Let’s debate the Metro Top 10
Posted on August 28th, 2009 – 3:32 PMBy John Millea
Football is on the cusp of kickoff and one of my missions is to put together a Metro Top 10. This is where all you denizens of the prep blogosphere come in.
I’ve got a pretty good handle on the top three teams, but that still leaves seven spots on the list.
The Top 10 will be part of our prep football special section, which hits the newsstands on Wednesday.
Who is deserving? Let’s discuss …
John Millea is on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stribjohn
33 Responses to "Let’s debate the Metro Top 10"
Hutch is without a doubt a top 10 or even 5 team. They lost twice last year and bring back 17 starters. The guys who are taking over played a lot last year. They will have 2 thousand yard rushers in Jacob Brusehaver and Jaedon Scott (they both did it last year as well) and the best linebacking crew in the Missota with Wes Corrigan and Brsuehaver. Brahn Olson and Riley McGraw will dominate on the offensive line.
Lakeville South is definitely deserving. They return 14 starters from last years team which advanced to the state tournament. Those players will be supplemented with a class of juniors that as sophomores last year finished first in the Lake Conference including a victory over Eden Prairie.
I think it would always be interesting to see how a 4A team ranked in the top 10 would do against one of the three big powers. The David-Goliath match ups are the best to watch, especially if “David” wins or at least makes it close. Sort of like how the hockey tournament used to be before it had classes. Would any 4A teams have a realistic chance?
Totino-Grace is the number one team in the state, no doubt.
Totino-grace is always a high end caliber team. They are not flashy but they will pound the running game down your throat. Then when you go to stack the box on them they throw it. Totino is a team that plays well as a cohesive unit. Not many players go on to play Division 1 ball but compared to teams like cretin that have 4 or 5 kids that go off to D-1 schools, Totino wins state titles. Which shows how well coached they are and efficent as a team
St Louis Park finally moved to right conference - they will surprise everyone this year. Definitely Top 10.
Don’t forget about big Jimmy Gjere and Irondale. That program has been on the steady rise for quite a few years now. They may not be a solid top ten team just yet, but I think that should change if they play well against Totino.
None of those teams aside from South matter. The real teams are all 5A and mainly all suburbs of the cities. After that, the competition is lessened and lessened. At the end of the season, it will be a matter of EP or CDH, no one will be talking about Irondale, Totino-Grace, or Hutchinson. Maybe in their respective division, but they would be dominated in 5A
I don’t totally agree with you Mike. A 4A team very well could compete with 5A teams. Just because their schools are bigger doesn’t necessarily mean their athletes are better. Do they have more to choose from? Yes. Still, you have to execute. Look at Glencoe-Silver Lake. They are one of the smallest schools in the difficult Wright County Conf. Yet, year in and out they are one of the top teams in the state. 3 straight state championships and 5 since 2000. And they play much larger schools every year including traditionally strong 4A teams like Orono, Waconia, and Hutchinson. And in the last 3 years, they are 4-2 against those teams.
Coaching and the dedication of the athletes is really important and the kids at GSL do the work to be the best. I’m not saying they’d beat a EP (like they did in the 80s in the Suburban West) or Cretin or Wayzata. But the games would be entertaining for sure.
Go Panthers!
Obviously, it is hard to put together a list before anyone has played. But, just for fun, here is my top ten if I had to come up with one today.
1. Cretin Derham Hall
2. Wayzata
3. Eden Prairie
4. Blaine
5. Lakeville South
6. Rosemount
7. Minnetonka
8. Eastview
9. Woodbury
10. Hopkins
St. Louis Park????? Oh, come now. They might make the top 10 in their conference.
Since John almost always includes a Missota team in his pre-season top 10 - Hutch is the clear pick. They have what it takes to win 4A this year. Don’t sleep on Prior Lake this year either. They have a good quarterback in T.J. Larson.
where is the soccer information for all the high schools that you have always had on the prep page!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mounds View, will be one of the best team in state. Their juniors, from last year was undefeated, and the seniors are pretty solid with a lot of varsity experience, such as OT Billy Turner, RB/DB Kyle Maurchio, DL Jeremey Hill, and many more.
1.Wayzata
2. Cretin
3. EP
4. Mounds view
5.Tonka
6.Rosemount
7.TG
8.Blaine
9.Woodbury
10. Hopkins
Can someone explain why anyone thinks Woodbury will even be in the top half of the SEC this year? Other than the big guy, do they have anyone left from last year’s one-hit wonder?
Sorry for the bias, I am a student at Wayzata after all, but Wayzata is the best in state. No other teams in Minnesota are even in national rankings. Rivals have us at #66 in the nation, and Massey has us at #12 in computer rankings.
Getting tired of seeing Eastview in the rankings. Yeah they run the scores up on the Eagans and Burnsvilles, then scream and holler that the refs cost them the other games they lose. Remember Rosemount last year 63-7 and 26-7. Get Eastview out of the rankings, heck they recruit all over the ISD 196 district and still can’t field a decent team
I agree with Eric. Hutch is always a top-notch squad and they look to be tough this year. They are probably deserving to be in the pre-season top 10. However watch out for Prior Lake to make some noise in the Missota and have a chance to break into the top 10.
NO love for st.michael Albertville?
Friday Night we will see how good Hutch is when they host an equally strong traditional 3A power in Glencoe-SL in what is sure to be a great game.
The Friday night match up between Eagan and Lakeville South will provide alot of answers to who will challenge EP for the conference crown. Rosemount always has a tough defense. EP, Rosemount, Lakeville South and Eagan will be the top third of the Lake. Hey Wayzata don’t overlook Eastview on openning night.
Cretin-Derham Hall
Its team like Glencoe silver lake and totino that win state titles because they don’t have the flashy one man team. AKA Floyd. To win a title your “Team” has to be solid all around otherwise these types of teams will shut you down because they’ve been to bowl games and they target your best player.
You might want to take a deeper look into the northwest suburban conference. andover certainly deserves a second hard look after taking state runner up blaine to the brink in the section quarter finals. blaine lost mr everything james peterson to graduation and andover returns monster reciever/saftey jason schneider, who should certainly vie for first team all metro honors. the huskies also return 7 or 8 starters to a defense that was solid last season, including three players in the secondary who made some strides last season. x-factors to watch for also are junior qb tyler finnes, a dynamic athlete who played varsity bball as a soph and senior wr/cb chase vasquez, versitile player dangerous w ball in his hands.
Woodbury may struggle a little bit this year, but i still believe they’ll be at the top of the SEC. They lost A LOT but they return obviously the D-1 recruit Edwards and other starters Eric Giddings, Alex Hsu, Matt Stevenson, and Torsten Rotto all of which contributed significantly to the big run they had last year. Young players will need to step up, but i guarantee at least a 6 win season.
Cretin Derham Hall will be the best team by the end of the season. Woodbury is a joke
Funny how Cretin’s always billed as the best team in the state, then they lose in the playoffs.
Totino-Grace comes into this year with probably the best team they have ever had since the school started operating in 1966. There are four D-1 athletes on this team this year: Kromah, Pride, Mezzenga, and Crockett. Last year they came up short to Orono in the Section Championship, however this year Orono has lost the majority of their team. In my opinion the biggest game of this year is Becker September 25. Last year they lost 20-7, but as history has shown you may beat TG one year, but the next year they will bring the rain down on you. My prediction for this game is TG 49-becker 13. In additon, I believe they TG should be ranked in the top 5 teams in Minnesota even if they aren’t 5AAAAAA
Hard not to pick E.P the Junior College of H.S.sports
The problem with the Lake Conference teams is that they will beat each other up. EP is not a lock to win the conference this year.
1. EP
2. Cretin
3. Blaine
4. Wayzata
5. Rosemount
6. Lakeville South
7. Eastview
8. Hutchinson
9. Minnetonka
10.Totino Grace
Any one who rates Minnetonka ahead of Eastview is crazy! They handily dominated Minnetonka, hastings and Osseo. I think Eastview is definetely a team to watch this year.
Wayzata until someone beats them. Minnetonka, Hopkins, and Edina should all be strong again, too. Eden Prairie is #2, then take your guess among the strongest regular players.
Apparently Hutch is NO WHERE near as strong as people have been saying. What a pathetic display they put on against GSL. 41-0!!! They not only got beat, they got blown out. Personally, I can’t wait to hear about the game against Farmington- that outta be equally as bad. I’ve heard over and over “this is Hutch’s year”…”this is the class the coaches have been waiting for”- if this is the case, then I feel REALLY bad for the years to come. Not ONE kid on that Hutch team came to play. IT was unreal how pathetic that team was. The “Cornerbacks” (if you can call them that) are COMPLETE GARBAGE. They got run all over. Even the “stand outs” were absolutely pathetic. The most impressive players of the night- the second string. Player of the game for Hutch- the back-up quarterback. As least he’s man enough and can think when it’s not a textbook perfect play.
I’ll take this a step further and say this: TJ- There is one person on your list of “who to watch” that SHOULD NOT BE there. He can’t even contain his man.
