It seems inevitable that Mound Westonka will someday make a state tournament appearance. The White Hawks annually play a tough schedule, typically win more than they lose, most often find themselves ranked in the state’s top 10 and almost always feature a game-changing star player or two.
This season, No. 4-4A Mound Westonka (4-0) gets much of its offense on the ground from junior Tyler Albert (299 rushing yards) and senior Cris Christensen (266 rushing yards). Watch out for Tyler Von Bank, a senior who lines up at multiple positions and has 10 touchdowns on just 19 carries.
Fridley (3-1), which has seven state tournament appearances and a 1990 title, features one of the state’s rushing leaders in M.J. Newton, a junior who has 550 rushing yards and is averaging nine yards per carry.