Class AA Section Darkhorses
It isn’t often that the team that isn’t the favorite in its respective section doesn’t ultimately win it. But upsets at the high school level certainly can happen. Here are teams from each section that could surprise.
Section 1AA: Rochester Lourdes
Favorite: Caledonia
Caledonia and Lake City are top-10 caliber teams in Class AA but an inevitable section title showdown isn’t certain as we saw last year when Byron knocked out the Tigers. Rochester Lourdes was solid last year with an entire roster of newcomers. This year the Eagles should be strong led by Colin Meade, Matthew Hayford and Antewan Weber.
Section 2AA: Maple River
Favorite: Jordan
Maple River surprised many by upsetting New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva last year before losing to Jordan in the section title game. The Eagles shouldn’t necessarily sneak up on people this year but Jordan is likely the pretty sizable favorite in the section. Maple River has Mason Sohre and Justin Craven, which gives them a leg up in the backcourt on most teams.
Section 3AA: Jackson County Central
Favorite: New London-Spicer
Jackson County Central went to state just a few years ago and the Huskies were middling last year, a big part of that was due to their collective youth. With young guys gaining experience a year ago, they could be a team that wins 15-18 games, goes into the section tournament as a 3ish seed and gets hot. Rudy Voss is one of the best players in southern Minnesota and Andrew Hesebeck is a really good player up front.
Section 4AA: Cristo Rey Jesuit
Favorite: Minnehaha Academy
Any team after Minnehaha is going to be a dark horse in this section because the Redhawks are the heavy favorite to win yet another state title. If there’s a team in their section that can give them a game, it’s Cristo Rey Jesuit. James Sommer and Erick Burgess make up one of the best guard tandems in Class AA.
Section 5AA: Rockford
Favorite: Minneapolis North
Minneapolis North and Breck look like the runaway top two teams in the section but Rockford should be strong too. The Rockets won 19 games a year ago and return two all-conference caliber guys like Luke Pepin and Nick Manthana.
Section 6AA: Maple Lake
Favorite: St. Cloud Cathedral, Melrose
Maple Lake won 22 games last year but lost to eventual section runner-up Eden Valley-Watkins in the second round. Mitch Hoistad and Joseph Stokman are both back after averaging better than 12 points per game each. St. Cloud Cathedra and Melrose have talent coming back, as does EVW but Maple Lake could surprise people.
Section 7AA: Barnum
Favorite: Greenway
Esko dominated this section for years and with a massive senior class gone to graduation, it looks like a new team could emerge in this section. Greenway looks like the favorite but Barnum could be a factor late in the year too. Tyler Nynas averaged 20 points per game last year and Samuel Goodwin is a viable interior presence.
Section 8AA: Hawley
Favorite: Perham, Breckenridge
Perham and Breckenridge have the look of top-10 teams in the state heading into the year but Hawley could very well join them at various points in the year. The Nuggets blew a huge lead against Breckenridge in the section semifinals last year, losing by four points before watching the Cowboys get to the state tournament. With Jaden Carlisle and Noah Glad back, the Nuggets have an elite duo leading the way. Throw in Jacob Vetter who is back from a knee injury and there’s a lot to like.