St. Croix Prep coach Kevin Seim might have breathed a sigh of relief when he learned Minnehaha Academy would be moving to Class 3A after last season. No one would have blamed him.
The Redhawks frequently eliminated the Lions in the Class 2A, Section 4 tournament, including in last season’s championship game.
Concordia Academy, too, was a section tournament casualty of Minnehaha Academy, losing to the Redhawks in last season's quarterfinals.
Both teams will likely be top contenders in this season's section tournament. Both, too, are in a fight for the Skyline Conference championship. Round 1 of this season-long bout is Friday at Concordia Academy (11-3, 4-0).
Addison Metcalf (20.2 ppg), Daniel McCarrell (17.4 ppg) and Zach Doely (13 ppg) helped the Lions (14-0, 4-0) win 22 games a year ago, and they form the core of this year's team. The trio help power the No. 5-2A Lions, who are outscoring opponents by nearly 20 points a game.
Senior forward Essay Hagos is averaging 22.3 points and is the only player to have appeared in each of the Beacons' first 14 games.