Basketball Game Preview: Aitkin Gobblers vs. Royalton Royals

The Aitkin Gobblers and the Royalton Royals will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Tuesday, Aitkin was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 66-65 to Staples-Motley. The defeat continues a trend for the Gobblers in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now lost four in a row.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Royalton, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Thursday. They came out on top against Eden Valley-Watkins by a score of 56-49 on Tuesday. While the Royals didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-21), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Royalton pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.0 points per game. As for Aitkin, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.

Aitkin came up short against Royalton when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 65-60. Can Aitkin avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.