Roseville and Woodbury were among four teams last year chasing eventual Metro East title-winner Cretin-Derham Hall. One of those two teams will get a leg up on the other in this week's league opener Friday.
The Raiders (1-0) handed Anoka a 22-7 season-opening loss Aug. 30. Brendan McMillan, a senior running back, bulldozed his way to 137 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries in the win.
But the Royals (1-0) have an offense to counter with, which was on display in a 49-28 win over Farmington Aug. 31 when they scored 28 unanswered fourth-quarter points. Two of running back Brock Rinehart's three touchdowns came during the late rally, while he tallied a team high 134 rushing yards.
Roseville defeated Woodbury 25-22 in last year's matchup, and has won three of the last four meetings.