Five football programs to watch

Whether ready to return or to the top, here are five football programs to be watched this fall.

Burnsville

A solid core of players can gain momentum against a less cumbersome schedule this season. Blaze, who is looking for his first season in five years, will lead senior captain Colton Gregersen, a 6-2, 230-pound backfielder and goalkeeper whose coach Vince Varpness considers “one of the most physical players in Minnesota.”

Minnetonka

Coach Mark Esch won just two games in his first season, an improvement on Skippers ’unbeatable 2019 campaign. More is expected from combining a program with a proven coach and athletes. Esch, while spreading his distribution crime, appeared in nine state tournaments and won two Prep Bowl championships (2008, 2014) at Mankato West.

Before the lake

Senior quarterback Kyle Haas and the company need to move to the Lakers ’ever-sustainable schedule. The last three seasons have all ended in the same way, with a .500 record and a second round of the playoffs. Prior Lake is trying to grab a higher step, something that hasn’t been seen since the 2017 state tournament came out.

Cooper

Is this finally the year when one of the most consistent regular season programs in the subway area breaks the drought of a 25-year state tournament? A huge skill group led by senior quarterback Joseph Russell is hard to curb. And the post-season Nemesis Spring Lake Park is no longer in Class 5A, Part 5.

Totino-Grace

Five seasons removed from the last deep playoffs, the Eagles will be tested on a tight regular season schedule. They won 11 of their 16 matches in the last two seasons, three of which in a row closed the shortened season in 2020. Senior runner Hunter Karlson piled up 1,190 yards last fall.