Minnesota High School Football Polls: Unbeatens Hold Top Spots Across All Classes

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 26, 2026 · 00:02 UTC

The short version

Moorhead (6A), Elk River (5A), Orono (4A), Annandale (3A), Jackson County Central (2A), Minneota (1A) and Hills-Beaver Creek (9-man) hold the No. 1 spots.
Annandale and Minneota were unanimous No. 1s with all first-place votes and 120 points each.
Robbinsdale Armstrong, Osakis, Byron, Delano, Goodhue and Rushford-Peterson entered the rankings this week.
The polls were compiled by Strib Varsity's Jim Paulsen from media voters statewide and released Sept. 25.
Centennial (6A) and Cretin-Derham Hall (5A) were notable fallers, dropping from No. 2 in their classes.

Moorhead, Elk River, Orono, Annandale, Jackson County Central, Minneota and Hills-Beaver Creek lead the latest statewide media rankings compiled by Strib Varsity.

The latest Minnesota high school football polls, compiled by Strib Varsity staff writer Jim Paulsen from a panel of media members across the state, were released Sept. 25. Each ranking lists first-place votes in parentheses, followed by record, total points and the team's position in the previous poll.

In Class 6A, Moorhead held the No. 1 spot with 11 first-place votes, a 3-0 record and 119 points. Eden Prairie moved up from third to second at 3-0 with 101 points, while Champlin Park received the remaining first-place vote and climbed from fourth to third with 96 points. Shakopee (fifth to fourth), Wayzata (seventh to fifth) and Blaine (eighth to sixth) also rose. Centennial fell from second to seventh, and Maple Grove, Lakeville South and Minnetonka rounded out the top 10, with the latter two tied at 30 points. White Bear Lake, Eagan, East Ridge, Rosemount and Forest Lake received votes.

Class 5A was led by Elk River, which kept the top position with all 11 first-place votes and 119 points. Monticello earned one first-place vote and jumped from third to second, followed by Mankato West and Cretin-Derham Hall, the previous No. 2. Waconia, Hastings and Brainerd held undefeated marks in the middle of the ranking, with Chaska sliding from fifth to eighth. Alexandria and Robbinsdale Armstrong tied for ninth, Armstrong entering the poll for the first time. Mahtomedi, St. Thomas Academy, Two Rivers, Apple Valley and Northfield drew votes.

Orono stayed No. 1 in Class 4A with 10 first-place votes and 117 points, with Stewartville moving up to second. Grand Rapids, with one first-place vote, leapt from sixth to third. Kasson-Mantorville dropped from second to fourth, while Hutchinson climbed from ninth to fifth. Willmar and Byron entered the rankings at sixth and eighth, respectively, joining Hermantown, SMB Wolfpack and Delano in the top 10. Fridley led the others receiving votes with 15 points.

Annandale was a unanimous choice in Class 3A, taking all 12 first-place votes for 120 points. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, Pierz, Waseca, Albany, Holy Family and Dassel-Cokato followed in order, all undefeated. Pine Island and St. Croix Lutheran tied for eighth, with Luverne at No. 10. Watertown-Mayer (12 points) and Winona Cotter (5) received votes.

Jackson County Central topped Class 2A with 10 first-place votes and 115 points, ahead of Caledonia and Redwood Valley, which each picked up one first-place vote. Holdingford, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Aitkin and Hawley held the next four spots, all 3-0. Osakis debuted at No. 8, Moose Lake-Willow River slipped from a tie for third to ninth, and Goodhue and Rushford-Peterson entered tied at No. 10. In Class 1A, Minneota was unanimous at No. 1 with 120 points, leading Springfield, Mahnomen/Waubun, Upsala/Swanville and Dawson-Boyd, with the entire top 10 unbeaten.

Hills-Beaver Creek led the Nine-Player class with all 12 first-place votes and 120 points, followed by Kittson County Central and Cromwell-Wright. Wabasso, Edgerton and Cook County — the poll's only 2-0 team — filled out the next spots. LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle/Pacelli, Border West, New Ulm Cathedral and Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke completed the ranking, with the last two tied in points.

The polls reflect voting conducted after Week 3 of the Minnesota season, with nearly every ranked team across the seven classes still undefeated at 3-0.