Blake vs. Breck

7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 18

These west-metro private schools with small class sizes (about 100 per grade) and big price tags ($20,000-plus per year) have produced accomplished and famous alumni (Blake’s Al Franken played self-help guru Stuart Smalley on "Saturday Night Live" while Breck’s Frank Mars created the Milky Way candy bar) and one heck of a sports rivalry.

In boys’ soccer, the ebbs and flows of the series currently favor Blake, which, as the No. 3 seed in last fall’s Class 1A, Section 5 tournament, knocked off No. 2-seeded Breck 2-1 in the semifinals en route to the Bears' second state championship.

The teams meet again Wednesday in our Top Game of the Week with section seeding, Independent Metro Athletic Conference positioning, and, at least momentarily, bragging rights all on the line.

Blake, ranked No. 1 in the Class 1A state coaches' poll from Sept. 8, is in the midst of an amazing run of seven straight shutout victories, scoring 40 goals in that span. Benji Pomonis, who has tallied two or more goals in a game four times this season, leads a balanced Bears (9-0-0, 4-0-0) offense that also includes double-digit goal scorers Will Mortenson (10 goals, 11 assists) and Keegan James (10 goals, four assists).

Breck’s (7-2-0, 4-0-0) results have been similarly dominant. The No. 4-1A Mustangs, state champs in 2005 and runner-up in 2015, have five shutouts and six victories in which they have scored four or more goals. They are led by Jake Silverman, who has scored two or more goals in four games.