The Minnesota high school football season kicks off Thursday and Friday across the metro. Here’s a look at the Metro East subdistrict, with more team-by-team previews to come throughout the week.

East Ridge

East Ridge quarterback Cedric Tomes (3) stiff arms Park defesive back Kody Aikens for a short gain during the second half of the at Park High School in Cottage Grove Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. East Ridge won 28-14. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

2024 record: 5-4 (lost in first round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 7 on offense, 6 on defense

Impact returnees: Quarterback Cedric Tomes is a Gophers basketball commit who’s also the point guard of the Raptors’ offense. Threw for 10 touchdowns and ran for 10 more last fall. Henry Bern is a three-year defensive starter who can play linebacker or on the line and sports an offer from St. Thomas.

Shoutout to a lineman: Hayden Galvan is a returning starter capable of playing all five positions across the offensive line thanks in part to his high football IQ.

Schedule: at Minnetonka, vs. Hopkins, at Roseville, vs. White Bear Lake, vs. Mounds View, at Forest Lake, vs. Stillwater, at Woodbury

The skinny: Raptors coach Dan Fritze raves about the connectivity of his group and the quality of their character. On the field, the team’s versatility shines through, with Ben Knaup oscillating between offensive line, defensive line and … running back, and Jack Wennerberg, Nick Gerhardt and Matthew Brennan among those who can play both ways.

Tight end Andrew Tharaldson and running back Vince Hurley are also among offensive playmakers.

Forest Lake

2024 record: 7-3 (lost in second round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 8 on offense, 7 on defense

Impact returnees: Defensive lineman Howie Johnson, a Gophers commit who tallied 32 tackles for loss in 2024, and running back Mack Jurkovich, who ran for 1,165 yards and nine scores as a sophomore.

Shoutout to a lineman: Senior Jack Chelgren is a returner on the offensive front.

Schedule: vs. Prior Lake, at Anoka, vs. Park, vs. Woodbury, at White Bear Lake, vs. East Ridge, at Mounds View, at Stillwater.

The skinny: The Rangers return 100% of their skill player production from last fall, a nearly impossible feat in high school sports. Highlighting that list is quarterback Connor Johnson. Forest Lake’s entire defensive line returns, as do three senior linebackers (Nate Schleif, Cullen Christenson and AJ Degerstrom). Even uber-talented kicker Jayden Onuonga is back.

So much experience to build off last year’s stellar season creates a high bar for this Rangers season.

Said Rangers coach Brad Beeskow: “This is a hungry group that is ready to take the next step.”

Mounds View

2024 record: 8-3 (lost in Class 6A state quarterfinals)

Returning starters: 3 on offense, 3 on defense

Impact returnees: An all-district performer, Godson Rufus-Okomhanru is a special receiver/running back on offense who is also critical to the Mustangs’ defense. One of the premier two-way players in the state.

Shoutout to a lineman: Junior Max Hoerneman.will play both ways and touts a high motor and a relentless work ethic.

Schedule: at Lakeville South, vs. Roseville, at Maple Grove, vs. Stillwater, at East Ridge, at Woodbury, vs. Forest Lake, vs. White Bear Lake.

The skinny: There may be some assumption the Mustangs will take a step back sans do-it-all star quarterback Jacob Sampson. But Beckham Wheeler is next up, and the 6-foot-4 signal caller has a strong frame, can move, had a strong offseason and has taken on a leadership role in the program.

Mounds View graduated 18 seniors from last year’s standout squad. This year’s juniors and seniors went a combined 3-13 on their freshmen teams.

Yet coach Aaron Moberg has a firm belief in this group and its work ethic.

“We will be young, but I believe these guys are on a mission to write their own special story,” Mobert said. “They are a joy to coach and develop.”

Stillwater

Stillwater running back Emilio Rosario-Matias runs for a 70 yard touchdown during the first half of the at Stillwater High School in Oak Park Heights Friday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)

2024 record: 4-5 (lost in first round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 5 on offense, 2 on defense

Impact returnees: Running back Emilio Rosario Matias, who ran for 1,207 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall and defensive lineman Khalid Afuye, an Iowa State commit who tallied 61 tackles in 2024.

Shoutout to a lineman: Nolan von Behren is a captain who played nine positions for the Ponies last season, including long snapper.

Schedule: vs. Maple Grove, at Park, vs. Shakopee, at Mounds View, at Woodbury, vs. White Bear Lake, at East Ridge, vs. Forest Lake

The skinny: Nick Kinsey’s family move means Stillwater is transitioning at quarterback a year early. But the Ponies do have another arm ready to roll. Jack Runk played wide receiver as a sophomore, but the all-state shortstop could be the latest special Stillwater signal caller.

The Ponies’ early season schedule does them no favors – Stillwater hosts defending state champion Maple Grove to open the season Thursday and welcomes Shakopee, a state semifinalist from a year ago, in Week 3.

But Stillwater again figures to be a major player in the Metro East when the subdistrict schedule begins, and Ponies coach Beau LaBore called this year’s team a “very team-entered group that loves football.”

White Bear Lake

White Bear Lake quarterback Oluwatomi Animasaun (5) takes the snap in the third quarter of the high school football game between Roseville and White Bear Lake at White Bear Lake High School in White Bear Lake on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Matt Blewett / Special to Pioneer Press)

2024 record: 3-6 (lost in first round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 4 on offense, 5 on defense

Impact returnees: Senior quarterback Tomi Animasaun enters his third year under center. He threw for nearly 1,500 yards last season. Linebacker Vince Kazmierczak is a big, strong kid who could go both ways for the Bears.

Shoutout to a lineman: Center Josh LaPean lived in the weight room in the offseason, putting on 40 pounds to get himself into a position to play.

Schedule: vs. Park, at Coon Rapids, vs. Farmington, at East Ridge, vs. Forest Lake, at Stillwater, vs. Woodbury, at Mounds View.

The skinny: White Bear Lake is built on team speed, particularly this season. The Bears are flush with athletes, which is evident in the backfields. On defense, the Bears have the likes of ballhawking safety Lincoln Bacha and stout corners Ty Mueller and Braylon Minor. Offensively, the skill position speed of Easton Miles and junior running back Brian White lll, who ran for 144 yards against Stillwater last year before going down with an injury the following week, should present opposing defenses with problems.

Woodbury

2024 record: 2-7 (lost in first round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 7 on offense and 6 on defense

Impact returnees: Junior Nolan Freymiller is a tight end and safety who played H-back last year but will be all over the field this fall. Junior running back Mark Mathis is back healthy and, when that’s the case, he’s extremely explosive.

Shoutout to a lineman: Senior defensive end Ethan Olson is one of Woodbury’s two captains and, as coach Andy Hill put it, “has really embodied everything a high school football program hopes to be.”

Schedule: at Roseville, vs. Moorhead, at Hopkins, at Forest Lake, vs. Stillwater, vs. Mounds View, at White Bear Lake, vs. East Ridge

The skinny: Woodbury was a hyper-young team a year ago and, frankly, that’s still true to some degree this year, as the Royals have a strong core of juniors to complement their current senior class.

In that sense, the Royals are building something. Woodbury coach Andy Hill said the Royals recorded their sheer volume and attendance numbers in their offseason strength program were the best they’ve been in his 15 years at the helm.

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Now that the Vikings have completed their three preseason games and practice scrimmages with the New England Patriots, it looks like their Monday night regular-season opener in Chicago on Sept. 8 will be a pick’em game with no favorite.

If the Vikings beat the Bears, it’ll be because of their defense and that their running game has improved. Rookie quarterbacks, which essentially is what Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy is because he didn’t play last year, generally get better as the season goes on. Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Denver’s Bo Nix both had good rookie years last season, but played much better during the second half than they did in the first half.

It would be unrealistic to think that McCarthy is going to excel from the start.

— The Vikings will run the ball more this season than any of coach Kevin O’Connell’s previous three years in Minnesota. That’s why they added offensive linemen Will Fries and Ryan Kelly and running back Jordan Mason.

— Meanwhile, it would be a substantial risk for the Vikings to go into Chicago with ex-Gopher Max Brosmer as No. 2 QB. That would mean both top QBs had yet to play a regular-season snap.

— Depending on the circumstances, smart people say there’s about a 40 percent chance of wide receiver Adam Thielen returning to the Vikings from Carolina.

— McCarthy will pass for 3,651, 24 touchdowns with 14 interceptions this season, per BetOnline.ag, while the guy he replaced, Sam Darnold with Seattle, will pass for 3,451 yards, 21 TDs and 14 picks.

— The Vikings have increased 18 percent in value over the past year and are worth $6.28 billion, per Sportico. A $7 billion valuation, though, might be more accurate. As for the Green Bay Packers, their value increased 20 percent and are worth $6.48 billion.

— Nine years ago, Jen Pawol from New Jersey and Emma Charlesworth-Seiler from Hopkins were the only female umpires in professional baseball.

Both worked their way through the minor leagues. Pawol continued. Charlesworth-Seiler loved baseball, gave umpiring her best effort for several years, then decided she didn’t enjoy it as much and that the grind wasn’t worth it. After all, she had other interests.

Two weeks ago, Pawol, 48, became major league baseball’s first female umpire to work a regular-season game. Charlesworth-Seiler, 30, couldn’t be prouder of Pawol, and has no regrets she didn’t continue her umpiring career.

“People would ask me when I was in the game, ‘do you want to be the first woman to umpire a major league baseball game?’ And I was like no, actually, I don’t. I really, really don’t.

“Jen was still in it at the time and I was like, I hope Jen makes it before me. I think people thought I was trying to be humble or something, but I wasn’t,” Charlesworth-Seiler told the Pioneer Press.

“I hope the spotlight is on Jen, because she can handle it and is going to do a great job of it. I’m truly so, so happy for her. I don’t think I know anyone else who has worked harder and prepared more for this moment. Ever since I’ve known her, she prepares like no one else, and I’ve always been very impressed with that.

“She has a great perspective, keeps her head down and does her thing. And obviously it paid off.

“I have no regrets, and I’m so happy that she made it.”

These days, Charlesworth-Seiler, a Hamline University political science and sociology graduate, works in communications for a legal nonprofit in St. Paul.

— Pawol worked home plate during a Twins-Colorado Rockies spring training game in March and after the game gave a Minnesota fan two baseballs as mementos.

— Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, after recently chatting at Target Field with the club’s first-round draft pick, shortstop Marek Houston, 21, who received a $4.5 million signing bonus out of Wake Forest as the No. 16 overall pick: “If you’re listening more than talking when you go into a new environment, that’s always a good sign.”

— George Thole, the legendary Stillwater football coach who passed away at age 86, when he took the job in 1971 would regularly visit Lakeview Hospital and leave little plastic footballs with newborn baby boys. A celebration of life for George and late wife Karen will be Sept. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. at Stillwater High School, followed by a service and gathering.

— Twins hall of famers Rod Carew and Jim Kaat received standing ovations after speaking appearances at a Dunkers breakfast at Interlachen Country Club last week.

St. Thomas men’s basketball coach Johnny Tauer and men’s hockey coach Rico Blasi speak at a Capital Club breakfast on Wednesday at Mendakota Country Club.

— Former teammates at Gophers slugger Mike Walseth’s recent memorial service: Phil Flodin, Dave Cosgrove, Gary Petrick, Bob Nielsen, John Peterson, Lu Gronseth, Scott Frantzen, Jack Palmer and Bob Micheletti.

— Wishing the best for Otto “Snap” Leitner, 79, the beloved retired St. Paul fire captain who has been in and out of Mayo Clinic this month for heart issues.

— New assistant athletics director overseeing facilities at Cretin-Derham Hall will be Jack Hannahan, the former Gophers baseball star who played eight seasons as a superb major league infielder.

— Toby Peterson,46, the former Bloomington Jefferson hockey star, will be head coach of the Dallas Stars’ AHL Texas Stars team next season.

— Condolences to the family for Dick Stanford, who passed away at 86 the other day. Stanford followed Bob Utecht as the North Stars’ public address announcer and was the PA voice for Minnesota high school basketball and hockey tournaments.

— St. Thomas Academy grad Brian Smith is headed for the NFL this season as a replay operator.

— St. Thomas Academy is looking for a new head basketball coach.

— Dave Tentis, 63, the esteemed golf professional at the Troy Burne club in Hudson, Wis., is retiring Sept. 28 after 20 years at the Hudson, Wis., club and could be entering a new golf venture.

— First college tournament for incoming Texas Christian golfer Sam Udovich, the former Cretin-Derham Hall star, will be at famed Pebble Beach next week.

— Former Stillwater baseball star Drew Gilbert, 24, of the San Francisco Giants last Sunday hit his first major league home run against Tampa Bay. He’s playing right field and batting .125 in 24 at-bats.

— Ex-Stillwater pitching star Will Frisch, 25, who owned a 99-mph fastball until undergoing three arm surgeries, has retired after a minor league career with the Chicago Cubs. Plans are to complete an engineering degree at alma mater Oregon State.

— Before noon on the first day this month that Division I schools were allowed to contact high school baseball players, junior pitcher Ike Crouser of 4A state champion Cretin-Derham Hall heard from Minnesota, Iowa, Notre Dame and Creighton.

Don’t print that

— A little birdie says baseball commissioner Rob Manfred wasn’t happy with the Pohlad family’s announcement two weeks ago that it had decided to retain ownership of the Twins after exploring a sale for nearly 10 months. The Pioneer Press last month reported the Twins had a buyer in place who was in the process of securing financing for a purchase in the $1.7 billion range.

That abruptly changed when the Twins instead of a sale announced early in the morning that the club would take on two limited partners, who will assist in paying down a reported $400 million debt. Speculation is that the partners will spend about $200 million apiece to be part of the deal, which could include a right of first refusal to eventually buy controlling interest.

— The Pohlads are expected to wait until baseball’s labor agreement is settled after next season, then hope to get the price they want. But a lockout seems likely, because baseball’s owners are hell-bent on getting a salary cap.

— At least one member of the prospective buyer’s group was taken by surprise at the Pohlads’ reversal to sell and immediately called Manfred’s office, seeking explanation. Manfred also was taken by surprise — he had indicated to a group in Cooperstown, N.Y., at the recent Hall of Fame inductions that a Twins sale would soon be announced.

— Cambria president Marty Davis, who is a substantial name, image and likeness (NIL) Gophers athletics financial booster, is telling people he’s not interested in buying the Twins. But Davis, a Twins Champions Club member whose family’s worth has been estimated at nearly $2 billion by Forbes, loves baseball, and it would be surprising if he doesn’t get involved in an ownership transaction.

Also, some smart people wouldn’t be surprised if Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, who have built a real estate empire in Eagan and operate out of New Jersey, consider becoming limited partners in the Twins.

— Pssst: A prominent former Twins player was to be a limited partner of the group that was to buy the club. Meanwhile, there’s whispering that a prospective investor group is connected to ownership of the Fort Myers Miracle minor league team in Florida.

— The Pioneer Press reported in May that it looked like the Pohlad family would end up retaining ownership of the Twins or have to sell at a price lower than the anticipated $1.7 billion. Among reasons, an interested buyer at the time confided after reviewing the team’s financial books, that prospects for a sale were “dismal.”

— Asked in February if there was a chance the Twins wouldn’t be sold this year, owner Jim Pohlad told the Pioneer Press “there’s always a chance.”

— Insiders say the reason the Twins traded relatively inexpensive relievers Jhoan Duran (Philadelphia) and Louie Varland (Toronto) is that statistically few relievers are effective over a five-year period.

— Among pitchers the Twins received in the sell-off, Mick Abel, acquired for Duran and the starter Saturday against the Chicago White Sox, was the most effective after three starts for the Triple-A Saints. Taj Bradley, acquired in a trade for Griffin Jax, after three Saints starts underwhelmed. The same with Kendry Rojas, who the Twins got for Varland.

— Tim Laudner, catcher for the Twins’ 1987 World Series champions, comparing the evolution of that team to this season’s Twins after the recent players sell-off: “In the early 1980s, we went through a bit of an overhaul, which is one of the reasons why I got to the big leagues.

“(Owner Griffith) Calvin got rid of payroll. Whether he was positioning himself to sell the ball club or not, I don’t know. But I do think, if you were to do the math, which I’m not inclined to do, the salaries that Calvin got rid of probably is, on a percentage basis, pretty close to the amount of salary percentage that the Twins (recently) got rid of.

“Has this (current) club already gone past its peak as the 26-man club? So, you know what, blow it up and start over. Give some young kids opportunities to play.”

— Deadline for Twins 2026 season ticket renewals is Thursday. One regular ticket holder reports even a slight decrease in prices, another no increase. Don’t be surprised, though, if Champions Club seats increase $78, raising to $450 per seat.

A lot of season ticket cancellations are expected.

— Because he threw his cap after being ejected by the home plate umpire recently against the Detroit Tigers at Target Field, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli will be fined $1,000 by Major League Baseball. It was Baldelli’s fourth ejection this season and 25th of his seven-season career. He pays the fine out of his pocket, not the Twins.

— Netflix the other day flew 14 members of coach Herb Brooks’ 1980 Olympic hockey gold medal champions to Lake Placid, N.Y., for a reunion movie to be aired just before the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.

— Major oversight: Not asking Phil Housley, a member of a half-dozen hockey halls of fame, including the biggie in Toronto, if he were interested in being on the upstart Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame’s Advisory Board.

— That was Baseball Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre in Mankato last week watching son Adrian Jr. play for the Northwoods League Moondogs, who also have Caleb Koskie, son of new Twins hall of famer Corey Koskie.

— It’s astounding that the publicly-supported University of Minnesota has gotten away with charging regular students this year a $200 fee to help pay the school’s athletes.

— No Gophers are among ESPN’s 40 “most important” college football players this season. In the Big Ten, reigning national champion Ohio State has three — Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs.

Speaking of Ohio State, coach Ryan Day this season is having his players read “Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall In Love With the Process of Becoming Great” book, the Wall Street Journal points out.

— The Orono home that ex-Timberwolf Karl-Anthony Towns bought seven years ago for $4.5 million now has a $5.5 million price tag but hasn’t sold.

— Warroad native T.J. Oshie, recently retired after 16 NHL seasons, is building a home in Edina.

— Good guess: The Twins ended up getting about one-fourth of the $12 million yearly Security Financial jersey patch deal they were seeking.

— Ex-Twins reliever Emilio Pagan, 34, who for the Twins during his two seasons (2022-23) had 10 saves, this season for the Cincinnati Reds has 25 saves.

Overheard

— Hopkins High grad Emma Charlesworth-Seiler, on her former career as a minor league baseball umpire: “There were some parts I loved, and some parts I hated.”

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to the media after an owners meeting on June 15, 2023, in New York. (John Minchillo, AP)
Clockwise from top left, Dick Bremer, Audra Martin, Glen Perkins, and Tim Laudner, chat on Zoom as a part of a new series on Fox Sports North. “Unscripted” will debut next week and will feature interviews with prominent people in Minnesota sports. It’s an attempt from Fox Sports North to stay relevant as the coronavirus pandemic has effectively eliminated sports events for the time being. (Courtesy of FOX Sports North)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after being called for a foul in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA second-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Denver. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

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By STEVE KARNOWSKI

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Religious colleges that require students to sign a statement of faith cannot be excluded from a popular Minnesota program that lets high school students take college courses for credit, a federal judge has ruled, tossing a state law that she called an unconstitutional violation of religious freedom.

The ruling late Friday from U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel was a victory for two conservative Christian colleges in the state: Crown College in St. Bonifacius and the University of Northwestern in Roseville. Those two institutions require their students to pledge to follow the school’s values and conduct rules, effectively barring students who aren’t Christian or who are LGBTQ+ from campus activities.

The 2023 law was sought by the state Department of Education and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. In defending the change at a hearing in December, the state argued that it rightly protected high school students who are not Christian, straight, and cisgender — those whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

Minnesota’s 40-year-old Postsecondary Enrollment Options program lets high schoolers earn free credits at state expense at public or private colleges of their choice, although the courses must be nonsectarian. Around 60,000 students have participated.

The Department of Education had tried to ban the faith statement requirement since 2019. It succeeded in 2023 when Democrats gained control of both houses of the Legislature and used their power to enact broad new protections for LGBTQ+ rights. The change was part of a broader education funding bill.

A group of parents and high schoolers who were earning college credits at the two schools, or wanted to, then sued to overturn the law, saying it violated their religious freedom under the First Amendment to benefit from the program at schools with campus atmospheres that reflect their values.

They were represented by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which welcomed the ruling.

“Minnesota tried to cut off educational opportunities to thousands of high schoolers simply for their faith. That’s not just unlawful — it’s shameful,” Diana Thomson, senior counsel at Becket, said in a statement Saturday. “This ruling is a win for families who won’t be strong-armed into abandoning their beliefs, and a sharp warning to politicians who target them.”

The state attorney general’s office referred a request for comment Saturday to the Department of Education, which did not immediately reply.

The judge said the dispute required the court “to venture into the delicate constitutional interplay of religion and publicly‐funded education.” She said she was obligated to follow U.S. Supreme Court rulings that the First Amendment “gives special solicitude to the rights of religious organizations,” and that while states need not subsidize private education, once they do, they can’t disqualify private schools “solely because they’re religious. ”

Besides declaring the faith statement ban unconstitutional, Brasel also threw out a related nondiscrimination requirement that prohibited participating schools from basing admission to the program on the basis of gender, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

Both sides agreed earlier that the ban would not be enforced while the court case and any appeals played out.

In 2021, Northwestern was Minnesota’s largest provider of classes through the Postsecondary Enrollment Options program. The state paid it over $33 million in the academic years from 2017–18 through 2022–23. Crown got nearly $6 million in that period.

This was the second time in a week that a judge had declared unconstitutional a hot-button law enacted in 2023 and 2024 when Democrats held the “trifecta” of controlling both legislative chambers and the governor’s office.

On Monday, a state court judge threw out a 2024 ban on “binary triggers,” devices that let a gun fire both when its trigger is pulled and when it’s released, giving the weapon a much faster rate of fire. The judge said tucking the ban into a massive 1,400-page tax bill violated a requirement under the state constitution that bills should be limited to a single subject.

The Minnesota high school football season kicks off Thursday and Friday across the metro. Here’s a a selection of teams in the eastern metro, with more team-by-team previews to come throughout the week.

Centennial

2024 record: 4-5 (lost in first round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 5 on offense, 3 on defense

Impact returnees: Justin Driver is a ball-hawking safety, while quarterback Isaac Belinski Strauss and running back Celeb Melser can engineer Centennial’s traditional rushing attack.

Shoutout to a lineman: Defensive tackle Josh O’Shea is a three-year starter and an all-district performer who forced three fumbles last year and could be one of the Cougars’ best defensive lineman ever.

Schedule: at Rosemount, at Osseo, at Champlin Park, vs. Andover, at Rogers, vs. Roseville, at Blaine, vs. Anoka

The skinny: Centennial features plenty of fresh faces this fall. But coach Mike Diggins noted the Cougars have improved team speed and likes how hard the group works. It’s possible Centennial could start slow, but it’s a program that’s always better by season’s end.

If Belinski Strauss and Melser can find success behind linemen such as Samuel Bianconi and Tyler Cook, the Cougars could be dangerous.

Eastview

2024 record: 2-7 (lost in first round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 8 on offense, 4 on defense

Impact returnees: Junior corner Trey Sanders is one of the top defensive backs in the metro, while Harrison Weldon and Matty McGrath figure to post some gaudy receiving numbers.

Shoutout to a lineman: Center Aiden Petter is the leader of the Lightning. Eastview coach Wade Buckley said Petter was “instrumental in leading our off season lifting, and brings the energy every practice. Very cool to have an O lineman be our energy leader.”

Schedule: at Farmington, vs. Rosemount, at Eagan, vs. Roseville, vs. Coon Rapids, at Hopkins, vs. Eden Prairie, at Park.

The skinny: Eastview returns all of its skill position players, including quarterback QB Quinn Curry. JC Green, who also received quarterback snaps last year, is expected to have a big year at corner.

Blocking to set the table for those skill position players are not only returnees such as Petter and Kaden McCauley, but also look out for sophomore tackle Owen Bauer. The 6-foot-8 standout figures to help power Eastview’s running game, which should benefit the likes of Drew Bartosh, who aims to bounce back from a torn ACL suffered last season. Kicker Rylan Helvie is also a weapon with a big leg.

Buckley said his players haven’t missed an optional activity. That work ethic combined with the returning talent could make Eastview a threat even to the more traditional powers in subdistrict crossovers.

Park

2024 record: 2-7 (lost in first round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 3 on offense, 9 on defense

Impact returnees: Matthew Kamande is a three-year starter dynamic enough to play multiple skill positions, while Keon Moody has produced at both linebacker and running back.

Shoutout to a lineman: Kellen Simmons is a junior who plays both ways and has a high ceiling.

Schedule: at White Bear Lake, vs. Stillwater, at Forest Lake, at Hopkins, vs. Wayzata, vs. Coon Rapids, at Roseville, vs. Eastview

The skinny: Still known for their work as pioneers by wearing guardian caps at every grade level, including in games, Park also sports a lot of fresh talent on this year’s team.

The Wolfpack are excited about potential contributions from receiver Kalab Miftah, safety Nolan Sease and running back Kody Alkens. And don’t sleep on the addition of new defensive coordinator Rob McCarthy, who has a lengthy collegiate coaching resume that includes head coach and defensive coordinator stints.

Roseville

2024 record: 3-6 (lost in first round of Class 6A playoffs)

Returning starters: 7 total

Impact returnees: Cortez Berry and Cohen Stephenson are third-year starters on the defensive line who will key that unit’s success.

Shoutout to a lineman: Center Axel Stephens is “Mr. Do Everything” for the Raiders. And his improvement since last fall is palpable.

Schedule: vs. Woodbury, at Mounds View, vs. East Ridge, at Eastview, vs. Hopkins, at Centennial, vs. Park, at Coon Rapids

The skinny: Defense will again be what Roseville hangs its hat on. Along with Berry and Stephenson, Will VanVorst will patrol from the safety spot, while Amos Hanson, Aiden Venne and Cam Finney are part of a strong linebacking core.

Excitement is building for junior Chase Browning at quarterback after he put forth a strong offseason. The Raiders have rebuilt their program on the work, and coach Andy Stephenson doesn’t believe any group has exemplified that more than this one.

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