11-12 Section 4AAAA Preview

This is the 17th preview in my 2011-2012 season preview series.  In this preview, a look at section 4AAAA.  For a list of all the season previews, click here.

Defending Champion: Cretin-Derham Hall

Predicted Seeding

1. Tartan
2. Roseville
3. White Bear Lake
4. Woodbury
5. Stillwater
6. North
7. Mahtomedi
8. Mounds View

This section will have a new champion as Cretin-Derham Hall moves to section 3.  East Ridge and Henry Sibley also move to section 3.  The replacements are Mahtomedi who moves up from class 3A and Mounds View who moves over from section 5.  As usual this is the battle of the Suburban East and Classic Suburban conferences.  Tartan as a predicted conference champ gets the 1 seed.  2-4 will fall right into line with the top half of the Suburban East standings.  I could see those shuffling in any order.  Stillwater and North will fight for the 5 and 6 seeds.  Strength of schedule goes to the Ponies.  Mahtomedi is better than the average 7 seed with Zach and Andrew Lindquist but I can't put them in front of North who I picked to finish ahead of them in league play.  That leaves Mounds View as the 8th seed in the last year for coach Ziggy Kauls.

Sleeper: Woodbury.  I had to pick them 4th here because of my conference selections but I'm already reconsidering that pick.  I'm very high on the Royals.  They have 4 top kids from last year returning plus a pair of transfers who can immediately contribute.  They have plenty of offensive firepower and if they can get out and run where Ricky Suggs is a scorer, they'll be tough to handle. 

Section Winner: Tartan.  The Titans have lost heartbreakers to Cretin-Derham Hall the last 2 years and haven't made a state trip since 2005. With CDH out of the section and no post factor in the section besides Zach Meyer to exploit them inside, I see Tartan getting back to state.