Park Rapids has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Staples-Motley Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Park Rapids has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 622 points over their last eight games.
Park Rapids scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They took their matchup at home with ease, bagging a 96-36 victory over Menahga. That 60 points margin sets a new team best for Park Rapids this season.
Park Rapids' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Noah Larson, who scored 16 points along with eight assists. That's the first time this season that Larson posted eight or more assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Carroll, who scored ten points along with eight rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Staples-Motley entered their tilt with Royalton with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. In a tight matchup that could have gone either way, Staples-Motley made off with a 57-56 win over Royalton. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Park Rapids' win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 87.5 points per game. As for Staples-Motley, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a massive bump to their 8-4 record this season.
Park Rapids came up short against Staples-Motley in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 69-59. Can Park Rapids avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
