For decades, the most important part of a football team has been the quarterback. The field of the state’s largest schools boasts one of the strongest fields of signal callers in recent memory. Thursday’s quarterfinal between No. 1-seeded Maple Grove (10-0) and No. 3-seeded Edina (8-2) features highly-armed, highly-rated young pitchers in Edina’s Mason West and Maple Grove’s Kaden Harney. There is a couple consisting of. A similar matchup features Lakeville North’s Riley Grossman and Anoka’s Peyton Podany. When Minnetonka’s Caleb Francois faces Blaine’s Sam Shaughnessy, it’s two QBs who rely more on their legs than their arms. Don’t miss Shakopee and Mounds View either. Shakopee wouldn’t have made it this far without the option to change direction. QB Judah Forsberg, a smooth distributor, and Mounds View quarterback Jacob Sampson were named the Metro East region’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Now everyone knows Elk River’s power-T attackA version of the old-school running game that relies on precision, technique and a masterful quarterback. The Elks kept up their old tricks, putting up big offensive numbers and high points thanks to a steady diet of explosive play. Monticello is riding an eight-game winning streak; This series also included five shutouts from a stubborn defense. The keys to magic are discipline and attention to detail. Lose one or the other for even a moment and it could spell disaster for a team like Elk River. And make no mistake, the Elks are not a gimmick. This is not football played with sleight of hand. They run, block and tackle like any other team, but they do it in a way that forces defenses to play solid football and react quickly. Monticello’s defense has been at its peak all season. Can magic do it again when it matters most?

The Holy Angels’ chances of beating #1-ranked Becker will require the Stars to throw a wrinkle or two into their offense. Becker’s defense has been shut down all season. The Bulldogs shut out three opponents (including Holy Angels 14-0 in Week 3), held five others to single digits and gave up just 21 total points in the first three quarters. The most points Becker has allowed in any game is 14 twice. The Holy Angels will need to find a way to release RB Emmitt Anderson and QB Damian Devine or allow Villanova recruit Devine to get on the air to score early points and pressure the Becker offense to respond. The Bulldogs haven’t been seriously tested since their 13-9 come-from-behind victory over Providence Academy in Week 2.

The Patriots’ high-powered offensive attack is spearheaded by their moving company up front and highlighted by three-year senior starters Jacob Lane, a 6-5, 290-pound tackle, and Dane Mudgett, a 5-10, 200-pound guard. . The fifth-seeded Patriots (10-0) are the second-highest scoring team in the class, averaging 46.1 points per game, and have not been held below 35 points in a game since the season opener. The top six rushers all average at least 9.5 yards per carry. Annandale’s defense is allowing 11.5 points per game and has allowed just two opponents to score in double figures in the last eight games. Senior Gavin Wang, a 6-7, 2750-pound linebacker committed to North Dakota State, isn’t easy to move, allowing the Cardinals’ outstanding defensive corps to fly to the ball.

Don’t expect too many points in this heavyweight clash of unbeatens. These are the two most stingy defenses in this classification. 3rd-seeded Jackson County Central (10-0) allows 6.3 points per game, while 4th-seeded Norwood Young America (11-0) allows 8.5 points per game. The play of senior Jack Strickfaden and junior Kyson Evenski, rotating point guards for Norwood Young America, could determine the outcome.

The unbeaten and top-seeded Vikings (10-0) are two-time state champions. Minneota needed to score on its final four possessions to overcome a 14-point deficit and edge BOLD 34-28 in the Division 5 championship. Senior running back Ryan Meagher capped the comeback with a tiebreaking 4-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds left, his fourth touchdown of the game. The senior running back is the Vikings’ workhorse, rushing for 1,418 yards on 145 carries and 30 touchdowns this season. It will be a daunting task for the three-peat because there are four other unbeaten teams in the field: No. 2 Springfield (10-0), No. 3 Mahnomen/Waubun (10-0), no. 4 Goodhue (11-0). ) and No. 5 Upsala/Swanville (10-0). Minneota will face Lester Prairie (7-3) on Friday.

The Cardinals’ defensive unit has the daunting task of trying to contain Renville County West’s senior quarterback. The 6-1, 190-pound Hungerholt rushed for 2,391 yards on 173 carries with 31 touchdowns while completing 102 of 187 passes for 2,015 yards and 28 more scores. It’s easy to see why the fifth-seeded Jaguars (11-0) are averaging 51.3 points per game.