A year ago, the Two Rivers football team went 7-1 in the regular season and touted the top QRF score of all Class 5A, Section 3 teams heading into the playoffs.

And it was seeded fourth in the section bracket.

It was a head-scratcher, but the Warriors were heavily penalized for losing to Hastings, a fellow section foe, in the regular season.

This time, the Warriors left no doubt. They went 8-0 in the regular season — including a victory over Hastings — with each win coming in decisive fashion. And, on Thursday, they were rewarded accordingly when Two Rivers nabbed the No. 1 seed in Section 3, and received a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the sectional playoffs.

St. Thomas Academy (5-3) received the other bye with the No. 2 seed. Third-seeded Hastings (3-5) and fourth-seeded Apple Valley (2-6) will host first-round games on Tuesday

— Cretin-Derham Hall (4-4) received the No. 1 seed and the lone bye in Section 4, a product of section wins over Tartan and Mahtomedi. The Raiders have won three straight games.

Tartan (3-5) is the No. 2 seed, and will meet seventh-seeded Harding/Humboldt (0-8) in the quarterfinals. Highland Park (4-4) got the nod for the No. 3 seed over Mahtomedi (2-6), which was seeded fourth. The Zephyrs will host fifth-seeded Central (3-5) on Tuesday.

CLASS 4A

Hill-Murray (7-1) is the top seed in Section 3, while Simley (4-4) received the bye on the other side of the bracket. Johnson (3-4) earned the No. 3 seed and will host North St. Paul (3-5) on Tuesday for the right to meet Simley next Saturday, while fourth-seeded South St. Paul (3-5) will host Chisago Lakes (3-5) in the section quarters.

CLASS 3A

St. Croix Lutheran (6-2) is the No. 3 seed in Section 4 and will host Brooklyn Center (3-5) on Tuesday in the section quarters, while top-seeded Holy Family (6-2) and second-seeded Minneapolis North (5-3) netted the first-round byes

CLASS 2A

St. Agnes (6-2) received the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the “group of death” that is Section 4, behind only an undefeated Rush City (8-0). Another undefeated, Central Public Schools (8-0), is the No. 3 seed. The fourth seed is Cannon Falls (6-2), whose only two losses were two Chatfield and Caledonia, likely two of the best teams in Class 2A.

The 32-team, Class 6A bracket will be unveiled on Friday.

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