Weekly 360 Windmill - Feb 7, 2016

Its the Weekly 360 Windmill where we look around the metro at current happenings.  As we go into the final 2 weeks of the season, let's take a look at all the local conference and section races.

CONFERENCES: 

EMAC: Hope Academy has clinched via head-head win over International School
IMAC: Minnehaha has a 1 game lead on Breck.  Breck at Minnehaha on Tuesday.  Minnehaha win clinches via 2 head-head wins.
LAKE: Hopkins is 1 up on Wayzata in the loss column.  They split their season series.
METRO EAST: North St. Paul is 1 up on Tartan.  NSP at Tartan and Mahtomedi in the final week.
METRO WEST: Chaska has 1 game lead on Cooper, St. Louis Park and Jefferson.  Chaska hosts Cooper and St. Louis Park in the final week.
MPLS CITY: North leads Henry by 1 game.  Henry at North on Thursday.  North clinches outright with a win.  Henry shares with a win.
MCAA: Heritage and New Life have clinched division titles with 1 league game left.
NW SUBURBAN NORTH: Champlin Park is 2 up on Elk River with 4 to play.  Elk River at Champlin Park in the final week.
NW SUBURBAN WEST: Osseo is 2 up on Maple Grove with 4 to play.  They visit Maple Grove on the final night.
ST. PAUL CITY: Central leads Johnson and Highland Park by 2 games in loss column.  Central visits both in the final week.
SOUTH SUBURBAN: Apple Valley is 2 up on Lakeville North and Shakopee.  Shakopee plays both this week.  Apple Valley at Lakeville N in the final week.
SUBURBAN EAST: Cretin-Derham Hall leads Mounds View and Woodbury by 1 game in the loss column.  CDH at Mounds View on Tuesday.
TRI-METRO:  St. Croix Lutheran has clinched the east.  De La Salle is 1 up on Columbia Heights in the west.  De La Salle at Columbia Heights on Monday.  St. Croix Lutheran at Columbia Heights next week.

SECTIONS:
This is how I would seed it, even if the section decides to use QRF.

SECTION 4A:  Top 4 here look to pretty set.  North, Heritage, CHOF and Prairie Seeds.  I give Hope the 5 seed (though I think the vote will go different).  MTS has the power ranking but has lost 9 of 11.  Cristo Rey lower power rankings and bad losses but a head-head win over Legacy has to be rewarded.

SECTION 4AA: St. Croix Lutheran and Minnehaha are the clear top 2 seeds here.  New Life Academy is an interesting case with a better record but lesser schedule.  I think SPA gets the 3.  Now the debate becomes Roosevelt and New Life for the 4 vs 5.

SECTION 5AA EAST: This group is fascinating.  Breck has a win over SW Christian (no Jack Jenson) but loss to Brooklyn Center.  SW Christian has the best record but lowest schedule strength.  If its me voting I buck the power rankings and go Brooklyn Center, Breck, SW Christian.

SECTION 3AAA: Eeeek!  Only 1 team over 500 in this section.  That's Highland Park but they have a loss to Richfield but a win over Simley.  Simley has a win over Richfield.  Holy Angels is the other team in that mix but they've lost to the top 3.  I vote Highland Park, Simley, Richfield, Holy Angels.

SECTION 4AAA: Mahtomedi looks to be the 1 seed here unless Totino-Grace can jump up and make the head-head win meaningful.  I put Johnson behind Columbia Heights.  Fridley has lost 6 of 7 including a loss to Heights.  St. Anthony has beaten up a weak schedule but despite being 17-6, I don't see a home game.  The big loss to Fridley is a killer there.

SECTION 6AAA: We went over this earlier in the week.  Delano can't be any lower than 2.  Henry and Orono I see fighting for 5 and 6 based on their upcoming game. Benilde-St. Margaret's and De La Salle will be very interesting discussions.  Still lots to happen here.

SECTION 1AAAA: Lakeville North is the top seed now but if they lose to Apple Valley and Shakopee coming up that makes it more interesting.  Especially if Rochester John Marshall can knock off Red Wing on the final night.  Those are the top 2.  The rest slots pretty easily.  Lakeville South head-head over New Prague head-head over Farmington head-head over Owatonna.

SECTION 2AAAA: Shakopee and Chaska will be the top 2 seeds here.  Shakopee still has Lakeville North and Apple Valley left.  Chaska has 2 other top Metro West teams left so the top spot still up for grabs.  I'll take the 3 Lake teams in order of finish for the next spots.  Jefferson falls to 6.

SECTION 3AAAA: Apple Valley and Eastview are the only 2 teams above 500 here.

SECTION 4AAAA: CDH takes the top seed if they win out.  If they lose to Mounds View and Tartan wins out,then you have a debate.  But the weak Metro East really hurts Tartan and NSP.   Tartan's last non-conference game against Edina would do wonders.  Note that Woodbury already has a 5 point win over Edina as a point of comparison.  What about the Fighting Janquarts.  They could still run the table and sweep the Metro East.  You have to reward that.

SECTION 5AAAA: Maple Grove's win over Champlin Park means there's little debate about Osseo being the top seed here.  Champlin Park and Mounds View go 2 and 3.  A Mounds View win over CDH on Tuesday would make that debate much more interesting.  Park Center gets the final home game.

SECTION 6AAAA: Hopkins and Wayzata go 1 and 2.  Armstrong's head-head loss to Wayzata on opening night keeps them out of the top 2 but they do have head-head wins over Cooper and St. Louis Park.  That means they're pretty locked into the 3 seed.  St. Louis Park and Cooper fighting thru a tough final 2 weeks in the Metro West for that last home game.

SECTION 7AAAA: Blaine has all the head-head wins and power ranking to be the top seed.  St. Francis has wins over Duluth East and Forest Lake to take the 2.  Forest Lake just knocked off Duluth East for 3.  The rest slots per NW Suburban standings and Cambridge-Isanti last.

SECTION 8AAAA: Maple Grove clearly 1st.  Elk River has wins over the other teams so they are a clear 2nd. Brainerd's win over Rogers and loss to Elk River puts them 3rd.  Rogers beat St. Cloud Tech so they get the final home game and the rematch with Tech in round 1.