The skinny: Eden Prairie's offensive output sputtered against Wayzata (zero points) and Minnetonka (six) in recent weeks, but make no mistake: The Eagles remain one of the elite teams. More often than not, Eden Prairie does enough to get the job done. And you can bet the sting of last year's upset loss to Brainerd in the state quarterfinals still burns.

 

The skinny: Even as a depleted unit, the defending Class 5A champs roundly took care of business in its 30-6 section final victory over Osseo. With Erik Roti sidelined, Antonio Ford took command by rushing the ball 31 times for 196 yards and a touchdown, which was actually the side story to quarterback Nick Martin's three-TD performance. The Trojans are dinged up on defense, too, but have enough depth to make up for the losses.

 

ROGERS (9-1) VS. ROCORI (9-1) 

 

The skinny: Before the season Rogers coach Marc Franz said he wasn't sure what type of team he'd have, given the large number of players gone from last year's march to the state semifinals. Answer: Another good one. A three-point loss to Elk River is the lone setback for the Royals this season. Defense is the name of the game again up I-94, as Rogers has a pair of shutouts and has held another four opponents to single-digit points.

 

 

The skinny: Definitely one of the biggest surprises of the tournament. The Cardinals are at state for the first time and got there despite a 3-5 regular season record.

 

 

The skinny: The Fire has a tough test right off the bat if it wants to continue playing and improve upon its runner-up finish a year ago. Holy Family has the advantage of playing closer to home.

 

 

The skinny: A battle of unranked teams with much to prove. The Lions, winners of six in a row, are at state for the first time, and squeaked by Rockford by a point to reach the 8-team field.