Jim Paulsen

In Minnesota's largest school classification, which includes undefeated Maple Grove, Lakeville North, Minnetonka and Shakopee, no team has stamped itself the favorite.

Stewartville in Class 3A and Minneota in Class 1A received all 12 first-place votes. Elk River, first in Class 5A, fell a vote short of perfect, and Nevis remained atop Nine-Player. New in the top spot this week: Lakeville North in 6A, Becker in 4A and Barnesville in 2A.

Maple Grove, Lakeville North, Shakopee and Minnetonka remain undefeated among Class 6A teams and hold the first four positions this week.

Chuck Langama, who rushed for 104 yards, scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reporters who try to pick winners are analyzing a Class 6A game Thursday and another Friday, and they're headed northwest for a third.

Edina leads 6A, and it's Elk River in 5A, Hutchinson in 4A, Stewartville in 3A, Caledonia in 2A, Minneota in 1A. Nevis and Mountain Iron-Buhl are tied for first in Nine-Player.

The strength the Hornets showed in a big victory over Eden Prairie made them a tempting option for No. 1, but too much about the Crimson is too strong.

QB Caleb Francois rushed for three touchdowns for the second game in a row, propelling the Skippers toward a victory over the Trojans.

David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen have missed on a single prediction this season, but only one can be right about this week's big Class 6A game.

The assignment is to produce a state football ranking that crosses classes. Complicating that — or making it more intriguing? — is that it is very difficult for smaller schools to keep up in the numbers game.

Patriots senior quarterback Jadis Hartman was responsible for three touchdowns in a victory over Richfield.

Reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen predicted three Friday results, and they came to one where they couldn't agree.

Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque aren't just guessing, and they'll share their expertise on gamedays as the season goes on.

The list of the best high school football teams in the state will be updated weekly by Star Tribune reporter Jim Paulsen.

The Minnesota Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen produced his annual list, complete with college plans and this time including players from outside the Twin Cities.

The five-member U.S. Olympic team in women's gymnastics will be announced Sunday night in Minneapolis. One leading contender for the team suffered an injury Wednesday in training.

Centennial won the Class 6A state championship, opening up the offense just a little but mostly sticking to the blue-collar behavior that suits coach Mike Diggins.

Maxwell Woods led Chanhassen to a football state championship as a running back and defensive back and wasn't far from averaging a triple-double in basketball.

Scott Jackson's Wayzata volleyball teams have won every big-class state championship available since 2018, and in 2023 the squad went 34-0.

East Ridge scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh against Mounds View in Class 4A, and Totino-Grace defeated Mahtomedi behind Tommy Heifort's pitching in Class 3A.

Long overlooked, rhythmic gymnastics gets a shot at the spotlight during the USA Gymnastics Championships starting Monday at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Tanay Panguluri served as a senior captain on a Wayzata state champion loaded with youngsters, and he also was half of the winning doubles pair.

Despite the nerves, Mounds View ace Tyler Guerin was dominant vs. undefeated Wayzata.

Shakopee needed five sets over Rogers to claim the final club championship. Boys volleyball becomes an official MSHSL sport next spring.

Wednesday marked the start of the last non-sanctioned state tournament before MSHSL sanctioning in 2025.

Rogers pitcher AnnaBelle Waldoch pitched a shutout, settling matters in Class 4A. Mankato East won 3A with a six-run seventh, and top seed Randolph took 2A.

New Prague sunk Rosemount in the Class 4A semifinals on a day when high wind affected most games at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Wayzata clinched 2A early against Rochester Mayo, and St. Paul Academy won its third 1A title in a row by rolling over Breck.

All eight teams will receive a seed in the state hockey and basketball brackets starting in 2025.

Rogers reached the state tournament boosted by the pitching of AnnaBelle Waldoch and the teachings of former Gophers standout Angie (Recknor) Waldoch.

Mahtomedi rolled through Eagan, Wayzata and Mayo swept and Blake squeaked past Eden Prairie. St. Paul Academy and Mound Westonka swept in 1A.

One of the first-teamers, Cameron Chard of Belle Plaine, hit 10 home runs this season and is committed to the Gophers. And because this is softball, 10 of the picks are pitchers.

Randolph pitcher Carter Raymond won 22 games in a row, and when that first loss finally happened, she quickly balanced matters.

Sam Rathmanner sprung an upset last season but comes into the state tournament this time seeded high in large-class singles.

Jenny Kilkelly and Krista Flemming formed a league and started pushing the MSHSL to sanction boys volleyball in 2017. Now it's official, and their club days are winding down.

Champlin Park made a move in Class 4A, two No. 1 teams held on amid slumps, and Randolph just kept winning.

Champlin Park, winner of 10 in a row, landed in Class 4A's top 10. Farmington in 4A and Red Lake Falls in 1A are new No. 1s.

A committee has requested a move from Caswell Park in North Mankato to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium, pointing out that no other team sport has title games outside the Twin Cities.

A new No. 1 player, Garrett Webb of Mounds Park Academy, leads the Class 1A individual rankings in the final week of the regular season.

Farmington's victory over Rosemount will weigh heavily. Meanwhile, Randolph stands strong at 14-0 in Class 2A.

The Spartans have the top-ranked boy and a high team ranking now, after producing individual and team champs during the girls season.

Mason West quarterbacked the Hornets to the Class 6A football final and starred on the school's state-title winning hockey team. The 6-6 standout also wants you to know about how he sees himself.

High schoolers will learn how to properly record coaching film at a free training session hosted by the Football Film Federation on Sunday.

After being an assistant coach for 19 years, Adam Spurrell is getting the chance to lead one of the metro area's traditional football powers at Maple Grove.

Maple Grove made Adam Spurrell, a member of its staff for 19 years, the Crimson's third head coach in the school's nearly 30-year history.

The Gophers have commitments from two of the standouts, and most of the others have already made their college choices, too.

In a sport in which one can be plenty, No. 1 Forest Lake has two starters who stand out.

Teams begin play as a fully sanctioned MSHSL sport on March 17, 2025, with the state tournament scheduled for June 9-13.

St. Michael-Albertville's Jackie Bergeron wanted a state championship, and winning on any apparatus would do. She nearly won on all of them.

Mounds View 215-pounder Quin Morgan, son of Gophers national champion Marty Morgan, won a Class 3A individual title amid the Mustangs' best season in history.

Name, image and likeness deals are already expanding beyond college sports. Some top metro boys basketball players are aligned with a barbershop. The top girls hockey player touts a fitness center. Another high school standout represents a chain of chicken restaurants.

All four state champions — two public schools and two privates —benefited from players who transferred. That and more from the weekend.

The Skippers took a 14-point lead in the first half, then pushed back when the Trojans threatened down the stretch.

Totino-Grace played a schedule almost entirely from 4A. Also Saturday, Cherry completed a rise from 0-22 to a state title, and Breck's Miles Newton channeled his dad.

Defending champion Wayzata and Minnetonka will battle for the Class 4A championship, and Totino-Grace and Mankato East advanced to the Class 3A title game. The Class 1A semifinals are also set. Tap here for stories and in-game updates.

Eagles star Isaiah Johnson-Arigu conducted business as usual in a victory, while future Gophers guard Isaac Asuma and Cherry cruised in their Class 1A quarterfinal. Big man Alex Lester kept the Nevis engine running despite being gassed.

Eagan pulled off the biggest surprise of the quarterfinals, dropping Class 4A second seed Park Center. Tap here for game results and more from the first day of play.

A Wayzata sophomore spiced an early 4A quarterfinal with his passing. The 3A teams also got going before lunch, and 2A schools will take over the night.

A superstar's gentle reminder got Brian Cosgriff back on track about which team he's coaching these days. A look back at state reveals certainty on other matters.

A tidy Tonka victory seemed to be shaping up until it pivoted to a stress-inducing exercise in uncertainty that left the outcome in doubt until the final minute.

Moments of March: It's a high-powered day at state. The four championship games Saturday all involve the top two seeds, and three teams will play for consecutive titles.

Moments of March: The top two seeds in Class 4A, 3A and 1A all qualified for championship games, and Providence Academy got 2A halfway there.

The finals are solidified in the top two classes while the top four seeds in Class 1A advanced to the semifinals. Tap here for coverage on all of Thursday's games.

Moments of March: The Lamppa family was the foundation of a small school that no longer exists. This year, the Lamppas were key to another school's state tournament run.

Moments of March: Roosevelt fans showed up in numbers for the Teddies' first state tournament game. Plus this from a coach with a unique angle: 'Caitlin [Clark] is good, but I still think Paige [Bueckers] is better.'

The day began with top seeds Hopkins and Benilde-St. Margaret's rolling, and it wound down with Providence Academy's Maddyn Greenway scoring 49 points. Tap here for stories, tournament details and more from Minneapolis.

Hopkins' Liv McGill cast aside that "really bad attitude" — her words — but she's still L.A. Liv. When it's showtime, she shows the way.

The Class 2A all-around champion, Jackie Bergeron won the award created for the 50th season of high school girls competition in the state.

Edina became the Class 2A champion, St. Cloud Cathedral won in 1A, the attendance record fell, we took one more look at Lou Nanne and we heard dramatic talk from the winners and the others.

Edina and Grand Rapids revived a rivalry late in the day, giving credence to the notion that Friday is always the hottest spot in state tournament week.

Hopkins is back again, as are all of the top section seeds in Class 4A. Coaches Wendy Kohler and Mike Dreier carry special marks to state, and Jim Lien's there for the first time in his 45 years of coaching.

There were three one-sided games and a thriller in the nightcap of Class 1A. Tap here for all of our coverage from the X.

Sights and sounds from the Xcel Energy Center include Warroad honoring Henry Boucha and a player tip on how you can use pickles to keep the energy up in overtime.

Matt Lombardi went 102-37 leading the Crimson and his team won a state 6A title. He said he's leaving Maple Grove because "a lot of little things that added up."

Jim Paulsen saw more than competition when he spent most of three days at an event he recommends all sports fans see someday.