Class A and AA rankings all shook up

Section playoffs in some Class A and AA sections begin later this week, in others its next week. Most Class A and AA teams have 1 or 2 regular season games left, but many others have already completed their regular season.

So this week’s rankings have unique significance. And, since we’ve gone to updating our rankings every other week, there’s plenty of changes this week. The biggest movers are as follows.

Movin’ Up

In Class AA Rush City, one of 2 unbeatens along with season-long #1AA Roseau, moves up from #17 to #10. We had the opportunity to see them against a good Pine City team last week, and they’ve got 2 skilled bigs and 2 athletic and aggressive guards. If all goes well, they’ll still have to face Sauk Centre for a section title, and if that happens they won’t be favored. But neither will they be taken lightly.

In Class A, Ada, Southwest MN Christian ad Red Rock Central all moved up 7 or 8 slots. SWMC and Red Rock could be facing off in Section 3A, though Canby will still have something to say about that. The 2 of them went 8 for 8 over the past 2 weeks while Canby lost to Tracy-MB and to SWMC. Canby still moved up from #20 to #14 because some other rated teams also lost multiple games. But, SWMC and RRC moved up even more—SWMC from #16 to #8, and RRC from #19 to #11. (RRC got the #1 seed in 3A ahead of SWMC, however.)

Ada won 4 games the past 2 weeks and at 21-1 will present a formidable challenge to undefeated Wheaton in Section 6A. They moved from #13 to #7.

Osakis and St. Croix Lutheran moved into the top 20 in AA, while Stephen-Argyle and Underwood moved into the top 20 in A.

Movin’ Down

Meanwhile, some teams have squandered their momentum going into the post-season. Guilty as charged:

In AA, Barnesville drops from #11 to #20 and Hayfield drops from #8 to #13, while Annandale and Duluth Marshall drop out of the top 20.

In Class A, GHEC, Lyle/Pacelli and Cedar Mt. drop down, and Kimball and Parkers Prairie drop right on out of the top 20. Kimball drops all the way from #8A out of the top 20 after losing 3 times to BBE, St. Cloud Cathedral and Eden Valley-Watkins over the past 2 weeks.

Cut to the Chase

With the A and AA sections coming right up, does any of this change the outlook for the state tournament? Here are some teams that have surged toward the front just in the last 2 weeks of the regular season.

• Section 1AA—I don’t think the favorites Plainview-EM and Hayfield are unbeatable, and Caledonia has won 9 straight. They’re not even in the top 20, but they’re top 25, and I’d say they have a shot.

• Section 2AA—NRHEG has a nice path to the south subsection title while the faves, NYS and St. Pete, are both in the north. NRHEG, new at #19 with 13 wins in a row, has a shot.

• Section 6AA—Can Rush City really challenge Sauk Centre? One way to find out.

• Section 3A—I think it’s fair to say that Red Rock Central has been below the radar. SW MN Christian has been here before and that’s big, but Red Rock has a shot.

• Section 6A—Any other contender would probably have to beat both Ada and Wheaton and that is going to be a very tough row to hoe, but Underwood has won 11 in a row.