About four miles of east metro suburbia separate Woodbury and East Ridge high schools. In terms of boys’ soccer squads, the gap is best measured in millimeters.
Give No. 7-2A East Ridge frontrunner status (by a hair) at the moment based on its two wins over Woodbury last season — one that ended the Royals’ nine-game winning streak to start the season and the other that secured the Class 2A, Section 4 championship en route to a runner-up finish at state last fall.
Goalkeeper Nick Wagner and Cam Kor, a top scoring threat, are two of several East Ridge (3-0, 3-0) seniors who were key contributors last season.
Senior Devin Padelford has scored six goals for No. 10-2A Woodbury (1-1-1, 1-1-1), which is coming off of a 3-1 loss on Sept. 3 to Irondale.