Thursday’s battle between intracity rivals Minneapolis North and St. Paul Central may have played out on the basketball court, but these players’ rivalry was forged on the football field.

This past fall, the Minutemen’s Sam Gubbrud scored three touchdowns to help deal the Polars their only regular season loss. The outcome was overturned weeks later as Central forfeited the game, along with another, for using an ineligible player.

Though the loss wasn’t reflected on North’s record, it created a feeling of defeat was still fresh on the Polars’ minds as they took the court against the Minutemen several months later.

North eased any lingering emotions with a 83-71 dismantling of Central in this round between familiar foes.

“It was a statement game, after they beat us in football,” said Polars senior Patrick Dembley, who experienced the highs and lows of that fateful football game against the Minutemen.

Dembley caught a touchdown pass from Minnesota commit Tyler Johnson with 1:27 remaining in what most thought was the game-clinching score.

Central proved otherwise, snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat when Gubbrud scored with 27 seconds remaining to play.

Fueled by the memories, Dembley and Johnson made sure the Minutemen would not do the same on the hardwood. Each posted a team-high 17 points Thursday night as North (20-4), ranked No. 1 in Class 1A by Minnesota Basketball News, coasted to a victory over Central.

Gubbrud, however, wasn’t so easy to contend with yet again, as he scored a game-high 25 points.

Dembley, who’s playing his first year on the Polars' varsity team after transferring from Richfield two years ago, has enjoyed the mounting rivalry between the schools.

Per Minnesota State High School League transfer policy, Dembley couldn’t play at the varsity level last year and spent his junior season on North’s junior varsity team.

He is making the most of his playing time this season and is the Polars’ third-leading scorer at 14.2 point per game.

Despite his recent emergence, Dembley has a long history with several players on the team, dating back to kindergarten when they started playing in Amateur Athletic Union competition with the Minneapolis Hustlers.

On Thursday, Dembley connected with former Hustlers teammate Jamil Jackson on an alley-oop late in the game that not only punctuated North’s victory, but also exhibited the budding chemistry between the reunited teammates.

While the Polars dominated this chapter, the rivalry is far from over. North and Central will face off again on Feb. 20 in the Twin Cities Championship.