Ranking the Sections: Class AAA

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We rank the sections for Class AAA. Not much separation really after the clear top one. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>one. 6AAA</strong>. It's not even close, this is by far the best section in Class AAA. The league has four top ten teams in Class AAA to start the year including teams in Orono and BSM that could push for a title. Cooper and Mound-Westonka as teams 5 and 6 is way way stronger than the 5s and 6s in other sections, and Kennedy and AHA are at the bottom and could be in the middle in at least half the sections. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>two. 1AAA</strong>. This group has four top 15 teams although all four of them are on the back end. The bottom isn't very strong but the league has a nice stream of good players and four teams that have top ten potential. A wide open section too with a lot more competition for the top than the others below them.. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>three. 2AAA</strong>. Mankato East is a title contender, West is solid, but after that teams are just okay at best or not great. It's not a very deep section this year. But it's solid as St. Peter, Hutch, Worthington and Marshall should all be solid but not likely to be able to give East a run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>four. 8AAA</strong>. Another section with a clear, clear favorite in Alexandria followed by some solid veteran teams in Fergus Falls and Rocori, and then teams that have some star power but not a depth of talent (Apollo the best example). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>five. 5AAA</strong>. Totino-Grace gives them the champs at the top plus there are a couple that I think are going to be much improved and maybe sneak into the top 15 area (Becker and Monticello) and then there are programs that are in a reset. It's a section with a very clear favorite and then a number of solid teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>six. 4AAA</strong>. The bottom is very bad, the middle is a question mark although StAV, HM and the Zephyrs do have some players that could make them good, and then Johnson and DeLaSalle are at the top. The top is strong, the bottom is weak, the middle is going to tell us how strong it all is. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>seven. 7AAA</strong>. Chisago Lakes lost 4/5 starters, GR lost four starters, Hibbing lost four starters, Hibbing lost three starters, North Branch lost four starters, and Rock Ridge lost four starters. That is a ton of unknowns. Even Denfeld and Cloquet who bring back more than the others, they have a number of rotation pieces to replace. There is so much unknown here that it's wide open.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>eight. 3AAA</strong>. Five teams that are starting over, a couple up and comers (Roosevelt and Harding potentially), a team in St. Thomas Academy that might get to the top 10/15 area and a team in South St. Paul that has the most talent but had a rough year last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->