Daily Dish 5.4
There have been some surprising scores the last few nights to shake up the rankings, conference standings and potential section seeds:
TUESDAY
Eden Prairie 5 v Wayzata 4: The Eagles squeaked out a victory here in a low scoring affair. Both teams have shown they have strong defenses this year but struggle to score goals. Both teams are committed to young groups that should improve over time. May be a year or two away but I anticipate both teams offense’s to get better as the athleticism catches up.
Armstrong 16 v Centennial 8: Another day where Armstrong scores double digits in a decisive win over Centennial. This was supposed to be one of Armstrong’s bigger tests and they handled it with ease. The Armstrong v Maple Grove matchup now becomes the game that should decide the NWSC title as well as section 5 seeding implications. Probably will be one of the best games of the year.
Jefferson 7 v Orono 6: Another OT game for both of these teams who have played in multiple this season. Jefferson found a way to win and Orono still just hanging around but falling short. We know Jefferson has had a tough schedule and is riding their young core for a window in ‘24 & ‘25 - not as sure about Orono but they have been so close this year. If they return a lot of players, they could be set up for success in 2024.
Rosemount 15 v Farmington 6: The Irish came to play in this one. It was clear from the first whistle that they were treating this game like it counted and the Tigers were not. Despite Farmington having a 3-2 lead after the first quarter, the wheels fell off as Rosemount became extremely efficient on offense. The Tigers offense, which has been good this year, looked to get into panic mode when they found themselves down by 4 late in the 1st half… this only played into Rosemount’s strength and the rest is history. Rosemount looked like a top 10 team. Tigers are somewhere between 8-15 depending the day. Big rebound games coming for the Tigers next week.
The Valley 11 v Prior Lake 7: The downward spiral is continuing for the Lakers, but, I personally still believe they are a pretty good team from what I have seen. Tough schedule so maybe they are the best winless team in the state. The Valley took care of business got a few good bounces and took advantage of an aggressive 10 man ride PL threw at them. We could see these two teams play again in the playoffs as they are section foes. I don’t think PL or the Valley will get the 1 seed in section 6, so, we could see this as a semi or even quarter final. Lot of talent on The Valley on both sides of the ball and they are having a great season. Their schedule stays tough, but, they got a win in their first big one - should be able to continue the momentum.
WEDNESDAY
Eastridge 11 v Irondale 10: While Irondale is a bit down this year from the past couple, this is a huge win for Eastridge. A team that is riding a very young group of core players, they have taken a big step this year from last year but have just not been able to close out games… maybe its depth or athleticism, I don’t know. But finally, they get a quality win on the board. This team is improving a lot and should be dangerous in years to come
Woodbury 7 v WBL 6: I turned this game on and it was 6-2 WBL at the end of 3. Woodbury scored 4 in the 4th to tie it and then in OT to win it. Woodbury has been a second half team all year. Find themselves down and then they start playing more aggressive and turn into a new team. I don’t know why they don’t play more aggressive from the start - they have a lot more talent on that team than I assumed heading into the season - they fell into the Eagan trap last week - but a nice rebound win. The Bears I think are a good team and I was ready to put them in the top 10 at the end of the 3rd quarter. They will need to rebound quickly because they have Stillwater next. They do seem like a good team this year and maybe even a favorite for section 4 with some of the other teams being down.
