Southeastern Minnesota high school football power rankings through Week 8 – Post Bulletin

(Editor’s Note: These rankings are “pound-for-pound” rankings, similar to many ranking systems in boxing and mixed martial arts. They represent the best teams in southeastern Minnesota based on class , in which they play.)

This week’s southeastern Minnesota high school football power rankings once again show stability at the top, with some familiar faces returning later in the top 10:

The reigning Section 1 and Class 3A state champion Tigers scored 21 points in the first quarter of their 50-0 win at Lourdes on Wednesday night. The Tigers defense has allowed 19 points all season. That’s an average of 2.4 points allowed per game. That’s 3.0 points per game better than the Tigers’ defense last year, which was the backbone of a 14-0 season and the program’s first state championship. In the words of the great Andrew Bernard: If you don’t know what great is, then you need great lessons.

Speaking of stellar defense, we present this nugget about Chatfield’s “D”: The Gophers have allowed a total of 91 points this season. They allowed 42 of those points in the fourth quarter, especially when their strong offense had already put the games out of reach. In the first half of play this season, Chatfield has given up just 34 points, an average of 4.25 per game. An early lead can go a long way in high school football. Chatfield has mastered this art.

While we don’t think LO/LP invented the motto “You can’t score much if you don’t score fast,” we can’t be entirely sure. The Cardinals are excellent at both: they score quickly and score a lot of goals. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a QB who has rushed for 3,181 yards and 41 touchdowns in eight games. But we also know that the 9-man Section 1 playoffs are always an absolute struggle. That will be the case again this fall, with two 8-0 teams (LO/LP, Spring Grove) and defending champion Kingsland (6-2) at the top of the seedings.

As always with the Wildcats, they force their opponents to pick their poison. No choice is easy or comfortable. Take advantage of your opportunities with quarterback Luke Roschen, an accurate and efficient thrower who distributes the ball. Or try to slow down a Nathan Beck-led Wildcats ground game that consistently features up to five different ball carriers. Then there’s the Wildcats’ defense, which allows a group-best 10.2 points per game. This defense has allowed more than two touchdowns in a game only once this year, in a 39-28 win over 7-1 Blooming Prairie in Week 4.

Bryce Berns returned to his usual spot Wednesday night, under center for the undefeated and No. 6 ranked Lions. They picked up right where they left off two weeks ago with him and a week ago with Zach Brumm. Berns scored three touchdowns in the first quarter of Spring Grove’s 40-16 win over Mabel-Canton, capping a perfect regular season for the Lions. Not many undefeated teams not receive first place in their section, but the Lions happen to be in the same section as LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli. Spring Grove has secured the No. 2 seed, meaning if they win their quarterfinal game they will have home advantage for a potential clash with defending champions Kingsland in the group semifinals.

The Blossoms’ only loss – four weeks ago, 39-28 to unbeaten Goodhue – seems like only yesterday, but at the same time feels like light years ago. Since that loss, Blooming Prairie has steamrolled everything in its path, averaging 49.8 points per game while allowing just 8.3. In the playoffs, momentum is what matters most. Such a defensive performance can generate a lot of momentum.

Seven consecutive wins by three or more points. Four shutouts. An offense that averages 43.4 points per game. All of these statistics describe a Byron team that has been in slump since a 14-3 loss in Week 1 to Providence Academy. The Bears are ranked No. 4 in the state in Class 4A and likely deserve a higher spot in these power rankings. They are about to enter a group tournament where four other teams lost to Byron this fall by a combined score of 181-15. The Bears shut out three of them.

The Falcons’ outstanding offensive line has kept second-year QB Bridon Bahl upright. And when that happens, Bahl has delivered. He has thrown for 1,442 yards and 16 touchdowns with just three interceptions this season for 9th-ranked Fillmore Central. However, the heart and soul of this team is the Falcons’ upperclassmen. They have gone 30-3 the last three seasons, with two section championships and a trip to the Class 1A semifinals two years ago. In other words, they know what it takes to win this time of year and can’t be counted out in a group that also includes Goodhue at 8-0 and Blooming Prairie at 7-1.

A one-point loss to Triton in Week 7 could have sent the Warriors in the wrong direction, especially with another top-10 team coming to Caledonia for the regular season finale on Wednesday. Instead, the Warriors appeared nearly unbeatable in a 40-0 win over No. 9-ranked Pine Island. The Warriors won’t be looking too far ahead, but it looks like we’re heading toward another meeting between Caledonia and Chatfield in the Section 1, Class 2A title game.

The Rockets fell out of our top 10 last week in a loss to Owatonna after a difficult second half. But JM couldn’t have reacted better. They defeated Bloomington Jefferson on the road 53-21. Perhaps most impressively, they did so with great balance, rushing for 156 yards and passing for 141 yards.

Kingsland (6-2), Cannon Falls (6-2), Triton (6-2), Pine Island (6-2), Kasson-Mantorville (5-3), Lewiston-Altura (6-2).