In a surprise move, the Jaguars football program will move east for the next two seasons of playoffs, being a new member of Section 4A. This section stretches from B-B-E eastward, into the Metro Area to include a number of small private schools. The Jaguars have a good shot at being competitive in this section, just as they have been in Section 5A since joining Class A in for the 2001 football season.
Another big change is the inclusion of Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City in Class A, also members of Section 4A. The Falcons, a Class AA power in football this entire decade (2001 Class AA state champions), have suffered from open-enrollment losses over the past few years to bring this change about.
Also in Section 4A is the coop team of Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity from the Hutchinson/Winsted area. This public/private school all-sports pairing began in 2007-2008 season. The Bulldogs football team went 2-8 the first year before going 8-2 in 2008. They fell 42-16 to Royalton in the Section 4A semi-finals last October. Last summer, their school boards agreed to continue the pairing for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
The remaining teams of Section 4A are all private schools. New Life Academy of Woodbury, PACT Charter School (in Ramsey, MN, north of Anoka/Coon Rapids), St.Agnes (in St.Paul), St.Bernard's (in St.Paul), West Lutheran (in Plymouth), and the Concordia Academy/Bethany Academy (in Bloomington) pairing. St.Agnes and St.Bernard's have been the most competitive schools in this bunch.