Jim Paulsen and Marcus Fuller continue their challenge of predicting high school football results, and they’ll take it through the Prep Bowl. Fuller improved his record to 26-11 Tuesday; Paulsen is 23-14.

Friday

Moorhead (4-4) at Blaine (5-3), 6 p.m.

Marcus says: The return of Moorhead’s Jett Feeney from injury meant one of the state’s best QB-WR combinations was on display again last week vs. Edina. Feeney to fellow junior David Mack was like watching prime Joe Montana to Jerry Rice. Mack finished with 18 catches for 202 yards and four touchdowns. Establishing Taye Reich on the ground early will make Moorhead’s passing attack even more formidable. Blaine will try to counter with Jameson Niska, who rushed for 255 of the team’s 358 yards in a win vs. Andover. Expect a high-scoring affair. The pick: Moorhead 45, Blaine 41

Jim says: How much does one player matter? When it’s a player of the caliber of Feeney, obviously a great deal. Feeney missed five games and a portion of another with a shoulder injury. Junior Austin Dryburgh did a fine job filling in, but Feeney brings the explosive Spuds to another level. In his first game back, he put on a show in a 51-44 victory over Edina, going 32-for-38 for 373 yards and four touchdowns. Blaine is no pushover, and the Bengals should be able to move the ball successfully, but stopping Moorhead at full strength is a tall order. The pick: Moorhead 44, Blaine 32

Farmington (4-4) at Edina (4-4), 7 p.m.

Marcus says: Edina was a top-five team in the preseason Class 6A poll, but it quickly fell behind Farmington in the top 10. Both teams fell out of the rankings by the end of September. The Tigers have lost four of their past five games. The Hornets’ slide includes losses to ranked opponents Eden Prairie and Maple Grove. Edina’s 27-20 win against Minnetonka was a sign that the lofty goals for this season might not be lost. The pick: Edina 31, Farmington 17

Jim says: On paper, this is simply a matchup of .500 teams. Farmington has had its share of impressive outings, topped by a 15-6 victory over Shakopee on Oct. 10. But I’ve been on Edina’s bandwagon all season. The Hornets have too much talent — QB Mason West, RB Chase Bjorgaard (a 1,000-yard rusher), a cadre of talented receivers and one of the best defensive lines in the state — to go down in the first round of the playoffs. Edina advances. The pick: Edina 38, Farmington 21

Andover (5-3) at East Ridge (4-4), 7 p.m.

Marcus says: Two of the state’s top dual-threat quarterbacks, East Ridge senior Cedric Tomes and Andover senior Joseph Mapson, face off. It didn’t seem like this matchup would be possible last month. Tomes, committed to the Gophers for basketball, was sitting out, recovering from a broken finger. When he returned Oct. 10 for his first game since the season opener, East Ridge beat rival Stillwater. Mapson, who leads his team in passing and rushing, was a Player of the Year contender during a four-game win streak, but the Huskies ended the regular season with losses to Osseo and Blaine. The pick: Andover 36, East Ridge 31

Jim says: In the two games I’ve seen Andover in person, the Huskies have shown themselves to be fast starters, with Mapson the catalyst to building 14-point leads in each game. But they haven’t been able to maintain those leads, failing to establish a consistent running game en route to losses. Mapson is as good with his arm as he is with his legs; Andover will need to move the chains consistently through the air to fend off East Ridge’s dynamic duo of QB Tomes and receiver Akeed Ali. I want to pick East Ridge here, but I can’t. The pick: Andover 30, East Ridge 23

Saturday

Breck (6-3) at Minneapolis North (8-0), 1 p.m.

Marcus says: The Polars have outscored opponents 331-76 this season. Their passing offense behind Logan Lachermeier gets all the attention, deservedly so with 2,000 yards and 28 touchdowns this year. What about the defense? Minneapolis North has recorded 23.5 sacks and nine interceptions this year, including two pick-six touchdowns. Breck showed just how to pull off an upset, though. The Mustangs had a bend-but-don’t-break mentality, giving up 258 yards rushing in a 34-30 win vs. Brooklyn Center in the quarterfinal round. The pick: Minneapolis North 35, Breck 31

Jim says: There’s more to Breck than meets the eye. The passing combination of QB John Henry Berntsen to WR C.J. Roberts is underrated, and RB Alex Averbrook gives them a rushing attack. But North’s offense is just too varied to shut down. QB Lachermeier has a wealth of weapons at his disposal, such as receivers Anthony Deline, J’Marion Sanders and Jeremiah Jackson. All are capable of turning a short pass into a long touchdown on any play. Don’t sleep on RB Tyshone Jenkins, who has run for 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. The pick: Minneapolis North 40, Breck 21

Mankato West (4-5) at Chanhassen (7-1), 3 p.m.

Marcus says: Mankato West’s probably the best fifth seed in the Class 5A section playoffs. Why? The Scarlets were a three-win team before hammering Waconia 43-14 on the road in the section quarterfinals. Getting quarterback Osborne Lorenz back healthy after he was sidelined by an ankle injury was a huge lift. But the difference was former starting QB Trevor Sheldrup still accounting for five of his team’s six touchdown runs. Chanhassen has arguably the toughest matchup of the top seeds Saturday, but it already faced Sheldrup in a 35-21 win against Mankato West earlier this month. Look for a balanced Storm offense to be the key to advancing. The pick: Chanhassen 28, Mankato West 21

Jim says: This has become a yearly postseason matchup, although often in the Class 5A, Section 2 final. Chanhassen has looked like a team with state championship bona fides all season. Quarterback Nathan Ramler has put up impressive numbers through the air, none more so than his 21-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Mankato West may have salvaged a disappointing season by walloping Waconia in the first round of the playoffs. The Scarlets know how to play at this time of year. Chanhassen has its hands full. The pick: Chanhassen 24, Mankato West 20

Westonka (3-6) vs. Orono (5-3), 3 p.m.

Marcus says: Orono senior Griffin Mauer has shown he’s not just a run-first quarterback this season. He threw for 218 yards against defending Class 4A champion Byron and 209 yards vs. Zimmerman. But don’t expect Mauer to rely on his arm Saturday after he rushed for 145 yards in a 37-0 win Sept. 19 against Westonka. Mauer also combined for more than 220 yards and three TDs in last week’s win vs. Providence Academy. Westonka had a nice comeback win vs. Providence Academy in Tuesday’s quarterfinals, but this is where it ends. The pick: Orono 36, Westonka 20

Jim says: This is a rivalry game between neighbors, which adds weight to the matchup. Orono has owned the head-to-head recently, ending Westonka’s season in the section semifinals in two of the past four years. Orono has battled through a rugged schedule, with losses at No. 1-ranked Byron and No. 2 Marshall. The talent edge lies with Orono, with the presence of QB Mauer and RB Rory Kvern, but it’s on defense where the Spartans’ superiority really shines. One name of note: Sophomore linebacker Grant Eslinger is the son of Gophers football great Greg Eslinger, who is about to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. The pick: Orono 31, Westonka 7