Countdown to Kickoff: Big SE, North Central, Suburban Preview

(Cover Photo: Eric Kraushar/SW News Media)

Big Southeast Blue Mankato West's combination of experience and skill make the Scarlets clear favorites in the Blue subdistrict. The Scarlets 14 returning starters will provide the veteran leadership, and if playmakers like Spencer Spaude and Jayden Hatkin can have even bigger roles in the passing game with quarterback Jack Foster, West could go perfect in the regular season. Crosstown rival Mankato East and Winona will be the biggest challengers. The Cougars have one of their best squads in Eric Davis' tenure, led by All-District players Jack Clifford (WR) and Ryan Kuechle (LB). The Winhawks aren't as loaded as the past two Class AAAA semifinalist squads, but NDSU-commit Terrell Hall and junior prospect Aaron Witt are nice pieces to rely on until the inexperienced players get up to speed this fall. Red This will be a three-team race between Owatonna, Northfield and Rochester Century. The Huskies are slight favorites because of Jason Williamson's presence on both sides of the ball, but the Raiders and Panthers each have their own strengths. For Bubba Sullivan's crew, it's the running back position with skilled ball carriers Jim Vitito and Mitchell Stanchina – although Northfield has to find replacements for all five offensive linemen. Century is the most-experienced team in the group with 11 returning starters from last year's team that lost to the Huskies in the Section 1 final. All-District lineman Brandon Wimbish is one of the top returners, along with linebacker Thomas Mergen. Linebacker Thomas Mergen leads Rochester Century after a strong end to the 2017 season (File photo from Rochester Post Bulletin) North Central Blue The Blue subdistrict has been regarded as one of the toughest groups at any level in Minnesota and this year will be no different. Two of the top three teams in Class AAAAA --  No. 1 Elk River and No. 3 Andover -- reside here, along with St. Francis and Rogers which are legitimate threats to both the Elks and Huskies in the regular season and postseason. Elk River will again be tough to stop with multiple linemen and running backs returning in their full-house, split-to-split offense. Lafayette Bade is as good of a two-way lineman as there is in Minnesota, while Collin Nelson provides stability at linebacker on the other side of the ball. Andover's defense will be the most experienced in the subdistrict with eight starters including the Huskies two-top tacklers in Holden Dunleavy and Matthew Brodeur. Rogers shared last year's subdistrict crown with the aforementioned teams, handing Elk River its only regular-season loss in the past two seasons. The Royals biggest problem last year was inconsistency. Marc Franz's team first stumbled out of the gates with two losses, then embarked on a six-game winning streak, before losing their first playoff game to St. Cloud Tech. Three returning offensive linemen should help the offense put up points more frequently, while senior Ben McNaboe will anchor the defense from his d-line position. Every starter, all 11 of them, will return for St. Francis, in Brent Swaggert's second year. The Saints went just 3-7 in 2017, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. You can bet those close calls are on the minds of guys like Kyle Lindenfelser, Riley Huebner and Wyatt Schroeder as they try and rise to the top of the league. Don't forget about Buffalo either. The Bison have some of the best individual talent in the entire district with junior quarterback Aidan Bouman and senior lineman Hunter Poncius. Is this the year they finally put it all together and make a run? Red Moorhead or St. Cloud Tech has won the Red subdistrict each of the four years its existed. The Spuds and Tigers should again vie for the top spot, along with Brainerd, which returns a handful of important players from last year's state semifinalist team. Moorhead will need production from new skill players to win the title, but they should have one of the best lines in northern Minnesota with seniors Jameson Cozad and Logan Garcia. Tech elevated defensive coordinator Jon Benson to its head coaching position this offseason. Benson inherits only seven returning starters, but two of them, Kedrick Osuorah and Isaiah Green, are potential Division-I recruits in the Class of 2020. Brainerd will depend on its defense, led by seniors Pat Gervenak and Taylor Ludwig, after losing record-setting running back Charlie Geraets to graduation. White There's no clear-cut favorite in the White subdistrict like Rocori (Cold Spring) was a season ago. The Spartans are still a contender for the championship, but challengers like Big Lake and Becker have experienced and talented rosters this fall. Rocori does return a half-dozen starters from last year's 10-1 squad that fell to eventual champion Holy Angels in the state quarterfinals. Senior running back Matt Koshiol will again be the bell cow on offense after rushing for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. Big Lake welcomes back 13 starters from 2017, including multiple players that will play college football. Seniors Deon and DeVonne Harris lead the team on offense and defense, respectively, while DeAndre Hill is a well-known prospect in the junior class. Trey Teige returns in the secondary for a Hornets defense that will be the unit that makes or breaks their season. Dwight Lundeen's Bulldog squad possesses the subdistrict's best quarterback in Josh Fobbe and stud o-lineman Brandon Gustafson, but do need to find replacements for their top running back and receiver from last fall. Andover's Holden Dunleavy leads an experienced Huskies defense. (Photo from Hudl.com) Suburban Blue Robbinsdale Armstong, last year's top team in the Blue subdistrict, should again be the class of the grouping. The Falcons welcome back 13 starters and a good mix of juniors and seniors with varsity experience. Three juniors – Jake Breitbach, Noah Pappas and Kham Chiaokhiao-Bowman – pace the offense, while Tyler Peterson anchors the defense. Gold Robbinsdale Cooper was a heavy favorite entering last year in the Gold subdistrict, but major losses to graduation should make it a more competitive race in 2018. The Hawks will still have plenty of talent on the roster with wide receivers Adrian Adams and Pedro Amoussou, but replacing multiple linemen and quarterback Cameron King will be a challenge early in the season. Spring Lake Park and Irondale will be the biggest challengers to Cooper's reign. The Panthers will also need to find new linemen, particularly on offense. An experienced defense with eight starters including safety Sam Fritz, should keep them within striking distance every week. The Knights return a dynamic running back (Parker Freiberg) and receiver (Aden Price), but need replacements for multiple defenders now competing at the college level. Grey Two programs that are always in the mix for championships should fight it out for supremacy in the Grey subdistrict. South St. Paul qualified for its fifth-consecutive state tournament under Chad Sexauer and seventh overall. Linemen Darien Foster and Brady Boomgaarden should provide enough strength up front, but new faces will litter the field almost everywhere else for the Packers. Mahtomedi is the other favorite. The Zephyrs went 9-1 overall in 2017 and shared last year's subdistrict title with SSP. Linebacker Erik Bjork and offensive lineman Elijah Heatherston are among the notable returners for Dave Muenzel's squad. Maroon The Maroon subdistrict is as wide open as any in the Suburban. Last year's champion Apple Valley figures to take a step back from its special 2017 season with just 14 seniors on the roster. Park (Cottage Grove) and Hastings are the two teams with the best title chances this fall because of their veteran defenses. The Wolfpack's Payton Shafer lead seven players who return on that side of the ball, including fellow linebacker Jaeden Stovall. The Raiders also return seven starters from last year's defense. Defensive back Noah Kullmann and lineman Godswill Pepple lead a speedy, but undersized group. Coach Dana Strain also returns multiple starters on offense, including running back Corbin Leflay. Red Can the Red subdistrict send two teams to the state tournament for the third-straight season? The candidates are there, including defending Class AAAA champion Holy Angels. The Stars will have to replace a lot of key players due to graduation, but have a great chance to win the subdistrict again behind the likes of Thomas Shelstad and Rook Rowe on defense. Benilde-St. Margaret's, 2016 Class AAAA Champion, should also field another formidable squad led by senior John Whitmore and junior Noah Layton. Three other teams – Orono, St. Louis Park and DeLaSalle will also contend in both their respective sections as well as the league. The Spartans are the best-equipped team to challenge the Stars and Red Knights, especially with three-year starter Nick Prentice back for his senior season at quarterback. White Chaska and Chanhassen have alternated White subdistrict titles the past two seasons, which makes 2018 a rubber match of sorts between the two rival schools. The Hawks are slight favorites to repeat their unbeaten league record from 2017. Air Force commit Ethan Jackman returns alongside junior Max Lommel on the offensive line, as does running back Marcus Holasek and receiver Nolan Hansen. Leading tackler Jacob Theis returns for a defense that surrendered about 16 points per game last fall. Mike Bailey's Storm isn't quite as experienced as Chaska, but they do welcome back quarterback Jacob Miller and do-it-all linebacker Cade Plath. A sleeper could be the Jaguars of Bloomington Jefferson, which return 17 of 22 starters from a disappointing season last fall. South St. Paul's Darien Foster is one of the top-ranked offensive linemen in the Class of 2020. (Twitter:@foster_darien)