High School Football Focus: Standouts, power rankings and lists after the wild playoffs

I can't imagine 2020 being my senior year of high school. There hasn't been any semblance of normalcy, except for Friday Night Lights. Football Fridays felt mostly normal, even though the stands weren't packed and the energy was much more subdued.

It wasn't pretty all the time. Some teams didn't get to finish their season. But we got football this fall, and we got some form of normalcy back.

So thank you, seniors, for giving us a football season we won't ever forget.

Huber single-handedly rallied Century to a 28-26 victory over rival John Marshall in the Section 1AAAAA playoffs. Huber finished with 215 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He added three catches for 34 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown grab midway through the fourth quarter to cut JM's lead to just one score. For good measure, he returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown. He scored all 28 of Century's points, and his 50-yard touchdown run with just more than six minutes left in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner. It was an incredible performance by a special player.

Johnson has put up some huge numbers all year long, but he saved his best for last. The LeRoy-Ostrander QB accounted for 345 yards and five TDs in the Cardinals' 61-38 victory against Mabel-Canton in the Section 1 9-man playoffs. Johnson passed for 181 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 164 yards and another score. Johnson had an incredible season for the 4-2 Cardinals.

Banks had 173 total yards and three touchdowns to spark Cannon Falls to a Section 4AAA title. Banks rushed 10 times for 104 yards and three rushing touchdowns. He added two catches for 69 yards. Banks scored all of his touchdowns in the first half, turning a 7-0 deficit into a 22-7 advantage in the 56-21 victory over St. Croix Lutheran.

Rein erupted for 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Lanesboro's 16-12 victory over No. 1 Grand Meadow in the Section 1 9-man championship game. Rein bobbed and weaved his way for multiple huge runs, and he put his shoulder down to convert a few key fourth-and-short situations. Rein was the straw that stirred the Burros' drink for most of the season. He shined brightest in their biggest game of the season.

Bigelow had two interceptions at crucial times to spark Kasson-Mantorville to a 7-0 shutout victory against Byron in the Section 1AAAA final. Bigelow's last interception snuffed Byron's final drive. Bigelow was a game-changing wide receiver but K-M's run-heavy scheme didn't really need him to do much. He found his role on defense and stepped up when the KoMets needed him most.

(Editor's note: These rankings are considered "pound-for-pound" rankings, similar to many rankings systems in boxing and mixed martial arts. They represent the best teams in southeastern Minnesota, relative to the class they play in.)

Team MVP: QB Eli King

Caledonia only got to play three games this season, but it was clicking. The Warriors played two of the best teams in the area (Plainview-Elgin-Millville and Chatfield) and held them to 14 total points. Eli King was absolutely brilliant both as a dual-threat quarterback and as a kick returner. Even though the Warriors were hit with a multitude of injuries to their running backs, the wide receivers stepped up and the defense (led by Logan Banse and Casey Schultz) was the most dominant unit on the team. It's a shame they didn't get to play more games this season.

Team MVP: RB Marcus Banks

You can't draw up a better season for Cannon Falls. They finished undefeated for the first time in school history, and honestly, they weren't tested much all year long. Their schedule was by no means easy. They beat Pine Island, Lake City, Stewartville, P-E-M, Lourdes and a five-win St. Croix Lutheran squad. The Bombers punctuated their season with more than 500 yards of total offense in the Section 4AAA championship game. Banks was outstanding all year long, but he didn't have to shoulder the whole load. Coach Dan Meyers spread the wealth, but when he needed a big play, Banks routinely delivered.

Team MVP: QB Drew Kittelson

COVID-19 didn't let Blooming Prairie play its whole season, but when they were out on the field, they looked like they were well on their way to another state title. They were the best team in Class A, bar none. Drew Kittelson finished the year just like he started it. Kittelson tore up Randolph for four touchdown passes in the Section 1A final. The Awesome Blossoms have won 18 games in a row and 30 of their last 31.

Team MVP: QB Matt Donovan

Kasson-Mantorville battled through a ton of adversity as the coronavirus hit the KoMets hard. But Joel Swanson's crew bounced back in a big way. The KoMets finished 5-1 and were crowned as the Section 1AAAA champions. They beat Byron twice this year. Their only loss was to an excellent Albany team. Donovan pulled all the right strings, and Jackson Kennedy and Anthony Moe-Tucker were brilliant in the backfield.

Team MVP: RB/WR/DB Dustin Copley

When Grand Meadow was at full strength, it was the best 9-man team in the state. Even though the coronavirus didn't hit the Superlarks, they still got affected. Five two-way starters didn't get to play in the Section 1 9-man title game. They were sorely missed. Grand Meadow lost to Lanesboro 16-12 without its best blocker, its best running back, its best wide receiver and some key linemen. Copley didn't get to play in the championship game, and that would've made a huge difference. Gary Sloan thought his Superlarks could do something special in 2020. For the most part, they lived up to the billing. Then, COVID-19 got in the way.

Team MVP: RB JT Rein

The Burros reeled off seven straight victories, including three wins in nine days to finish their season. LeRoy-Ostrander was the only team to beat them this season and that came in Week 1, by just one score. JT Rein was a beast in the backfield. Bodin Mayer was one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the area. Grand Meadow might not have been at full strength, but the Burros beat them on their own turf.

Team MVP: QB Conner Schumacher

It's difficult to find a team that played a more daunting schedule than the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs' losses came to Waseca, Cannon Falls and Caledonia, teams that finished 2020 with a combined record of 16-1. Two of those teams won section titles and Caledonia would have been favored had it been able to play in the postseason. The Bulldogs went from 2-7 last year to 5-3 in 2020. It was a heck of a turnaround for Kevin Lamb's bunch.

Team MVP: QB Bennett Ellsworth

Donny Holcomb wanted his team to play up to its potential all year long. He didn't want the Spartans' energy to be dictated by the quality of their opponent. They finally showed it late in the year. They showed heart when they rallied from a 14-0 deficit to Owatonna in the Section 1AAAAA title game, but they came up just inches short. Mayo has an incredible amount of talent returning next year, including Ellsworth, who finished his junior year with 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Team MVP: RB Austin Freerksen

Byron started on a four-game winning streak but they lost their final three games to opponents above them in these rankings. The Bears absolutely passed the eye test. Losing to Kasson-Mantorville twice isn't anything to be ashamed of and they were driving for the game-winner against Mayo late in the fourth quarter. Austin Freerksen was a tank and it was considered "good" if you held Freerksen fewer than 125 rushing yards. The Bears had a breakthrough 2020 campaign.

Team MVP: RB Sam Backer

Chatfield didn't get a chance to play for a Section title. The Gophers' season got cut short after just five games. Chatfield was one of the most dominant teams in the area this year. It steamrolled a five-win Triton team. But the only blemish on the Gophers' schedule was a 33-6 loss to Caledonia. Backer proved night in and night out that he is one of the best all-around tailbacks in the state, and he's only a sophomore. Chatfield will be back trying to knock off Caledonia next year.

Just missed the cut: Lourdes, LeRoy-Ostrander, Rochester Century

1. Mayo lost to Owatonna twice this year by nine combined points. Entering the 2020 season, Owatonna had won six games in a row against Mayo by double figures each time.

2. Kasson-Mantorville defeated Byron for the Section 1AAAA championship without completing a single pass.

3. Stewartville ran 24 more plays than Plainview-Elgin-Millville but lost 22-6 in a Section 1AAA playoff game.

4. John Marshall led Century at the half twice this season. The Panthers outscored their crosstown rival by a combined 42-14 in the second half this year.

5. Albert Lea finished 0-3 this season. They were outscored 153-6.

Mayo coach Donny Holcomb after losing 30-28 to Owatonna in the Section 1AAAAA final: “This was the best Mayo football game I’ve ever seen in the past 20 years. I love you guys so much. I’m so proud of you.”

John Marshall senior quarterback Cole Peterson after losing 28-26 to Century: “When we thought it was done (last) Wednesday it really crushed me and the whole team so when we found out we got to come out and play one last game it really boosted our spirits. And we wanted to come out here and end with a win, but …”

Kasson-Mantorville senior defensive end Jakob Aarsvold after shutting out Byron 7-0: "It's all about heart. Whoever had the biggest heart was going to win. We knew that in those last 24 minutes our defense had to come through. We were really communicating and came out and attacked."

P-E-M QB Conner Schumacher: "Two years ago, us seniors lost one of our guys, Aidan Miller (who died of natural causes). I think we honored him pretty good tonight. Every night of the season, we played for him."

P-E-M coach Kevin Lamb: "My heart is so full of love for these boys. They compete, they battle and they play with class. They play for the love of each other."

Waseca standout quarterback Ryan Dufault on the P-E-M defense: "It was tough playing them; they hit the hardest of any team we played all season. (P-E-M) is not the biggest team, but man, they really play tough."

Lanesboro running back JT Rein after winning three games in nine days: "I can't feel anything right now. There's just so much adrenaline flowing through my body. I'm so happy. I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow."

Grand Meadow coach Gary Sloan on having multiple seniors be forced to sit out due to contact tracing: "It's hard. I'm not going to lie. They're really good kids. Character-wise, they're really solid. I've had a lot of good teams with great character, but this team is up there. They're exceptional kids. It breaks my heart that they couldn't play, but I was really proud of the kids who did play tonight."