Up in the frozen north the top teams out of Minnesota are starting to show their hand.

Leading the way may well be Edina, which has started 5-0, including this past weekend’s 39-7 win over Duluth. Edina has scored 299 points and given up 19. Faribault is also 5-0, although two of those wins - 10-7 over Eden Prairie and 8-0 over Western Warriors - have been close.

At 4-0 is Eagan, which defeated Hopkins 58-0 last weekend. This is a program that started as a group of middle school kids four years ago and is now winning games on the high school level. 

The team is coached by Director of Rugby Eric Curtin, Chalie Baleirara of Metropolis, and former HS All American and recently-capped Eagle Moto Filikitonga. Folikitonga is coaching while he is coming back from the injury he suffered playing against Canada.

All of them have helped put together a still-young HS team that jus winning.

The biggest standout is Emmanuel Albert, an impressive athlete who is a force not only in the open field - he used to play center - but in the breakdown as he was moved to No. 8 this year.

His defense and strength in contact has been excellent.

Jaden Plonski has taken over Albert’s duties at center and has impressed with his ball-carrying ability, and he can also kick, while Brenden Wallner had led well at flyhalf.

Both Wallner and Albert played during the summer with the Metropolis men’s club, with their Head Coach, Nate Osborne, working closely with them.

Up front, flanker Ryan Dembsky and last year’s team MVP, hooker Matt Martens, have set the platform.

The team has certainly benefited from former pro Balierara (Sale Sharks), and Eagle Filikitonga.

They hit some early speed bumps against top Wisconsin teams such as the Chargers and Pulaski, and then against St. Thomas Aquinas, the Kansas state champs. But those tough tests got them ready for league play.

Their biggest test of the Minnesota season so far comes this weekend as 4-0 Eagan meets 5-0 Faribault. May 26 will be the beginning of the Minnesota playoffs.