Rankings generally end when regular seasons do. Reason? It's no longer an equitable playing field or a necessary one. Some of the best teams drop out of the rankings because of a single loss. Teams that win are rewarded by advancing to another round, not by a rise in the rankings.
So here's a ranking that fits the times: a top 20 of metro-area teams still in the playoffs and headed toward games Friday.
1. Eden Prairie (9-0): The Eagles were No. 1 in the metro for the entire regular season. Nothing's changed.
2. Lakeville North (8-1): Coon Rapids gave the Panthers a battle in the first round, as expected, but North stayed true to itself. The Panthers kept it simple, ran the ball for 300 yards and never let the Cardinals get a whiff of momentum.
3. Centennial (8-1): Is anyone playing better defense than the Cougars right now?
4. Lakeville South (8-1): In the past three games, Lakeville South has scored 14 offensive touchdowns. Before halftime.
5. Chanhassen (5A, 9-0): The offense gets all the pub, but the Storm's defense has been lights-out, giving up just one touchdown in their past 12 quarters.
6. Maple Grove (7-2): No Charles Langama, no problem. Despite their star running back being out with an injury, the Crimson still ran for 309 yards in a victory over Park of Cottage Grove.
7. Minnetonka (7-2): The Skippers are getting more and more comfortable leaning on defense and rushing since the loss of QB Milos Spasojevic.
8. Stillwater (7-2): It's good news for the Ponies that QB Nick Kinsey came back from injury and passed for 99 yards in a rout of Hopkins.
9. Edina (6-3): The deep and talented Hornets are playing their best football right now, when it matters.
10. Andover (5A, 8-1): The Huskies put up a basketball score, 84 points, in a victory over Cambridge-Isanti.
11. Becker (4A, 9-0): No. 1 in 4A knows how to win at this time of year.
12. Shakopee (6-3): A Hail Mary victory that ended the regular season has breathed new life into the Sabers.
13. Rosemount (6-3): After being shut out by Centennial, the Irish scored 48 first half-points Friday against Blaine.
14. Forest Lake (6-3): Roughneck Rangers outphysicaled Wayzata in a 31-7 victory.
15. Rogers (5A, 8-1): After a tough loss to Mankato West, the Royals posted their second shutout of Park Center in three weeks.
16. St. Thomas Academy (5A, 7-2): The Cadets gave up the game's first and last scores. In between, they scored 47 straight in a 47-14 victory over Two Rivers.
17. Robbinsdale Armstrong (5A, 7-2): Armstrong's defense got offensive, collecting three pick-sixes as the Falcons shredded St. Louis Park 63-12
18. Prior Lake (5-4): Tough-luck Lakers finally won a road playoff game after 18 tries, rallying to beat Mounds View 17-15.
19. Woodbury (5-4): The Royals ended their two-game losing streak in style with a 42-point first-half barrage.
20. Hutchinson (4A, 7-2): Since a two-game losing streak in midseason, the Tigers are obliterating opposing defenses to the tune of 45 points per game.
