Why every team in section 3A has a shot to win it in 2027
Only one team walks out of Section 3A as champion, and only that team punches a ticket to the Minnesota state tournament next March. Section 3A has historically been one of the less competitive sections in Class A, which means the gap between the favorites and the rest of the field is real — but it also means the door isn’t fully closed for anyone. Here’s the honest, grounded case for each of the 9 teams in Section 3A.
Mankato West
Mankato West enters the season as the clear favorite, and for good reason. The Scarlets won the section title last year, made a run to the State Class 1A Tournament, and bring back every single one of last season’s top five scorers, headlined by Jakobe Tosch, Keaton Dorzek and Grady Schmidt. Add in sophomore goaltender Blake Brekke, who already posted a .919 save percentage, and Mankato West is the favorite to repeat.
New Ulm
New Ulm might be the team best positioned to challenge Mankato West. Hunter Larson and Carson Uecker return as one of the most productive scoring duos in the section, a true freshman in Jaxon Saenz already broke out with 29 points, and the program returns its entire goaltending tandem in Blaine Arneson and Colton Anderson. New Ulm graduates just four seniors — fewer than almost anyone else in the section — and has the depth at every position to make a real run at the title.
Luverne
Luverne fell one overtime goal short of the section championship last year, and while the roster turns over significantly, the pieces left behind are real. Benjamin Hartquist’s 57-point season from the blue line is among the best in the section regardless of position, and Mallachi Domagala gives the program a proven 49-point scorer to build around. The swing factor is goaltending, where Luverne needs a new starter to emerge — but a program that just played for a section title knows how to get back there.
Mankato East
Mankato East pushed Mankato West to a one-goal semifinal last season, and the core that did it largely returns. Braydon Arnoldy, Zacharia Lang and Indy Ragan combined for 103 points and are all back as seniors, and goaltender Brayden Bernard already split starts evenly with last year’s departing senior. If the gap between Mankato East and the section’s top tier is closing, this is the roster that closes it.
Minnesota River
Minnesota River loses its top two scorers, but three of the next three leading point producers all return in Nate Tews, Maxwell Hollerich and Cole Haggenmiller. The defense is genuinely deep, and Connor Messer’s near-identical numbers to the departing starter suggest the goaltending change won’t set the program back. It’s a quieter case than some of the section’s bigger names, but the roster has real balance.
Redwood Valley
Redwood Valley won just six games last season, but every key piece of that roster is the same grade and returns together as seniors in 2026-27. Sam Klabunde and Landon Stoneberg combined for 52 points, and the continuity this group has built over multiple seasons together is the kind of thing that can translate into a surprising run when everyone is finally playing their final season together.
Windom
Windom’s case is the longest-term of the bunch, built on a top three of two sophomores-to-be and a junior who were a true freshman, another true freshman, and a sophomore last season. Nash Dietz and Daniel Staples already combined for 38 points before they could drive, and goaltender Kole Espenson carried a massive workload as a 9th grader. The ceiling here is real — the only question is whether it arrives in 2026-27 or a year or two later.
Marshall
Marshall returns its outright leading scorer in Jacob Allen, who enters his senior season after a 31-point campaign, and goaltender Kirby Meulebroeck quietly posted a strong save percentage in a backup role. It’s a longer path than most in this section, but a settled situation at the top of the lineup and in net gives Marshall a foundation that’s better than last year’s 7-19 record suggests.
Worthington
Worthington’s 2-24 season was the toughest in the section, but the silver lining is real: every meaningful scorer returns, and none of last season’s graduating seniors were significant contributors. Dominic Pavelko’s 34 points led a roster with zero seniors among its top five scorers. The case for Worthington isn’t about 2026-27 alone — it’s about a program that didn’t lose anything that mattered and gets to keep building.
The Bottom Line
Mankato West and New Ulm enter the season as the clear favorites, both returning the bulk of last year’s production and full goaltending situations. Luverne and Mankato East aren’t far behind, each with proven returning stars and real section-title experience to lean on. Minnesota River has the depth to be a factor, while Redwood Valley, Windom, Marshall and Worthington are all building around young cores that have more continuity than their records last season would suggest. Only one of these teams will be playing in St. Paul next March, who will it be?
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