Roseau Staying In Class A Next Year?

[ClassAGuy]

I know there are Ram lovers on this forum

I have had several different people reach out over the last 2 weeks as season come to an end and we look forward to the annual Section Shuffle that happens every 2 years in April...

Hearing Lots of things like
Alexandria & Northfield being bumped up to Class AA
Two River getting back down into Class A
Denfeld going back to Class A

One thought that is picking up momentum and is juicy is Roseau staying in Class A?? Have had multiple people say this I dont believe it but any Rams Lovers on here want to chime in....

[elliott70]

There are some new guard people in Roseau that would rather play Warroad / Est Grand Forks for a trip to state.
The old guard is 'we can beat Moorhead' so let's play with the big boys.

The problem is numbers - they are thin in bantams and even peewees, but they have some decent squirt players and three squirt teams.

We will see which group protests the loudest.

My guess is they will stay AA.

[BSUBeaver]

Link to the MSHSL Classification Resource Page. It has the enrollment documents that they are using for the upcoming cycle.

https://www.mshsl.org/classification-an ... -resources

[BSUBeaver]

I know there are Ram lovers on this forum

I have had several different people reach out over the last 2 weeks as season come to an end and we look forward to the annual Section Shuffle that happens every 2 years in April...

Hearing Lots of things like
Alexandria & Northfield being bumped up to Class AA
Two River getting back down into Class A
Denfeld going back to Class A

One thought that is picking up momentum and is juicy is Roseau staying in Class A?? Have had multiple people say this I dont believe it but any Rams Lovers on here want to chime in....

How is Two Rivers going down? They have 180 more students than Alexandria in the MSHSL document.

[xy]

Was wondering that myself - Two Rivers has been increasing enrollment and is now over 1600 students in actual bodies before MSHSL does the free/reduced lunch reduction so I can't see how that would happen.

[SpreadOut!]

I know there are Ram lovers on this forum

I have had several different people reach out over the last 2 weeks as season come to an end and we look forward to the annual Section Shuffle that happens every 2 years in April...

Hearing Lots of things like
Alexandria & Northfield being bumped up to Class AA
Two River getting back down into Class A
Denfeld going back to Class A

One thought that is picking up momentum and is juicy is Roseau staying in Class A?? Have had multiple people say this I dont believe it but any Rams Lovers on here want to chime in....

Roseau moved to Class A at the youth level a couple years ago. It’s sad to say, but they absolutely cannot compete with Moorhead at the AA level anymore. Their last chance to make AA state tourney—barring a miracle—was last year, the 2023-24 season. It’s in the best interest of the program to move down to Class A now.

[ClassAGuy]

Was wondering that myself - Two Rivers has been increasing enrollment and is now over 1600 students in actual bodies before MSHSL does the free/reduced lunch reduction so I can't see how that would happen.

Again nothing is concrete just rumors I keep getting sent.

[BSUBeaver]

I know there are Ram lovers on this forum

I have had several different people reach out over the last 2 weeks as season come to an end and we look forward to the annual Section Shuffle that happens every 2 years in April...

Hearing Lots of things like
Alexandria & Northfield being bumped up to Class AA
Two River getting back down into Class A
Denfeld going back to Class A

One thought that is picking up momentum and is juicy is Roseau staying in Class A?? Have had multiple people say this I dont believe it but any Rams Lovers on here want to chime in....

Roseau moved to Class A at the youth level a couple years ago. It’s sad to say, but they absolutely cannot compete with Moorhead at the AA level anymore. Their last chance to make AA state tourney—barring a miracle—was last year, the 2023-24 season. It’s in the best interest of the program to move down to Class A now.

If Moorhead stays intact the next few cycles, no one is going to touch them in 8AA...... Who can compete with the population base they draw from in 8AA?

[SpreadOut!]

Since they let Minneapolis play Class A and I assume they will let the new St. Paul team (serving all the St. Paul public high schools) play Class A, I hope the MSHSL will allow similar large enrollment but demographically challenged first-ring suburban programs play Class A as well. Teams I have in mind include Armstrong-Cooper, Tartan-North St. Paul and maybe Osseo. Additionally, Irondale needs to pull the plug and co-op with Mounds View like they do at the youth level.

[cjmhockey19]

Link to the MSHSL Classification Resource Page. It has the enrollment documents that they are using for the upcoming cycle.

https://www.mshsl.org/classification-an ... -resources

From the data looks like Sartell and Hastings getting bumped down to Class A, Alexandria up to AA

[ryguyMN]

Since they let Minneapolis play Class A and I assume they will let the new St. Paul team (serving all the St. Paul public high schools) play Class A, I hope the MSHSL will allow similar large enrollment but demographically challenged first-ring suburban programs play Class A as well. Teams I have in mind include Armstrong-Cooper, Tartan-North St. Paul and maybe Osseo. Additionally, Irondale needs to pull the plug and co-op with Mounds View like they do at the youth level.

Armstrong-Cooper has kind of bounced around. I think their co-op started in AA, then they moved down to A, and now are back in AA the last few seasons. Certainly gave Edina a scare for a while in the section QF round. Had they pulled off that upset, that would have been their state title.

[SpreadOut!]

Since they let Minneapolis play Class A and I assume they will let the new St. Paul team (serving all the St. Paul public high schools) play Class A, I hope the MSHSL will allow similar large enrollment but demographically challenged first-ring suburban programs play Class A as well. Teams I have in mind include Armstrong-Cooper, Tartan-North St. Paul and maybe Osseo. Additionally, Irondale needs to pull the plug and co-op with Mounds View like they do at the youth level.

Armstrong-Cooper has kind of bounced around. I think their co-op started in AA, then they moved down to A, and now are back in AA the last few seasons. Certainly gave Edina a scare for a while in the section QF round. Had they pulled off that upset, that would have been their state title.

Their Bantam A team is in the state tourney next weekend, but they will be demolished if they have to keep playing Class AA in high school in Section 6AA. And, after this crop of 9th graders, their program begins to bottom out.

Same with St. Louis Park, who doesn’t even field an A team at the Peewee level anymore (B1 is their top team, and they made state this year, too, largely on the back of one very strong player who I am sure, like all talented SLP youth players, will end up at Benilde).

The demographics of Minneapolis’s and St. Paul’s first ring suburbs are very comparable to the inner cities themselves now. Heck, the demos of Southwest High School in Minneapolis and Highland Park in St. Paul—where most of the city high school teams draw their players from—are significantly more hockey-friendly than almost all first ring suburban schools now.

[ClassAGuy]

Looking the MSHSL Data St Louis Park is the cutoff for AA everyone below them will be in A. I have been told Sartell is staying in AA because the enrollment will bump them back into looking at two years down the road.

Below is My Class A Section projections reminder they want to create eight section based on geography and they want to make as little change as possible as we enter the last 2 years of the overall 6 year cycle. For those wanting major change that happen in 2 years as every 6 years they start over by recreating the map

Projected BHS 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 Class A Sections

1A (10 Teams)
Albert Lea
Austin
Dodge County
Faribault
La Crescent
Northfield
Red Wing
Rochester Lourdes
Waseca
Winona

2A (9 teams)
Blake
Breck
Delano
Hutchinson
Litchfield Dassel Cokato
Minneapolis
Mound Westonka
Orono
Providence Academy

3A (10 teams)
Fairmont
Luverne
Mankato East
Mankato West
Marshall
Minnesota River
New Ulm
Redwood Valley
Windom
Worthington

4A (8 teams)
Chisago Lakes
Hastings
Mahtomedi
Simley
South St Paul
St Paul Academy
St Paul Highland Park
Southwest Christian/Richfield

5A (9 teams)
Becker Big Lake
Little Falls
Monticello
Mora
Princeton
Pine City
River Lakes
Sauk Rapids
St Cloud Cathedral

6A (8 teams)
Breckenridge Wahpeton
Detroit Lakes
Fergus Falls
Morris Benson
Northern Lakes
Prairie Centre
Wadena Deer Creek
Willmar

7A (9 teams)
Cloquet
Ely
Greenway
Hermantown
Hibbing
International Falls
North Shore
Moose Lake
Proctor

8A (10 teams)
Bagley Fosston
Crookston
East Grand Forks
Kittson County Central
Lake of the Woods
Park Rapids
Roseau
Red Lake Falls
Thief River Falls
Warroad

[BP]

Blake is going Class A.

[ClassAGuy]

Blake is going Class A.

If this is 100% be a nice addition and added them now to 2A above

Bring back most of their scoring will be a Top 10-15 team next year

[Green and White Fan]

Unfortunately the good old days are over for us here in Roseau. A very distinct possibility of not even being able to field a JV team next year. It is time to make the move back to A, but we might still be locked in for a couple of years. Time to bring some excitement back to the rink and have games with EGF, TRF and Warroad actually mean something. Frankly, it is hard to get excited for STMA, Sartell of Buffalo coming to town. We are doing our kids a disservice by by staying in AA. Roseau hasn't been to state since 2014. Probably would have had a legitimate shot at going 5-7 in those years in A. Its not about the old generation's pride anymore, its what's best for the kids and their success. The high school teams breath life in or take life out of youth hockey. Time to let the kids have a chance at success. Heck it is going to be tough sledding to ever get out of 8A, but if we are going to lose, let it be in a barn close to home with a bunch of fans there. I was a staunch AA guy when it was still feasible, but times have changed. Just my 2 cents on the topic.

[Johnny Five]

As an old Section 8er from the early to mid 90s, I would love to see Roseau back in Class A. I still follow the section, but IDGAF about them going to play against Sartell or Buffalo for example. As Green and White fan suggests, breathe some life into the program and community. Get Warroad, EGF and TRF for conference points and home/away close playoff games. It does nothing but make sense.

[ndirishfighting]

How is Willmar not with Sauk, St Cloud and River Lakes? All of them are together then you have willmar has to drive through all those towns to get to there section opponents

[BSUBeaver]

How is Willmar not with Sauk, St Cloud and River Lakes? All of them are together then you have willmar has to drive through all those towns to get to there section opponents

If Willmar is driving through St. Cloud or Sauk Rapids to get to their Section 6 opponents, they are putting extra miles on.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Hockey writer Jess Meyers is reporting that Roseau will be in AA. I trust the sources in Roseau that he trusts.

[Green and White Fan]

Right or wrong Roseau is stuck in AA for 2 more years.

[Puckguy19]

How is Willmar not with Sauk, St Cloud and River Lakes? All of them are together then you have willmar has to drive through all those towns to get to there section opponents

If Willmar is driving through St. Cloud or Sauk Rapids to get to their Section 6 opponents, they are putting extra miles on.

Willmar might be a better fit in 3A.

[Puckguy19]

Looking the MSHSL Data St Louis Park is the cutoff for AA everyone below them will be in A. I have been told Sartell is staying in AA because the enrollment will bump them back into looking at two years down the road.

Below is My Class A Section projections reminder they want to create eight section based on geography and they want to make as little change as possible as we enter the last 2 years of the overall 6 year cycle. For those wanting major change that happen in 2 years as every 6 years they start over by recreating the map

Projected BHS 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 Class A Sections

1A (10 Teams)
Albert Lea
Austin
Dodge County
Faribault
La Crescent
Northfield
Red Wing
Rochester Lourdes
Waseca
Winona

2A (9 teams)
Blake
Breck
Delano
Hutchinson
Litchfield Dassel Cokato
Minneapolis
Mound Westonka
Orono
Providence Academy

3A (10 teams)
Fairmont
Luverne
Mankato East
Mankato West
Marshall
Minnesota River
New Ulm
Redwood Valley
Windom
Worthington

4A (8 teams)
Chisago Lakes
Hastings
Mahtomedi
Simley
South St Paul
St Paul Academy
St Paul Highland Park
Southwest Christian/Richfield

5A (9 teams)
Becker Big Lake
Little Falls
Monticello
Mora
Princeton
Pine City
River Lakes
Sauk Rapids
St Cloud Cathedral

6A (8 teams)
Breckenridge Wahpeton
Detroit Lakes
Fergus Falls
Morris Benson
Northern Lakes
Prairie Centre
Wadena Deer Creek
Willmar

7A (9 teams)
Cloquet
Ely
Greenway
Hermantown
Hibbing
International Falls
North Shore
Moose Lake
Proctor

8A (10 teams)
Bagley Fosston
Crookston
East Grand Forks
Kittson County Central
Lake of the Woods
Park Rapids
Roseau
Red Lake Falls
Thief River Falls
Warroad

Good list; might consider Park Rapids in 6A. 45 minutes or less to Detroit Lakes and Wadena. More natural rivalries than in 8A.