Football Recap: Pelican Rapids Takes a Loss

If Pelican Rapids was riding high fresh off their 42-20 takedown of Thief River Falls last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Vikings fell 28-23 to the Park Rapids Panthers on Friday. The Vikings were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Panthers apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in October of 2024.

Park Rapids had a senior duo take command as Carter Hirt threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 passes and Kaden Gartner picked up 120 receiving yards and one TD. Those 120 receiving yards set a new season-high mark for Gartner.

Pelican Rapids now has a losing record of 1-2. As for Park Rapids, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.

Looking ahead, Pelican Rapids will face off against East Grand Forks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Park Rapids, they will be playing at home against Roseau at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The Panthers will be up against the Rams' rather soft defense (which has allowed 44 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.