Football Game Preview: Alexandria Cardinals vs. Sauk Rapids-Rice Storm

Alexandria hasn't had much luck against Sauk Rapids-Rice recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Cardinals will challenge the Storm at 7:00 p.m. Alexandria's defense has only allowed 13.5 points per game this season, so Sauk Rapids-Rice's offense will have their work cut out for them.

Alexandria is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Minnesota's top teams: Elk River, who was ranked fifth at the time (Alexandria was ranked fourth). The Cardinals really took it to the Elks for the full four quarters, racking up a 52-16 victory. With the Cardinals ahead 32-8 at the half, the contest was all but over already.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Sauk Rapids-Rice, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They strolled past Bemidji with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 29-13. The Storm's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

The win (which was Alexandria's third in a row) raised their record to 3-1. The victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 10.0 points on average over those games. As for Sauk Rapids-Rice, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.

Things could have been worse for Alexandria, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 31-17 loss to Sauk Rapids-Rice when the teams last played back in September of 2022. Can the Cardinals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.