The Rocori Spartans made their third straight trip to the state tournament in 2016 before their season came to an end with a 34-30 loss to Winona at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Spartans finished with an overall record of 9-4.
The Sartell Sabres shook off an 0-3 start to their 2016 season to finish with a 6-4 record. The Sabres won their final five regular-season games and topped Brainerd 35-0 in the opening round of the section playoffs before falling 40-32 to Moorhead in a nail-biter at SJU.
The Tech Tigers finished the 2017 regular season undefeated with a record of 8-0 before defeating Sauk Rapids-Rice 47-0 in the first round of the section playoffs. However, the Tigers’ season ended four days later with a 31-7 setback against St. Michael-Albertville.
The Apollo Eagles are hoping that the lumps they took during 2016’s 1-8 campaign will translate to wins in 2017. The Eagles certainly did not struggle to score points last season, averaging 24.2 points per game.
The Cathedral Crusaders finished their 2016 campaign with a 4-6 record. However, that losing record is a little misleading, as three of the losses were by five points are less.
There's a buzz around the University of Minnesota, Mankato campus this week as the Minnesota Vikings strap on their helmets for the final training camp in Mankato.