A look at Saturday’s high school football championship games at U.S. Bank Stadium:

CLASS 5A

Chanhassen (12-0) vs. St. Thomas Academy (10-2), 4 p.m.

So many times St. Thomas Academy has knocked on the door of winning its first state title since 1975, only to fall just short. But this year’s team -— led by star running back Savion Hart, who is perfectly complemented by a Max Sims and Luke Dobbs passing combination — may be dynamic enough to push the Cadets over the finish line. But as great as the Cadets’ offense is, the defense must find a way to slow down Chanhassen’s Max Woods, who joins Hart in the group of the state’s top running backs. This game has shootout written all over it, and will likely come down to which defense can muster up those one or two stops to determine the outcome. OUR PICK: St. Thomas Academy 41, Chanhassen 38

CLASS 3A

Stewartville (13-0) vs. Annandale (12-0), 1 p.m.

Annandale has proven itself to be a great team that grinds out and finds ways to win close games. Keeping Saturday’s game close would be a feat in itself. Stewartville has had the look of one of the state’s best teams — regardless of class — all season. Quarterback Ayden Helder throws a bunch of touchdowns and no interceptions and is backed by a strong running game that balances out the offensive attack. Stewartville beat Waseca 27-13 in Week 1. Since then, the Tigers have won every game by 20-plus points. OUR PICK: Stewartville 35, Annandale 14

9-PLAYER

Kingsland (13-0) vs. Nevis (12-0), 10 a.m.

9-player is a format that truly highlights elite athletes, and Kingsland has a couple of them in running back Beau Wiersma and quarterback Kaaleem Reiland. Nevis can be explosive in its own right, and is armed with a dominant defense, but it’s tough to go against whoever emerges from Section 1, which has been the dominant section in this class for years. OUR PICK: Kingsland 31, Nevis 19

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