The high school football state rankings are taking their usual shape this year, but they are being produced differently.
Until this season, the Associated Press had compiled the rankings, using a panel of voters. The AP revealed before the season that it would not compile rankings this season but would distribute the rankings if someone else could provide them.
Jim Paulsen, who has covered high school football for the Star Tribune for a quarter-century, filled the gap, assembling a group of voters, with an eye toward representing all areas of Minnesota. The panel: Chad Courrier of the Mankato Free Press, Jace Frederick of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Gary Giombetti of the Mesabi Tribune, Brian Jerzak of Prep Redzone, Pat Ruff of the Rochester Post Bulletin and Randy Shaver of KARE-11 plus Ron Haggstrom and David La Vaque of the Star Tribune.
Their first rankings of the season, to be updated weekly and typically published at startribune.com on Thursdays:
FOOTBALL STATE RANKINGS
Compiled by a statewide panel of high school sports writers and distributed by the Associated Press. The rankings include each team's record and total vote points (10 points for first place and scaling down to one point for 10th place):
Class 6A
1. Lakeville South 2-0, 60 (6). 2. Eden Prairie 2-0, 50. 2. Maple Grove 2-0, 50. 4. Prior Lake 2-0, 40. 5. Stillwater 2-0, 33. 6. Minnetonka 2-0, 29. 7. Woodbury 2-0, 25. 8. Rosemount 2-0, 18. 9. Shakopee 1-1, 17. 10. Forest Lake 2-0, 7. Others receiving votes: Centennial 1, Champlin Park 1.
Class 5A
1. Mankato West 2-0 68 (5). 2. St. Thomas Academy 2-0 64 (2). 3. Elk River 2-0, 52. 4. Mahtomedi, 2-0, 46. 5. Spring Lake Park 2-0, 39. 6. Chanhassen 2-0, 34. 7. Rochester Mayo 2-0, 27. 8. Robbinsdale Armstrong 2-0, 21, 9. Sauk Rapids-Rice 2-0, 7. 9. St. Paul Humboldt/Harding 2-0, 7. Others receiving votes: Chaska 5, St. Francis 5, Tartan 4, Andover 2, Rogers 2, Bloomington Kennedy 1, Waconia 1.
Class 4A
1. Hutchinson 3-0, 70 (7). 2. Rocori 3-0, 56. 3. Stewartville 2-0, 40. 4. Byron 2-0, 36. 5. Simley 2-0, 34. 6. Holy Angels 2-0, 30. 7. Mound Westonka 2-0, 22. 8. Princeton 2-0, 19. 9. Marshall 2-0, 17. 10. Cloquet 2-0, 12. Others receiving votes: North Branch 11, Detroit Lakes 9, Grand Rapids 7, Minneapolis South 7, Kasson-Mantorville 6, Becker 5, Jordan 4.
Class 3A
1. Cannon Falls 2-0, 65 (5). 2. Esko 2-0, 48 (2). 2. Pierz 2-0, 48. 4. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 2-0, 35. 5. Watertown-Mayer 2-0, 32. 6. Plainview-Elgin-Millville, 1-1, 26. 7. Milaca 2-0, 24. 8. Two Harbors 2-0, 20. 9. Aitkin 2-0, 18. 10. Belle Plaine 2-0, 13. Other receiving votes: Perham 12, Tri-City United 12, Dassel-Dokato 11, Minneapolis Henry 9, St. Croix Lutheran 5, Fairmont 3, Zimmerman 3, Waseca 2.
Class 2A
1. Chatfield 2-0, 67 (5). 2. Minneapolis North 2-0, 59. 3. Caledonia 2-0, 54 (2). 4. Barnesville 2-0, 43. 5. Pipestone Area 2-0, 36. 6. Jackson County Central 2-0, 26. 7. Eden Valley-Watkins 2-0, 25. 8. Blue Earth Area 2-0, 18. 9. Royalton 2-0, 14. 10. Kimball Area 2-0, 12. Others receiving votes: Wadena-Deer Creek 9, Concordia Academy 6, Norwood Young America 5, Osakis 5, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 4, Hinckley-Finlayson 3, West Central Area-Ashby 3, Maple River 2, Pelican Rapids 2.
Class 1A
1. Minneota 2-0, 64 (2). 2. Mayer Lutheran 2-0, 63 (5). 3. BOLD 2-0, 37. 4. New York Mills 2-0, 33. 5. Lester Prairie 2-0, 29. 6. Mahnomen-Waubun 2-0, 28. 7. Fillmore Central 2-0, 24. 8. Murray County Central 2-0, 23. 9. Kerkhoven-M-S 2-0, 22. 9. Randolph 2-0, 22. Others receiving votes: Deer River 15, Ottertail Central 8, Lakeview 7, Kenyon-Wanamingo 6, Red Lake County 4, Martin County West 2.
Nine-man
1. Wheaton/H-N 2-0, 49 (2). 2. Lanesboro 2-0, 42 (2). 3. Mountain Iron-Buhl 2-0, 36. 4. Fertile-Beltrami 2-0, 35 (1). 5. Hills-Beaver Creek 2-0, 28. 6. Spring Grove 2-0, 26. 7. Verndale 2-0, 24. 7. Red Rock Central 2-0, 24. 9. Kittson Central 2-0, 21. 9. Mabel-Canton 2-0, 21 (1). Others receiving votes: LeRoy-Ostrander (1) 14, Renville County West 13, Cherry 9, Nevis 8, Grand Meadow 6, Win-E-Mac 2.
