Strib Varsity reporters Jim Paulsen and Marcus Fuller are seven weeks into the tradition of trying to predict winners of high school football games. They’ll continue through the Prep Bowl.

After Fuller missed once last week, he is 20-9 to Paulsen’s 19-10.

Here they take a look at four Wednesday games, making their predictions and providing their analysis.

Minnetonka Skippers (6-1) at Maple Grove Crimson (7-0), 7 p.m.

Marcus says: The Crimson have blown out nearly every opponent this season, posting an average margin of victory of 24 points. Two victories this season that were closer — Eden Prairie (28-14) and St. Michael-Albertville (35-24) — weren’t pretty early in the game. Against Eden Prairie, the score was tied 7-7 at halftime, but Maple Grove scored two third-quarter touchdowns. STMA led 10-7 before being outscored 28-14 by the Crimson in the second half. Can Maple Grove afford to get off to a slow start again Wednesday against Minnetonka? Maybe not. The pick: Maple Grove 31, Minnetonka 21

Jim says: This game has been circled on the calendars of the Minnetonka players all year. The Skippers are hoping for payback after losing 28-21 to Maple Grove in the Prep Bowl last November. Fair question: Did they overlook Edina slightly last week — a 27-20 loss — with Maple Grove on the horizon? Caleb Francois has been carrying a lot of water for the Skippers in QB Caden Gutzmer’s absence. If Gutzmer were back and playing as well as he was before he got injured, I would call this a tossup. With his status still in question, I’m leaning toward Maple Grove. The pick: Maple Grove 28, Minnetonka 24

Mahtomedi Zephyrs (7-0) at St Thomas Academy Cadets (7-0), 6 p.m.

Marcus says: St. Thomas Academy sent a message to the rest of Class 5A when it beat Cretin-Derham Hall and Chanhassen this season — signaling it deserves to be No. 1. The Cadets outrushed their opponents 331-150 in those victories. However, Chanhassen and CDH are predominantly passing teams. That’s not the case with Wednesday’s opponent, Mahtomedi. The Zephyrs, who beat CDH 28-27 last week, are averaging 200 yards rushing and have 24 TDs on the ground this year. The senior running back battle between St. Thomas Academy’s Dominic Baez and Mahtomedi’s Jacob Reubish is intriguing. The pick: St. Thomas Academy 27, Mahtomedi 24

Jim says: This is a matchup of two teams with similar, hard-running styles. I love St. Thomas Academy running back Dominic Baez, who said his philosophy is “run where I don’t see feet.” Mahtomedi deserves kudos for an amazing bounce-back from a 3-7 2024 season, but St. Thomas Academy has playmakers all over the field. Can Mahtomedi come back strong from a late-game slump that almost cost the Zephyrs last week against Cretin-Derham Hall? The pick: St. Thomas Academy 31, Mahtomedi 20

Lakeville South Cougars (6-1) at Rosemount Irish (6-1), 7 p.m.

Marcus says: Lakeville South defeated Rosemount 14-9 last season, but these teams are playing at a much higher level now. The Cougars finished barely above .500 last season, and the Irish were 1-8. A year later, they’re both 6-1 and clearly two of the top teams in Class 6A. Sophomore quarterback Finn Macken and sophomore running back Jaidon Jackson have been major factors in Rosemount’s turnaround season. Meanwhile, Lakeville South is led by mostly upperclassmen, including senior Nic Swanson and junior Griffen Dean, who form a tough 1-2 punch in the backfield. Experience matters, but don’t be surprised if the more physical team wins. The pick: Rosemount 24, Lakeville South 20

Jim says: By this stage of the season, those sophomores Rosemount has been relying on are reaching veteran status. The Irish have won six in a row in a row since falling to Centennial in the opener. Every victory has added a little more to their steely reserve. I agree that this game hinges on physicality, which is Rosemount’s stock in trade, but Lakeville South is no pushover. The Cougars are battle-tested, and that is where experience matters most. They used to call games like these “slobberknockers,” but since celebrating hard hits has gone out of fashion, I’ll simply give this one to Lakeville South. The pick: Lakeville South 17, Rosemount 14

Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks (6-1) at Minneota Vikings (7-0)

Marcus says: Dawson-Boyd senior Gunner Liebl is one of the best-kept secrets in Minnesota small-class football. Liebl had 2,600 yards of total offense and 34 touchdowns last season. He’s been a dangerous dual-threat QB again this year, but Minneota is by far his toughest opponent yet. Last season, the Vikings demolished the Blackjacks 54-0, forcing Liebl to throw five interceptions. Maybe he’ll use that as motivation to make this year’s matchup more competitive. The pick: Minneota 38, Dawson-Boyd 17

Jim says: The last team to beat Minneota in a regular-season game was Dawson-Boyd. The Blackjacks’ 22-20 victory on Oct. 19, 2022, was the catalyst for Minneota’s current 40-game winning streak. I’m convinced that a portion of that winning streak can be credited to Minneota’s reputation. The Vikings are not just good and well-coached — head coach Chad Johnston is among the state’s best — but many of their opponents go into games feeling already defeated, which works in the Vikings’ favor. Not Dawson-Boyd; the Blackjacks know they can compete with Minneota. They just have to prove it on the field. The pick: Minneota 38, Dawson-Boyd 30