Valley Lutheran is preparing for their first region matchup of the season on Wednesday. They will head out to take on the Superior Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Valley Lutheran is headed out to face Superior after opening their season at home and giving their fans just what they were looking for. The Flames took down North Phoenix Preparatory Academy 62-46 on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Flames in their matchups with the Gladiators: they've now won six in a row.
Meanwhile, Superior hadn't done well against Apache Junction recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Panthers came out on top against the Prospectors by a score of 54-45.
Valley Lutheran better keep an eye on Ryland Duarte. He was instrumental in Superior's win, dropping a double-double with 22 points and 17 boards. Those 17 rebounds gave Duarte a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Antonio Lopez, who shot 44% from the field on his way to 15 points.
Superior smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in six consecutive games dating back to last season.
Everything came up roses for Valley Lutheran against Superior in their previous matchup back in January, as the team secured a 68-33 win. Do the Flames have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
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