roseville play the lower teams in the other conferences? Also, why is an 0 - 8 team (yes, Roseville) in the playoffs? Maybe Minnesota should switch to a more Wisconsin-type playoffs.

 

[disco]

Are there any true conferences like Suburban East anymore for football? Roseville is in the Suburban East but played Wayzata, White Bear, Stillwater, Anoka, Osseo, Moundsview, Forest Lake & Minnetonka. I think there are more crossover games than there used to be. Why doesn't Roseville play the lower teams in the other conferences? Also, why is an 0 - 8 team (yes, Roseville) in the playoffs? Maybe Minnesota should switch to a more Wisconsin-type playoffs.

There are no conferences for football now. We've been discussing that. All football is played in districts now that are re-drawn every two years based in part on enrollment, and in part on success on the field. I believe all scheduling is done at the MSHSL level. There are four districts for class 6A.

This all stemmed from some of the really large schools (EP, Wayzata, Minnetonka) being unable to schedule non-conference games, and the Lake Conference at the time shrinking to just five members. (It's now back up to seven, with Buffalo and STMA joining).

Traditional conferences still exist in all the other sports.

0-8 teams probably should not be in the playoffs, but in the era of everyone gets a trophy, parents would complain if junior didn't get that extra game even though they'll get throttled.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Any of the following wouldn’t shock me winning the whole thing:
Rosemount
Maple grove
Eden prairie
Shakopee
Prior lake
Lakeville south


anybody else would shock me.

Solid list. So much is going to come down to how the brackets shake out tomorrow.

 

[Schnauzer]

The last season with conference play in Minnesota high school football was 2014.

It has been a while now.

 

[Gopher 461]

I would like to see Maple Grove, Rosemount, EP and Lakeville South in Semi match ups with a preference for an EP vs Rosemount final. Great defensive game would be on tap. I just don't think Stillwater, Centennial, Woodbury, Shakopee and Prior Lake can perform as well in playoffs

 

[balds]

Any of the following wouldn’t shock me winning the whole thing:
Rosemount
Maple grove
Eden prairie
Shakopee
Prior lake
Lakeville south


anybody else would shock me.

I've seen most of these teams this year, as my kids go to a SSC school. I'd take Prior Lake and Shakopee off that list. Don't know anything about MG, but my top three SSC teams:

1) Rosemount
2) LS/EP toss up.

 

[Some guy]

I've seen most of these teams this year, as my kids go to a SSC school. I'd take Prior Lake and Shakopee off that list. Don't know anything about MG, but my top three SSC teams:

1) Rosemount
2) LS/EP toss up.

For sure those three plus maple Grove are the favorites

Prior lake and shakopee are the only ones good enough to beat the top 4 even though they aren’t the favorites

Also not sure shakopee is healthy right now

 

[xyz1]

The injury thing would potentially explain how Shakopee surprisingly lost last night to Eagan (which has made a very nice turnaround and won 5 games this year after strugging for quite a few years).

 

[Gophers_4life]

So, to my point, despite their success in the regular season, it seems no one really thinks Stillwater or Forest Lake have any realistic chance to win 6A.

 

[Gophers_4life]

I've seen most of these teams this year, as my kids go to a SSC school. I'd take Prior Lake and Shakopee off that list. Don't know anything about MG, but my top three SSC teams:

1) Rosemount
2) LS/EP toss up.

How did Eastview go from a power back in the day to now they're an afterthought? Pretty much like Apple Valley (not even sure they're 6A now??)

 

[Some guy]

How did Eastview go from a power back in the day to now they're an afterthought? Pretty much like Apple Valley (not even sure they're 6A now??)

Apple valley and Eastview are pretty similar as schools but Eastview has 30-40% open enrollment now, moving them up to 6a

Issue is, those open enrollment kids are coming for the high ACT scores of some surrounding schools (Burnsville and apple valley) and the dance team.
Not football.
Eastview has a larger talent pool to draw from than apple valley but they are closer to being apple valley than they are to being lakeville or rosemount or Eagan.

 

[Gophers_4life]

I would wonder how much of the starting rosters for 6A schools are open enrollment kids.

 

[Some guy]

I would wonder how much of the starting rosters for 6A schools are open enrollment kids.

Football is odd compared to other sports when it comes to open enrollment

There are individuals who help via open enrollment but all else being equal it is probably better to have less open enrollment IMO

Whereas in basketball, even soccer, I think open enrollment helps you

 

[Gophers_4life]

Yeah football is by itself in that you don't really "need" to have skills. Don't "need" to be on club teams, practicing/playing year round.

Especially on defense, you can just show up as a freak athlete, slap on a helmet and shoulder pads, have your teammate tell you where to line up, and just mangle/mash/run/jump your way to doing something great on the field.

QB being the obvious exception.

 

[balds]

So, to my point, despite their success in the regular season, it seems no one really thinks Stillwater or Forest Lake have any realistic chance to win 6A.

Forest Lake lost 31-17 to a mid-tier SSC team, Lakeville North and Stillwater lost 35-14 to EP.

The South Suburban Conference is a beast.

Right now they've had the growth, have the numbers, have the money (off season training, ETS, etc.)

 

[xyz1]

6A brackets are out and Stillwater gets a #1 seed but is set to face Lakeville South in the quarterfinals. If there was such a thing as betting on HS football I would be in heavily on South there.

 

[Some guy]

How did Eastview go from a power back in the day to now they're an afterthought? Pretty much like Apple Valley (not even sure they're 6A now??)

The other thing that’s interesting is that perception is reality.

Like people think Eastview sucks year after year now…
They were last in big school state tourney in 2018

School and last time they made big school state tourney
Eagan - never
Park of cottage grove - 1994
White bear lake - 2002
Hopkins - 2006
Stillwater - 2006
Forest lake - 2009
Anoka - 2011
Roseville - 2013
East ridge - 2015
Burnsville - 2015
Osseo - 2015
Torino grace - 2016
Prior lake - 2017
Edina - 2017
Brainerd - 2017 (5a)
Blaine -2018
Minnetonka - 2018
Moundsview - 2019
Centennial - 2019 (but last time before that was 2004)
Lakeville North - 2019
Coon rapids - 2019 (but they were opted down to 5a in one of the dumbest things ever…1993 before that)




So Eastview sucks but they’ve been to a 6a state tourney more recently than 15 of the 31 other 6a teams and the same year or just one year longer ago than 19 of the 31.

People not seeing the round of 8 as a big deal is a killer in our current system.
Basically any season not in the big stadium is seen as a non successful one by the casual fan.

 

[Some guy]

6A brackets are out and Stillwater gets a #1 seed but is set to face Lakeville South in the quarterfinals. If there was such a thing as betting on HS football I would be in heavily on South there.

Yeah. I could see lakeville north lakeville south playing each other in that game actually

 

[short ornery norwegian]

OK - here are the first-round matchups in 6A:

#8 Brainerd at #1 Stillwater
#5 Lakeville North at #4 Minnetonka
#6 Anoka at #3 White Bear Lake
#7 Burnsville at #2 Lakeville South

#8 Hopkins at #1 Maple Grove
#5 Forest Lake at #4 Eagan
#6 Totino-Grace at #3 East Ridge
#7 Coon Rapids at #2 Prior Lake

on the other side of the bracket-
#8 Eastview at #1 Eden Prairie
#5 Osseo at #4 Woodbury
#6 Farmington at #3 Shakopee
#7 Mounds View at #2 Champlin Park

#8 Roseville at #1 Rosemount
#5 Wayzata at #4 St. Michael-Albertville
#6 Edina at #3 Blaine
#7 Park at #2 Centennial

If the high seeds hold, the Quarterfinals would be
Lakeville South vs Stillwater
Prior Lake vs Maple Grove
Champlin Park vs Eden Prairie
Centennial vs Rosemount

 

[Some guy]

OK - here are the first-round matchups in 6A:

#8 Brainerd at #1 Stillwater
#5 Lakeville North at #4 Minnetonka
#6 Anoka at #3 White Bear Lake
#7 Burnsville at #2 Lakeville South

#8 Hopkins at #1 Maple Grove
#5 Forest Lake at #4 Eagan
#6 Totino-Grace at #3 East Ridge
#7 Coon Rapids at #2 Prior Lake

on the other side of the bracket-
#8 Eastview at #1 Eden Prairie
#5 Osseo at #4 Woodbury
#6 Farmington at #3 Shakopee
#7 Mounds View at #2 Champlin Park

#8 Roseville at #1 Rosemount
#5 Wayzata at #4 St. Michael-Albertville
#6 Edina at #3 Blaine
#7 Park at #2 Centennial

Things that might not go chalk in the first two rounds.
I could see:

East ridge beating prior lake (but I would pick Prior lake)
Lakeville north beating Stillwater (but I would pick Stillwater)
Shakopee beating Champlain (I would pick shakopee)

 

[SPB_Gophers]

Are there any true conferences like Suburban East anymore for football? Roseville is in the Suburban East but played Wayzata, White Bear, Stillwater, Anoka, Osseo, Moundsview, Forest Lake & Minnetonka. I think there are more crossover games than there used to be. Why doesn't Roseville play the lower teams in the other conferences? Also, why is an 0 - 8 team (yes, Roseville) in the playoffs? Maybe Minnesota should switch to a more Wisconsin-type playoffs.

The Suburban East even has some schools in 5A

 

[Some guy]

The Suburban East even has some schools in 5A

Cretin and Irondale

Didn’t realize hasting dropped out of it

 

[Gophers_4life]

The other thing that’s interesting is that perception is reality.

Like people think Eastview sucks year after year now…
They were last in big school state tourney in 2018

School and last time they made big school state tourney
Eagan - never
Park of cottage grove - 1994
White bear lake - 2002
Hopkins - 2006
Stillwater - 2006
Forest lake - 2009
Anoka - 2011
Roseville - 2013
East ridge - 2015
Burnsville - 2015
Osseo - 2015
Torino grace - 2016
Prior lake - 2017
Edina - 2017
Brainerd - 2017 (5a)
Blaine -2018
Minnetonka - 2018
Moundsview - 2019
Centennial - 2019 (but last time before that was 2004)
Lakeville North - 2019
Coon rapids - 2019 (but they were opted down to 5a in one of the dumbest things ever…1993 before that)




So Eastview sucks but they’ve been to a 6a state tourney more recently than 15 of the 31 other 6a teams and the same year or just one year longer ago than 19 of the 31.

People not seeing the round of 8 as a big deal is a killer in our current system.
Basically any season not in the big stadium is seen as a non successful one by the casual fan.

Well? Even here, where you specify "made the state tourny" ... my immediate response was "what? Every school makes the playoffs".

Obviously after thinkin about it for a second, this meant winning your section and progressing on in the bracket. Fair enough, but perhaps not an intuitive thing with how our system is.

I'm not sure I see winning a section as any special thing that deserves recognition.


Maybe if we had a system like you've said before, then just making the playoff would indeed be given more recognition.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Cretin and Irondale

Didn’t realize hasting dropped out of it

Irondale must only be in it because MV district wants to minimize admin overhead and not wanting to deal with two different conferences.

Irondale and MV have been in different confs for a long time, and my guess is this will not help Irondale in the slightest as the smaller and much less affluent school. They're closer to Fridley than MV.

 

[SPB_Gophers]

Irondale must only be in it because MV district wants to minimize admin overhead and not wanting to deal with two different conferences.

Irondale and MV have been in different confs for a long time, and my guess is this will not help Irondale in the slightest as the smaller and much less affluent school. They're closer to Fridley than MV.

They’ve been in the Suburban East for a while now I think

 

[Some guy]

Well? Even here, where you specify "made the state tourny" ... my immediate response was "what? Every school makes the playoffs".

Obviously after thinkin about it for a second, this meant winning your section and progressing on in the bracket. Fair enough, but perhaps not an intuitive thing with how our system is.

I'm not sure I see winning a section as any special thing that deserves recognition.


Maybe if we had a system like you've said before, then just making the playoff would indeed be given more recognition.

Yeah. Your exact thoughts are why I think a system where 50-60% of teams made playoffs would be more helpful to building a program.

Plus you could move to a 9 game regular season giving bad teams one more game against a comparable opponent rather than the 1-8 game.
Eastview should play coon Rapids.
Roseville should play Brainerd.

 

[Some guy]

They’ve been in the Suburban East for a while now I think

Once football no longer mattered for a conference irondale felt comfortable moving to a different conference for other sports