AA Rankings for 12/1/19
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2019 8:03 am
After a week and a half of games, here’s the first set of in-season rankings. Signs of parity abound.
1. Eden Prairie (1-0)
-The Eagles showed some of their offensive potential as they put away a spirited Cretin squad in their opener. The Jackson Blake situation has become a question mark, but with everything else going on, that’s certainly not a reason to reconsider their top ranking at this point. They continue with their light early schedule with another one game week, albeit an interesting one.
This week—Fri vs. Hermantown (in St. Louis Park)
2. Rosemount (3-0)
-The Irish win over Minnetonka was one of the more impressive showings on the young season. They almost fell into an East Ridge trap in their second game, but rebounded with a convincing performance against Jefferson. Wins are wins, and on paper this team should be clear favorites in all of its games between now and its holiday tournament.
This week: Thurs at Shakopee, Sat vs. Prior Lake
3. Maple Grove (3-0)
-The Crimson nudge up a bit because they’re doing what many of the teams right below them are not: winning. They’ve shown they can score quickly and frequently in wins over Edina and Moorhead, and they also showed some resilience in an overtime win over Roseau. They now head into conference play.
This week: Thurs vs. Champlin Park
4. Andover (1-1)
-The Huskies split their opening bill with Blake, which is no serious indictment but also doesn’t help create any separation in the rankings. With the postponement of the Moorhead game, they have a two-week break between games heading into their 7AA grudge match with Duluth East.
This week: Sat at Duluth East
5. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (2-1)
-The Red Knights drop three spots after a surprise loss to Grand Rapids; their win over Edina, while important, also showed that there isn’t much of a gap between them and the other contenders in a tight 6AA. That said, they got an important win, and they also need to get healthy. They’ve got another game with a tough opponent this coming week.
This week: Sat vs. Hermantown
6. Blake (3-1)
-A split with Andover is a positive result for the Bears. They followed that up with workmanlike wins over Chaska an St. Thomas, which are enough to keep them afloat here. They now continue with a string of private school opponents that includes their next major test against Hill on Saturday.
This week: Tues vs. Holy Family, Sat vs. #8 Hill-Murray
7. Hill-Murray (1-0)
-The Pioneers logged a solid early season win over Blaine, finding ways to finish when the Bengals could not. They have a busy week ahead of them that includes a conference test against a Class A opponent and a battle with the team immediately above them, which should give us more top ten insights.
This week: Tues vs. Mahtomedi, Thurs vs. Simley, Sat at #6 Blake
8. Grand Rapids (2-0)
-The Thunderhawks have served early notice to the rest of the state after two wins over west metro powers. They were outshot in both games, but Carter Clafton has been equal to the task, and this group has enough interesting pieces offensively that it looks like 7AA won’t be the one-team race some expected. This week they venture to the northwest, which could give us some idea if they’re legitimate top ten material.
This week: Tues at Virginia, Fri at Roseau, Sat at Warroad
9. Blaine (1-1)
-The Bengals looked plenty competitive in their opening week. Finishing was a challenge at times, but they had their chances against Hill and found a way to edge Edina despite Carsen Richels’ absence. St. Michael-Albertville is their next opponent of note.
This week: Thurs vs. Coon Rapids, Sat at St. Michael-Albertville
10. Lakeville South (1-0)
-The Cougars took care of Chanhassen, but were deprived a chance at a more instructive game against Hermantown by snowfall. A visit to Duluth headlines a three-game week.
This week: Tues at Duluth East, Thurs at Eastview, Sat vs. Shakopee
11. White Bear Lake (2-0)
-The Bears are off to a strong start after steamrolling both Irondale and Duluth East. They have a chance to make a case for a top ten spot when they visit the Hornets on Saturday.
This week: Thurs vs. Woodbury, Sat at #12 Edina
12. Edina (1-3)
-The Hornets haven’t been half bad out of the gate, as all three losses have been narrow, and to good teams; if anything, the close Benilde loss is a sign that they’re plenty competitive within the section. Still, at a certain point, a team needs to win some games. They can get themselves back in the top ten conversation with a good result against White Bear this week.
This week: Mon at St. Louis Park, Sat vs. #11 White Bear Lake
13. Minnetonka (1-2)
-The Skippers didn’t get off a swimming start, as they were overpowered by Rosemount and couldn’t solve Grand Rapids. They got into the win column by knocking off Greenway. On paper they should win both of their games this week, but neither one is a completely safe bet.
This week: Thurs vs. Prior Lake, Sat at St. Thomas Academy
14. Moorhead (2-1)
-The Spuds’ date with Andover was delayed a month, but we got a pretty good picture of what this team will probably be in the Turkey Trot and a win over Brainerd: decent, solid defensively, capable of giving top teams good games but not quite on that level. They continue with a string of section opponents this week.
This week: Tues at Bemidji, Fri at Buffalo
15. Lakeville North (3-0)
-The Panthers are plugging along in the early going with respectable wins over Chaska and Holy Family. Their lone game this week is a section contest with Farmington.
This week: Sat at Farmington
The Next Ten
Stillwater (0-0)
-The late-starting Ponies have three games in their opening week, including a first game Tuesday against a decent Cloquet team.
Roseau (1-2)
-The Rams hobbled out of the gates some in a loss to Thief River Falls, but acquitted themselves quite well on a road trip south, as they gave Maple Grove a better game than section rival Moorhead did and then beat a decent Centennial team. They can make even more of an impression when they host Grand Rapids this week.
St. Thomas Academy (1-2)
-Like Roseau, the Cadets took a questionable early stumble against Eastview, but pulled out an impressive comeback in their win over Cretin and had a decent showing in a loss to Blake. Minnetonka looms as their next serious test.
Wayzata (1-3)
-The Trojans were competitive in narrow losses to Moorhead, Edina, and Hermantown and beat Duluth East, so they’re better than the record would suggest. St. Louis Park is their only game this week.
Centennial (0-1)
-The Cougars fell to Roseau in their opener, which is hard to gauge at this point. They head into Northwest Suburban action now and have trips to Osseo and Elk River this week.
Hastings (1-0)
-The Raiders rolled over Dodge County, which doesn’t tell us much, and lost a game with Mayo to the weather. Mahtomedi this Saturday is their first opponent of any real statewide significance on the schedule.
Cretin-Derham Hall (0-2)
-The Raiders had St. Thomas on the ropes before they coughed it up, and the Eden Prairie game went about as expected. The Matt Gleason show is as advertised, but they’ll need a lot more from their depth players to fight through a deep 6AA. They should be able to rack up some wins in conference play now.
Eagan (1-0)
-Beat New Prague 4-2, which isn’t remarkable result, but it’s a win when other teams around here are losing, so we’ll nudge the Wildcats into the top 25. Burnsville offers a test against another team in this tier this week.
Chaska (1-2-1)
-The Hawks did a little of everything in their opening week and a half. The highlight was a shutout of an Eastview team that beat St. Thomas, but they also got handled by Lakeville North; a loss to Blake and a tie Cloquet are respectable but hardly thrilling results. This week they’ll try to avoid a repeat of last season’s loss to Eveleth.
Cloquet (1-0-1)
-Tied Chaska, which is a more impressive result than anything anyone else in this area has to date, so we’ll give the Lumberjacks a plug. Stillwater headlines a three-game week that will give us a little more to work with here.
1. Eden Prairie (1-0)
-The Eagles showed some of their offensive potential as they put away a spirited Cretin squad in their opener. The Jackson Blake situation has become a question mark, but with everything else going on, that’s certainly not a reason to reconsider their top ranking at this point. They continue with their light early schedule with another one game week, albeit an interesting one.
This week—Fri vs. Hermantown (in St. Louis Park)
2. Rosemount (3-0)
-The Irish win over Minnetonka was one of the more impressive showings on the young season. They almost fell into an East Ridge trap in their second game, but rebounded with a convincing performance against Jefferson. Wins are wins, and on paper this team should be clear favorites in all of its games between now and its holiday tournament.
This week: Thurs at Shakopee, Sat vs. Prior Lake
3. Maple Grove (3-0)
-The Crimson nudge up a bit because they’re doing what many of the teams right below them are not: winning. They’ve shown they can score quickly and frequently in wins over Edina and Moorhead, and they also showed some resilience in an overtime win over Roseau. They now head into conference play.
This week: Thurs vs. Champlin Park
4. Andover (1-1)
-The Huskies split their opening bill with Blake, which is no serious indictment but also doesn’t help create any separation in the rankings. With the postponement of the Moorhead game, they have a two-week break between games heading into their 7AA grudge match with Duluth East.
This week: Sat at Duluth East
5. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (2-1)
-The Red Knights drop three spots after a surprise loss to Grand Rapids; their win over Edina, while important, also showed that there isn’t much of a gap between them and the other contenders in a tight 6AA. That said, they got an important win, and they also need to get healthy. They’ve got another game with a tough opponent this coming week.
This week: Sat vs. Hermantown
6. Blake (3-1)
-A split with Andover is a positive result for the Bears. They followed that up with workmanlike wins over Chaska an St. Thomas, which are enough to keep them afloat here. They now continue with a string of private school opponents that includes their next major test against Hill on Saturday.
This week: Tues vs. Holy Family, Sat vs. #8 Hill-Murray
7. Hill-Murray (1-0)
-The Pioneers logged a solid early season win over Blaine, finding ways to finish when the Bengals could not. They have a busy week ahead of them that includes a conference test against a Class A opponent and a battle with the team immediately above them, which should give us more top ten insights.
This week: Tues vs. Mahtomedi, Thurs vs. Simley, Sat at #6 Blake
8. Grand Rapids (2-0)
-The Thunderhawks have served early notice to the rest of the state after two wins over west metro powers. They were outshot in both games, but Carter Clafton has been equal to the task, and this group has enough interesting pieces offensively that it looks like 7AA won’t be the one-team race some expected. This week they venture to the northwest, which could give us some idea if they’re legitimate top ten material.
This week: Tues at Virginia, Fri at Roseau, Sat at Warroad
9. Blaine (1-1)
-The Bengals looked plenty competitive in their opening week. Finishing was a challenge at times, but they had their chances against Hill and found a way to edge Edina despite Carsen Richels’ absence. St. Michael-Albertville is their next opponent of note.
This week: Thurs vs. Coon Rapids, Sat at St. Michael-Albertville
10. Lakeville South (1-0)
-The Cougars took care of Chanhassen, but were deprived a chance at a more instructive game against Hermantown by snowfall. A visit to Duluth headlines a three-game week.
This week: Tues at Duluth East, Thurs at Eastview, Sat vs. Shakopee
11. White Bear Lake (2-0)
-The Bears are off to a strong start after steamrolling both Irondale and Duluth East. They have a chance to make a case for a top ten spot when they visit the Hornets on Saturday.
This week: Thurs vs. Woodbury, Sat at #12 Edina
12. Edina (1-3)
-The Hornets haven’t been half bad out of the gate, as all three losses have been narrow, and to good teams; if anything, the close Benilde loss is a sign that they’re plenty competitive within the section. Still, at a certain point, a team needs to win some games. They can get themselves back in the top ten conversation with a good result against White Bear this week.
This week: Mon at St. Louis Park, Sat vs. #11 White Bear Lake
13. Minnetonka (1-2)
-The Skippers didn’t get off a swimming start, as they were overpowered by Rosemount and couldn’t solve Grand Rapids. They got into the win column by knocking off Greenway. On paper they should win both of their games this week, but neither one is a completely safe bet.
This week: Thurs vs. Prior Lake, Sat at St. Thomas Academy
14. Moorhead (2-1)
-The Spuds’ date with Andover was delayed a month, but we got a pretty good picture of what this team will probably be in the Turkey Trot and a win over Brainerd: decent, solid defensively, capable of giving top teams good games but not quite on that level. They continue with a string of section opponents this week.
This week: Tues at Bemidji, Fri at Buffalo
15. Lakeville North (3-0)
-The Panthers are plugging along in the early going with respectable wins over Chaska and Holy Family. Their lone game this week is a section contest with Farmington.
This week: Sat at Farmington
The Next Ten
Stillwater (0-0)
-The late-starting Ponies have three games in their opening week, including a first game Tuesday against a decent Cloquet team.
Roseau (1-2)
-The Rams hobbled out of the gates some in a loss to Thief River Falls, but acquitted themselves quite well on a road trip south, as they gave Maple Grove a better game than section rival Moorhead did and then beat a decent Centennial team. They can make even more of an impression when they host Grand Rapids this week.
St. Thomas Academy (1-2)
-Like Roseau, the Cadets took a questionable early stumble against Eastview, but pulled out an impressive comeback in their win over Cretin and had a decent showing in a loss to Blake. Minnetonka looms as their next serious test.
Wayzata (1-3)
-The Trojans were competitive in narrow losses to Moorhead, Edina, and Hermantown and beat Duluth East, so they’re better than the record would suggest. St. Louis Park is their only game this week.
Centennial (0-1)
-The Cougars fell to Roseau in their opener, which is hard to gauge at this point. They head into Northwest Suburban action now and have trips to Osseo and Elk River this week.
Hastings (1-0)
-The Raiders rolled over Dodge County, which doesn’t tell us much, and lost a game with Mayo to the weather. Mahtomedi this Saturday is their first opponent of any real statewide significance on the schedule.
Cretin-Derham Hall (0-2)
-The Raiders had St. Thomas on the ropes before they coughed it up, and the Eden Prairie game went about as expected. The Matt Gleason show is as advertised, but they’ll need a lot more from their depth players to fight through a deep 6AA. They should be able to rack up some wins in conference play now.
Eagan (1-0)
-Beat New Prague 4-2, which isn’t remarkable result, but it’s a win when other teams around here are losing, so we’ll nudge the Wildcats into the top 25. Burnsville offers a test against another team in this tier this week.
Chaska (1-2-1)
-The Hawks did a little of everything in their opening week and a half. The highlight was a shutout of an Eastview team that beat St. Thomas, but they also got handled by Lakeville North; a loss to Blake and a tie Cloquet are respectable but hardly thrilling results. This week they’ll try to avoid a repeat of last season’s loss to Eveleth.
Cloquet (1-0-1)
-Tied Chaska, which is a more impressive result than anything anyone else in this area has to date, so we’ll give the Lumberjacks a plug. Stillwater headlines a three-game week that will give us a little more to work with here.
