Bethlehem Academy Football Finally Enters Top Ten Rankings

The Minnesota Associated press could not ignore Bethlehem Academy's impressive 26-12 win over previously undefeated Kenyon-Wanamingo Friday.

The Cardinals only loss this season was in overtime to second rated Fillmore Central yet it took until two games left in the regular season to get into the Class A top ten.

The final regular season Thursday and Friday night games are this week before MEA week Wednesday football ends the regular season next week.

Here are the Minnesota AP choices for top teams in the seven classes of high school football in the state.  The number behind the class is the number of media members who voted for the teams.

Nine-Player  (11 total votes)
1. Mountain Iron-Buhl
2. Fertile Beltrami
3. Cherry
4.Nevis
5. Ottertail Central
6.Kingsland
7. Hills-Beaver Creek
8. Leroy-Ostrander
9. Ogilvie
10.Spring Grove
Also Receiving Votes:  Border West, Edgerton, Stephen-Argyle, New Ulm Cathedral

Class 1A  (11 total votes)
1. Minneota
2. Fillmore Central
3. Mahnomen/Waubun
4. BOLD
5. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa
6. Ada Borup/West
7. Mayer Lutheran
8. (tie)  Bethlehem Academy
8. (tie)  Upsala/Swanville
10.Sleepy Eye United
Also Receivingh Votes:  Kenyon-Wanamingo, Parkers Prairie, Braham, Goodhue, Lester Prairie, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

Class 2A    (11 total votes)
1. Barnesville
2. Caledonia
3. Eden Valley-Watkins
4. Jackson County Central
5. St. Agnes
6. Barnum
7. Chatfield
8.Norwood Young America
9. Cannon Falls
10.Osakis
Also Receiving Votes:  Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Moose Lake-Willow River, Maple River, Upsala/Swanville

Class 3A  (11 total votes)
1. Stewartville
2. Esko
3. Annandale
4. Litchfield
5. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
6. Dassel-Cokato
7. Minneapolis North
8. Waseca
9. Fairmont
10.Pequot Lakes
Also Receiving Votes:  Rochester Lourdes, Rockford, Two Harbors

Class 4A   (11 total votes)
1. Becker
2. Orono
3. Princeton
4.Totino-Grace
5. Hutchinson
6. Byron
7. Kasson-Mantorville
8. Mound-Westonka
9. Rocori
10. (tie)  Detroit Lakes
10. (tie) North Branch
Also Receiving Votes:  Hermantown, Chisago Lakes, Hill-Murray, Minneapolis Henry

Class 5A    (11 total votes)
1. Chanhassen
2. Rogers
3. Mankato West
4. Alexandria
5. Sauk Rapids-Rice
6. St. Thomas Academy
7. Andover
8. Brainerd
9. Robbinsdale Armstrong
10.Bloomington Jefferson
Also Receiving Votes: Moorhead, St. Paul Central, Owatonna, Two Rivers

Class 6A   (11 total votes)
1.Eden Prairie
2. Maple Grove
3. Lakeville North
4. Minnetonka
5. Lakeville South
6. (tie) Centennial
6. (tie) Stillwater
8. Rosemount
9. Buffalo
10.Woodbury
Also Receiving Votes:  Anoka, Edina, Shakopee, Eastview, Forest Lake

The question I have after seeing these rankings is whether the voters all knew that Kasson-Mantorville defeated Byron 21-14 and Rosemount edged Lakeville South 22-21 last weekend.

Kingsland also rolled by Leroy-Ostrander 54-21 Saturday in Leroy.

This Thursday the KDHL game of the week is Kenyon-Wanamingo hosting Goodhue with Randy Sobrack on the call at 6:45 p.m. I will have Faribault volleyball on POWER 96.

Friday I will be at Bruce Smith Field on POWER 96 with Byron coming to town.  Brad Prestmoen will call the Triton hosting LaCrescent game on KDHL Friday night beginning 6:45 p.m..

Thursday there are 37 games across Minnesota including several from our area.

• Bethlehem Academy at Hayfield
• NRHEG at JWP
• Red Wing at Lake City
• Sibley East at Maple River
• Mayer Lutheran at Norwood Young America
• Lester Prairie at Randolph
• St.Clair/Loyola at United South Central
• Fillmore Central at Wabasha-Kellogg
• Medford at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
• Austin at Winona
• Blooming Prairie at Cotter

Friday there are 138 high school football games scheduled including:

• Waseca at Albert Lea
• LeSueur-Henderson at Blue Earth
• Plainview-Elgin-Millville at Caledonia
• Dover-Eyota at Chatfield
• Farmington at Burnsville
• Lakeville North at East Ridge
• Forest Lake at Eagan
• Rochester Mayo at Eden Prairie
• Rochester Century at Northfield
• Rochester John Marshall at Owatonna
• Breck at Kasson-Mantorville
• Eastview at Lakeville South
• Grand Meadow at Lanesboro
•  Mabel-Canton at Leroy-Ostrander
• Mankato West vs Mankato East at MSU-Mankato
• Rushford-Peterson at Lewiston-Altura
• Stewartville at Pine Island
• Woodbury at Prior Lake
• Belle Plaine at Tri-City United
• New Prague at Waconia
• Zumbrota-Mazeppa at Rochester Lourdes
• Shakopee at Rosemount
• Houston at Southland
• Kingsland at Spring Grove