The Pelican Rapids Vikings had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 27.2 points), and they went ahead and made it seven on Saturday. They blew past Park Rapids, posting a 50-21 victory at home. The result was nothing new for Pelican Rapids, who have now won six contests by 25 points or more so far this season.
Despite the loss, Park Rapids saw an underclassman step up: Jaydon Walen rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries. Walen was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 57 yards.
Pelican Rapids' win was their fourth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 9-1. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 0-9 Crookston and 1-8 Roseau (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 20.6% over those games). As for Park Rapids, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 6-4.
Pelican Rapids will take on Barnesville at TBD on Friday. Barnesville knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past nine contests -- so hopefully Pelican Rapids likes a good challenge. Park Rapids does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
