No. 4-1A Battle Lake at Pelican Rapids
5:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8

One of the top contenders for the Class 1A state title, Battle Lake has ripped off 17 straight victories to open the season. The Battlers are doing it with ease, as well, winning by an average margin of 75.1 to 40.2. That’s dominance. Coach Dan Peterka’s team returned all five starters from last year’s state tournament team, including senior forwards Dan Marso and Tyler Ukkelberg, junior Petric VanErp and sophomores Tony Ukkelberg and Andrew VanErp. That’s a talented quintet that plays together well and has complementary skill sets. One of the Battlers’ toughest remaining tests figures to be Class 2A power Pelican Rapids, which features star point guard Ryan Bruggeman (22.6 ppg) and well-rounded forward Travis Haugen.