A 28-7 victory Friday gave the Cougars the Kato Jug for the first time in 19 years.

Strib Varsity writers are one-sided in a matchup of two Class 6A powerhouses along with three other big games happening Friday night.

Minneapolis North is off to its best start since 2022, when it finished 9-1. The Polars are tied for No. 5 in Class 3A with Holy Family.

Centennial, Champlin Park and Chanhassen entered the top 10, and Byron, Spring Lake Park and Annandale made their debut in the rankings.

Three of the top 10 teams lost Friday night, but two fell to other top-10 teams, and all lost to ranked teams.

Strib Varsity’s Jim Paulsen didn’t see anything to change his mind in a big way, and he doesn’t see much that separates the first four teams.

Two of the top 10 teams, Wayzata and Mankato West, endured upset losses.

Streaming on Strib Varsity on Thursday and Friday are five games worth a watch.

QBs are in the middle of matters for the top two in Jim Paulsen’s preseason ranking of the best teams in the state regardless of class.

Strib Varsity football writer Jim Paulsen started with quarterbacks, because it’s football, but his list hits every position and shows every college commitment.