New sections assignments will give the playoffs a different look for some Annandale High School teams next year.
Details about the changes for each sport are included below.
Football
Cardinal football plays in Section 5-3A and will remain there for the next few years, but the section looks quite different than it has for the past few years.
Currently the section includes Foley, Milaca, Mora, Pierz, Pine City and St. Cloud Cathedral.
In 2017-18 and 2018-19 will include Brooklyn Center, Milaca, Minneapolis Patrick Henry, Mora, Pine City and Spectrum.
"We are excited about the new teams in our section over the next two years," said Cardinals head coach Matt Walter. "It’s always fun to play different teams and teams that you haven’t faced before."
The only negative that comes to mind for Walter is the travel that will be involved.
"We really don’t have a single team in our section that’s in our area. We will either be traveling north or to the cities," Walter said.
With Pierz moving to a different section Walter expects things to be different.
"Pierz was always the team with a target on their back," Walter said. "Every team in the section knew that you had to go through Pierz to win the section."
St. Cloud Cathedral moved to a different section and Foley moved up a class to 4A.
"Things will be a little different this year. I don’t think there’s one dominate team in the section," Walter said. "But I do feel the section is strong overall."
Walter indicated that Mora and Pine City will both be strong teams next year.
"Mora is a strong program that’s had a lot of success over the last several years and figures to be strong again this fall," Walter said. "Pine City will return a strong senior class with a lot of experience, with most of their players three year starters.
Spectrum moves up from Class 2A to 3A and bumped off a strong Maple Lake team in the playoffs last season.
"I think along with Annandale, all of these teams will have a shot at winning the section," Walter said. "I think the section is strong from top to bottom and it’s going to take a lot of work to be the one team standing alone at the top at the end of the season."
Walter pointed out that Milaca has struggled the past few seasons and said he knows very little about Brooklyn Center or Minneapolis Patrick Henry.
Boys basketball
The Annandale boys basketball team will move to Section 6-2A in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
The other teams in the section will be Breck, Brooklyn Center, Eden Valley-Watkins, FAIR School, Holy Family, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Litchfield, Maple Lake, Minneapolis Edison, Paynesville, Providence Academy, Rockford, Southwest Christian, Spectrum, Watertown-Mayer, International School of Minnesota, PACT Charter School and Coop 91054.
"I have gotten to the age and seen enough that I don’t get worked up anymore about section realignment anymore," said head coach Skip Dolan. "It happens every two years and it is totally out of our control."
Dolan pointed out that Annandale has had great success in 5-2A, earning five straight trips to state.
"But we know that Holy Family, Brooklyn Center and Breck have great teams coming back and it looks like 1A powerhouse Minneapolis North is joining 5-2A next year," Dolan said. "It will be a really tough section."
Dolan said Melrose, St. Cloud Cathedral, Sauk Center and Holdingford will be solid competition in the new section.
"The good part is we get to play different teams and see different kids," Dolan said. "The bad part is I think we confuse our fan base and we lose any sense of rivalries. I think other teams were more concerned about what section we got put into than us worrying about where we were sent."
Girls basketball
The Cardinal girls did not change sections and will remain in 5-2A, which includes Breck, Brooklyn Center, Eden Valley-Watkins, FAIR, Holy Family, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Litchfield, Maple Lake, Minneapolis Edison, Paynesville, Providence, Rockford, Southwest Christian, Spectrum, Watertown-Mayer, International School of Minnesota Coop, PACT Charter School, and Coop 91054.
"For us, there are definitely some pros, but it will be hard to know for sure if it is going to be good or bad for us until about mid-season next year," said head coach Matt Dreier. "It will also be weird not being in the same section as the boys. I’m not sure what issues if any that will bring up, but only time will tell."
Eden Valley-Watkins was moved from 5-2A to 3-2A for next season.
"They are a very young and talented team in our class and we both play such opposite styles," Dreier said. "Having them in another section will be good for both of our teams."
A new addition to Section 5-2A will be Maranatha Christian Academy, which moved up from Class A.
"They have made it to the state tournament in Class A eight years in a row, winning state twice," Dreier said. "They are young and tough."
The Cardinals lost to Maranatha in overtime this past season at the Annandale Holiday Tournament.
Annandale could well see Minneapolis North in the play-offs this year, as North has moved up from Class A to 2A.
"They continue to get better every year," Dreier said. "North had been on a downward slide, but have turned that around the last couple of years. They are starting to get some of the athletes back that they had lost the last few years. It is hard to know what they will have next year and in the years to come.
"The playoff environment will be very poor," Dreier said. "Of the 17 teams in our section, over half of them are private schools. The only ones that get good support from their communities are Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Maple Lake, Rockford, Watertown-Mayer and us."
Baseball
The baseball team moves to Section 6-2A from 5-2A starting next spring.
Albany, Eden Valley-Watkins, Foley, Holdingford, Kimball, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Melrose, Milaca, Osakis, Pierz, Pillager, Royalton, Sauk Centre, Spectrum and St. Cloud Cathedral are also in that section.
"Starting in 2018, there will no longer be any Wright County Conference teams in our new section," said head coach Luke MacLean. "Our new section will include many strong baseball traditions and histories," Maclean said.
Tennis
The Annandale girls tennis team will remain in Section 5A.
Other teams in the section next year will include Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Litchfield, Melrose, New London-Spicer, Sauk Centre, St. John’s Prep and the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Coop.
"Our only change is Foley was moved up to the 2A class," said coach Scott Orvik, "That’s significant because Foley won Section 5A the last two seasons. Litchfield will be the clear favorite in Section 5A next fall."
Cross country
Both the girls and the boys cross country teams will remain in Section 5A.
"These are the same teams as the past few years, so we know our competition well and they know us well," said head coach Scott Massmann.
Volleyball
The volleyball team remains in Section 6-2A.
Playing with the Cardinals in 6-2A are Albany, Dassel-Cokato, Foley, Holdingford, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Little Falls, Maple Lake, Melrose, Milaca, Pierz, Rocori, Sauk Centre, Spectrum, St. Cloud Cathedral and Zimmerman.
"Dassel-Cokato and Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted are now in our section," said head coach Michelle Macalena. "Osakis and Long Prairie-Grey Eagle were moved down to Class A. The addition of Dassel-Cokato and Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted will bring two quality opponents to our section."
Wrestling
The only change for the Lightning is that Delano is leaving to return to Section 2-2A after two years in Section 6-2A.
Competing in Section 6-2A along with the Lightning are Albany, Becker, Big Lake, Dassel-Cokato, Foley, Litchfield, Monticello, Rockford, St. Cloud Apollo and Zimmerman.
Little change
The following sports will see little or no change in their section assignments: gymnastics, Alpine Skiing, dance, boys and girls golf.
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