Jackson County Central is fourth in Class 2A in the first class-by-class high school football state rankings of the season.
The Huskies are 2-0 to start the season, with wins over Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial (44-0) and Worthington (62-7). JCC is fourth in the 2A poll behind Caledonia, Barnesville and Eden Valley-Watkins.
Another Section 3AA team, Minnesota Valley Lutheran, is in the others receiving votes category.
Jackson County Central is at Blue Earth Area Friday.
Fairmont is tied for third in Class 3A and Marshall is fourth in Class 4A.
Nevis and Mountain Iron-Buhl are tied for first in the nine-player ratings, Minneota is the 1A leader, Stewartville is on top in 3A, Hutchinson leads 4A, Elk River tops 5A, and it’s Edina in Class 6A.
The rankings are compiled for the third year in a row by the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Jim Paulsen, who takes votes from 11 other media members. Paulsen began managing the rankings when the Associated Press dropped them in 2022.
How the votes are tallied: Each voter picks a top 10 in each class. No. 1-ranked teams get 10 points, No. 2s get 9, etc. The rankings are released annually after the season’s second regular-season game and typically will be published on Tuesdays.
Here are the complete ratings, with first-place votes in parentheses, record, total poll points.
Class 2A
1. Caledonia (5), 2-0, 98
2. Barnesville (2), 2-0, 93
3. Eden Valley-Watkins (5), 2-0, 79
4. Jackson County Central 2-0, 74
5. Cannon Falls 2-0, 69
6. Chatfield 2-0, 52
7. Triton 2-0, 34
8. Holdingford 2-0, 31
9. Norwood Young America 2-0, 30
10. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 2-0, 16
Others receiving votes: Barnum 15, Kimball Area 14, International Falls 9, St. Agnes 9, Staples-Motley 7, Randolph 7, Pillager 6, Minnesota Valley Lutheran 6, Pelican Rapids 5, Dover-Eyota 3, Hawley 3.
Nine-player
1. Nevis (6), 2-0, 93
(tie) Mountain Iron-Buhl (2), 2-0, 93
3. Fertile-Beltrami (1), 2-0, 75
4. Hills-Beaver Creek 2-0, 61
5. Cherry 2-0, 44
6. Verndale 2-0, 40
7. Leroy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli (1), 2-0, 34
8. Spring Grove 2-0, 33
9. Mabel-Canton (1), 2-0, 31
10. Goodridge/Gryglya 2-0, 25
Others receiving votes: Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 23, Kingsland 22, Hancock (1) 20, Kittson County Central 17, Mountain Lake Area 17, Fosston 8, Stephen-Argyle 8, Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 7, Bertha-Hewitt 6, Cromwell-Wright 5, Clearbrook-Gonvick 1, Littlefork-Big Falls 1.
Class 1A
1. Minneota (8), 2-0, 103
2. Springfield 2-0, 82
3. BOLD (2) 2-0, 70
4. Mahnomen/Waubun 2-0, 55
5. Goodhue 2-0, 53
6. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 2-0, 46
7. Browerville/Eagle Valley 2-0, 39
8. Parkers Prairie 2-0, 36
9. Dawson-Boyd 2-0, 34
10. Upsala/Swanville, 2-0 28
Others receiving votes: Blooming Prairie (1) 25; Fillmore Central (1), 23; Lester Prairie 19; Ada-Borup/West 17, Deer River 16, Red Lake County 8, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 8, Mille Lacs 3, Wabasha-Kellogg 3.
Class 3A
1. Stewartville (11), 2-0, 110
2. Dassel-Cokato 2-0, 78
3. Albany 2-0, 66
(tie) Fairmont 2-0, 66
5. Holy Family 2-0, 65
6. Pequot Lakes 2-0, 53
7. Pierz 2-0, 31
8. St. Croix Lutheran 2-0, 29
9. Pine Island 2-0, 27
10. Waseca 1-1, 23
Others receiving votes: Fergus Falls 19, Annandale 18, Luverne 13, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 10, Litchfield 9, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 8, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 6, New London-Spicer 6, Two Harbors 6, Esko 4, Rochester Lourdes 2, East Grand Forks 1.
Class 4A
1. Hutchinson (6), 2-0, 104
2. Becker (4), 2-0, 92
3. Orono 2-0, 68
4. Totino-Grace 2-0, 67
5. Marshall (1), 2-0, 61
6. Detroit Lakes 2-0, 52
7. Mound Westonka (1), 2-0, 42
8. Hermantown 2-0, 24
9. Chisago Lakes 2-0, 21
(tie) Holy Angels 2-0, 21
Others receiving votes: Duluth Denfeld 17, Providence Academy 14, Byron 13, Princeton 11, Kasson-Mantorville 10, St. Anthony 9, Minneapolis Camden 8, North Branch 8, Benilde-St. Margaret’s 7, Rocori 6, New Ulm 3, Zimmerman 2.
Class 5A
1. Elk River (7), 2-0, 99
2. Alexandria (1), 2-0, 85
3. Owatonna (2), 2-0, 72
4. Moorhead (1), 2-0, 68
5. Waconia 2-0, 64
6. Mankato East (1), 2-0, 49
7. Robbinsdale Armstrong 2-0, 34
8. Sauk Rapids-Rice 2-0, 32
9. Andover 1-1, 24
10. Rochester John Marshall 2-0, 20
Others receiving votes: Robbinsdale Cooper 19, Mankato West 18, Two Rivers 18, Duluth East 12, Minneapolis Washburn 10, St. Thomas Academy 9, Tartan 4, Chaska 3, Mahtomedi 2, Park Center 2, St. Cloud Tech 2.
Class 6A
1. Edina (7), 2-0, 107
2. Lakeville North (2), 2-0, 101
3. Maple Grove (2), 2-0, 98
4. Blaine 2-0, 69
5. Minnetonka 2-0, 65
6. Shakopee 2-0, 62
7. Eden Prairie 1-1, 31
8. Lakeville South 1-1, 28
9. Rosemount 1-1, 18
10. Eagan 1-1, 17
Others receiving votes: Forest Lake 10, Park of Cottage Grove (1) 10, Stillwater 9, Centennial 8, Mounds View 6, Prior Lake 6, St. Michael-Albertville 6, Anoka 4, Wayzata 4, East Ridge 1.
The voters: Randy Shaver, Talk North; Gary Giombetti, Mesabi Daily News; Ron Haggstrom, Minnesota Star Tribune; Jamey Malcomb, Duluth News Tribune; Joe Brown, West Central Tribune; Brian Jerzak, PrepRedZone; Steve Thomson, WCCO Radio; Chad Courrier, Mankato Free Press; David La Vaque, Minnesota Star Tribune; Pat Ruff, Rochester Post Bulletin; Jace Frederick, St. Paul Pioneer Press; Jim Paulsen, Minnesota Star Tribune.