Two classes have been previewed and two left to go. Some of the eight Class AA sections are already underway. Who's left standing? Here's who is left and who is about to start section play.
Section 1 has already started and the top seeded Lake City Tigers are the top seed, 40 years after a seven footer named Randy Breuer led them to their second straight Class A title. Looking to keep the Lake city fan buses from heading down the Great River Road are the second seeded Caledonia Warriors, which includes several players from the powerhouse Class AA football championship team, the third seeded Stewartville Trojans and the fourth seeded La Crescent Lancers.
There are only two teams with winning records in Section 2. In the North Subsection, the top seed is the Jordan Hubmen and in the South Subsection, the top seed is the St. Peter Saints. Jordan or St. Peter? Which team will make the trip up Highway 169 to Target Center?
Over in Section 3, the North Subsection's top seed is the New London-Spicer Wildcats, on the trail to their first trip to state since 2014 and their ninth overall. They will have to get past the second seeded Minnewaska Area Lakers or the third seeded Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta Tigers. To the South Subsection where the top seeded St. James Saints look to head to Minneapolis for the first time since 2003. The Jackson County Central Huskies occupy the second seed.
The top seed in Section 4 is the winner of two consecutive Class AA state titles the Minnehaha Academy Redhawks. The Redhawks are on a 16 game winning streak and have a very talented team led by Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren. They may be the odds on favorites to go for the threepeat but look out for the second seeded St. Croix Prep Lions and the third seeded Cristo Rey Jesuit Pumas who could ground the Redhawks chances and earn their first trip to Target Center.
In Section 5, the top seeded Minneapolis North Polars were a dominant team in Class A but now that they are in Class AA, it will be a tough road for the Polars with the second seeded Breck Mustangs who are led by Colorado State bound David Roddy, the third seeded Maranatha Christian Academy Mustangs and the fourth seeded Litchfield Dragons. Can the Polars freeze the opposition or there be an upset along the way?
There's some really good basketball coming up in Section 6 as the top seeded Melrose Dutchmen look to return to state for the first time since they won the Class AA title in 2015 and on the 45th anniversary of the team led by Mark Olberding that won the Class A championship. But before Melrose fans can make the trip down I-94, they are a number of hot teams that could dethrone the Dutchmen. They are the second seeded Albany Huskies, who enter section play with a nine game winning streak, the third seeded St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders who finished the season with four wins in a row plus the fourth seeded Spectrum Sting from Elk River that's won 12 of their last 14 games. But wait, there's more. There is also the fifth seeded Pine City Dragons who have not lost a game since the Blake Bears defeated them 68-66 on January 5. The Dragons are in the hunt for their first state tournament berth since 1980? Who will come out of this section? Head up to St. Cloud State March 15 to find out.
Up north to Section 7 where the top seed in Subsection 1 is the Esko Eskomos, en route to their sixth trip down I-35 to Minneapolis in seven years. But look out for the second seeded Crosby-Ironton Rangers and the third seeded Pequot Lakes Patriots. Fans in the Iron Range could be celebrating again, especially in the small town of Coleraine where the top seeded Greenway Raiders have a shot at their first state tournament berth since 1985. It comes after the boys hockey team sent the Hermantown Hawks home with a double overtime win in the Section 7A final. Greenway is hot while the second seeded Proctor Rails and the third seeded Virginia Blue Devils are not, ending the regualr season with losing streaks of seven and five games.
Concluding the Class AA preview is Section 8, with the North Subsection's top seed the Hawley Nuggets who look to win their first gold medals since 2000. They will have to get past a couple of hot teams, the second seeded East Grand Forks Green Wave, the third seeded Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Rebelss and the fourth seeded Roseau Rams. The top two seeds in the South Subsection have identical 25-1 records and could mead in the subsection final. The Perham Yellowjackets and the Osakis Silverstreaks. Some great basketball coming up in a region known for hockey.
next up: The eight Class A sections.
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