Quantcast
skip navigation

Metro top 10: Perfection eludes Eden Prairie, but not invincibility

By JIM PAULSEN, Star Tribune, 10/07/13, 2:34AM CDT

Share

Wayzata is next opponent for an Eagles team that hasn’t let occasional lapses slow their roll.


Eden Prairie quarterback Ryan Connelly (13) rolls into the end zone on a first quarter TD run against Minnetonka

With less than two weeks to play in the regular season, the question is not which team is the best in the metro — Eden Prairie, and it’s not even close — but whether any team can go toe to toe with the Eagles.

That’s not to say the Eagles are unbeatable — these are high school kids, after all — but it appears it would take a near-perfect effort. Eden Prairie shot itself in the foot twice in the first half against Minnetonka (a failed fake punt deep in its own end and a fumble on the Minnetonka goal line) and still managed a comfortable 28-7 victory over the Skippers.

Metro Top 10

1. Eden Prairie (5-0): The Eagles’ recipe for success this season is big and brutish on offense, fleet and frisky on defense.

2. Maple Grove (6-0): The Crimson has won 15 consecutive regular-season games dating to Oct. 14, 2011 (27-3 to Blaine).

3. East Ridge (5-1): The Raptors’ underrated defense had its first shutout of the season in a 42-0 victory over Forest Lake.

4. Lakeville North (5-1): In five victories, the Panthers have given up only 17 points. With Jamiah Newell chewing up yards on the ground, opponents just don’t get the ball much.

5. Wayzata (4-1): After back-to-back routs of Lake Conference foes Hopkins and Edina, the Trojans look ready for Friday’s prime-time matchup at Eden Prairie.

6. Rosemount (5-1): It’s entirely possible that the Irish, having won five in a row after a season-opening overtime loss to Wayzata, are playing better than any team outside of Eden Prairie.

7. Osseo (5-1): A new hero seems to emerge each week for the Orioles. On Friday, sophomore running back Prince Krauh had three TDs in a 49-29 victory over Park Center.

8. Totino-Grace (5-1): Head coach Jeff Ferguson handles the defense, which has looked much more like the stout Eagles units of years past over the past three games.

9. Prior Lake (4-2): The Lakers began a string of three consecutive road games with a 48-0 drubbing of Bloomington Kennedy.

10. Roseville (5-1): Time to believe in the Raiders, who already have more victories than they’ve had in any season since 2006.

THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT GAME

• Wayzata at Eden Prairie, 7 p.m. Friday: No surprise here. These two programs have combined for seven of the past eight large-school state championships.

Related Stories