All signs point to Chatfield as favorite in Section 1AA football

Oct. 24—There is a favorite to emerge as the Section 1AA football champion and it's by more than a little bit.

That is Chatfield. The Gophers' resume is glossy: defending state champions, unbeaten, ranked No. 1 and with one of the top handful of players in the state, running back Sam Backer.

That's not to say there aren't some outside contenders, because Caledonia, Dover-Eyota, Goodhue and Triton have all shown that they are capable on a given night.

Caledonia likely has the best chance — and the chops that come from being not far removed from a 71-game winning streak — to pull off something big.

But if any team does take down the Gophers, it will be news. One team that will not be in the running is Winona Cotter. The Ramblers have forfeited their first-round game due to an abundance of injuries.

Here is a look at the seven teams that make up the Section 1AA playoff field:

Chatfield has been in the same spot all season, the state's defending championship ranked No. 1 in Class AA. The Gophers have certainly earned that ranking. They are unbeaten (8-0) and have pretty much demolished the competition, outscoring their opponents by an average of 42-9. The only team to truly test the Gophers was Goodhue, which it beat 28-20 on Wednesday. Chatfield has the most talented player in southeastern Minnesota on its side, 190-pound senior running back Sam Backer. The senior has combined his elite speed and strength to rush for an amazing 6,400-plus career yards, third all-time in Minnesota.

It's been an up-and-down season for Goodhue (4-4). It gave Chatfield easily its best game of the year on Wednesday, losing just 28-20. But it played Dover-Eyota just one week before that and was handled 28-7. The Wildcats have a "Big Three," with quarterback Will Opsahl, running back Malakye Parker and receiver Adam Poncelet three of the best players in the area at their positions. Parker, who combines excellent speed and strength, has rushed for nearly 1,000 yards, with 17 touchdowns. Opsahl has completed 78 of 132 passes for 1,134 yards and seven touchdowns (just one interception), and Poncelet has 679 yards receiving with three TDs. Goodhue has not defended the run particularly well, having allowed 1,459 yards rushing.

Dover-Eyota (5-3) has turned in its best season in years, though it had a disappointing final game of the regular season, losing 14-7 to Triton. D-E's other two losses are to top-five ranked teams Chatfield (42-19) and Caledonia (21-0). Landon Lehnertz has been among the team's most productive offensive players with 559 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. The Eagles don't throw a lot. Levi Williams is solid and has passed for 751 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defense has been D-E's best thing. The Eagles are permitting just 15 points per game and haven't allowed more than 14 points in any of their last five games. Junior linebacker Lehnertz has been their leader, with 38 solo tackles and eight assists.

Lewiston-Altura (0-8) has had a difficult season. A program that had been one of the better ones in southeastern Minnesota under Brent Olson is 0-8. L-A is led by running back Carter Cady. The sophomore has rushed for 319 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals haven't done much through the air, quarterback Adam Kampa throwing for just 72 yards on the season. L-A scores 7 ppg. and allows 44 ppg.

Caledonia (6-2) has made a strong turnaround from a year ago when it finished with a losing record. That had been on the heels of having won 71 straight games. The Warriors' two losses are to No. 1-ranked Chatfield (19-6) and No. 5-ranked (Class AAA) Cannon Falls (38-20). Caledonia's defense has generally been excellent. Four times it allowed six or fewer points. Offensively, the Warriors average 35 points per game. Ayden Goetzinger is coming off a big game, having rushed for 159 yards against Goodhue. Eric Mauss has rushed for 583 yards.

St. Charles (2-6) is coming off a 28-12 win over Lewiston-Altura. Chace Kobe rushed for 123 yards and Tytan Small for 103. The Saints hadn't had much offensive success other than that, though. Prior to beating L-A, it had been held to 14 or fewer points six straight times. The Saints average 16 points per game and allow 35 ppg. They played Triton earlier this year and lost 30-13.

Triton (4-4) finished its regular season with an impressive 14-7 win over Dover-Eyota. But prior to that it had generally struggled against the top teams in Section 1AA, losing 28-20 to Goodhue, 42-0 to Caledonia and 35-0 to Chatfield. Triton scores 18 points per game and allows 24 ppg. Owen Garness has been the Cobras' top offensive player, having rushed for 723 yards and nine touchdowns. Francis Price has 307 yards rushing and Carter Strieff 259. Triton has struggled throwing the football, completing just 38% of its passes.