Five games, five story lines regarding Friday's southeastern Minnesota high school section football championship games:

It's a rematch

The two finalists in Section One of Class AAA -- Kasson-Mantorville and La Crescent -- met only 16 days ago in a regular-season contest. K-M decisively won in what was a battle of unbeatens, but a blocked punt and a fumble recovery helped the KoMets out to a quick 14-0 lead. Will this game be different?

Upset?

At first glance, unbeaten Caledonia is a huge favorite over 8-2 Zumbrota-Mazeppa in the Section One, Class AA title game. But the Cougars just barely lost in those two defeats -- in two overtimes to Byron in the season opener, and on a touchdown with 29 seconds left in Week 6 against Lourdes -- and the closest anyone has come to them in eight victories is 19 points (Section 2AA finalist Triton). Could Z-M surprise the two-time defending state Class AA champion and No. 1-ranked Warriors?

Revenge?

Grand Meadow would be undefeated if it weren't for a 23-14 loss to Houston in Week 4 of the regular season. On Friday, the Superlarks host the Hurricanes in the Section One, Nine-Man championship game. Will Grand Meadow get revenge? Or will Houston -- which lost twice this season, both times to Mabel-Canton -- win the section title for the third straight season?

Heard this one before?

The Section Two, Class AA playoffs always seem to come down to Triton and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown. The two have met 10 times since 1990 in the 2AA playoffs, seven times in the title game. (Waterville holds a 6-4 edge overall, 4-3 in section finals). One of the most memorable was 2000, when Triton upset then-defending state champion W-E-M in the section finals and went on to win the state title. Since 1997, one or the other has advanced to the state playoffs every single year, including four state championships (W-E-M in 1997 and 1999, Triton in 2000 and 2006). Who will go on this time?

Perennial power

Goodhue and Rushford-Peterson have represented southeastern Minnesota well the last 12 years in Class A football. In that span, Goodhue has made the state playoffs seven times and reached the Prep Bowl three times (winning in 2003 and 2007); R-P has been to state seven times and won state titles in all three of its Prep Bowl appearances (2002, 2004 and 2006). In Saturday's Section One, Class A semifinals, the Wildcats ousted the Trojans; will Goodhue extend the perennial powers' run or will Blooming Prairie break through after coming close many times?

-- Craig Swalboski

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GOP507
Rochester, MN

Posted on 11/5/2009 at 6:29:17 PM

no 5A ??

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