Countdown to Kickoff: Big Southeast, Suburban, North Central Subdistrict favorites
Mankato West and Winona finished first and second last season in the Blue subdistrict and there’s no reason to believe anything will change this fall. Not only are both teams favored in the subdistrict, but they also should be in the state championship discussion in their respective levels in November.
The Scarlets and Winhawks both have a strong group of experienced players coming back in 2017. West is stacked on its offensive and defensive lines with guys like junior Garrett Shumski and senior Zach Jakes anchoring the front. They need to find replacements for Rob Meidl and C.J. Terry at quarterback and running back, respectively.
Winona is almost the exact inverse with a few replacements needed up front alongside Nick Waldo and Bryce Heftman, but talented skill players including Logan Smith, Robert Warren and Dakota Mathees all return.