Perham vs. Breckenridge

7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 8

It's an early Heart O' Lakes Conference game for No. 9-2A Perham and No. 10-2A Breckenridge, and there's already plenty on the line. The Yellowjackets and Cowboys finished at the top of the conference standings last season with a single league loss, which was to each other. 

Jenson Beachy (17.5 ppg last season), Logan Richter (8.3 ppg) and Martin Lafond (6.0 ppg) are all back and playing well for Perham (1-0), with Lafond scoring a game-high 16 points in the Yellowjackets' 62-40 win over Crookston on Dec. 1. 

Breckenridge (1-0) also returns a good deal of its scoring, with second- and third-leading scorers Derek Dahlgren (18.5 ppg) and Noah Christensen (18.0 ppg) coming back for their senior and junior seasons, respectively. 

The Cowboys went 2-1 against Perham last season, including a 54-41 win in the Class 2A, Section 8 final.

A win against a conference and section rival could be the catalyst for another trip to state for Breckenridge, or the Yellowjackets' first appearance in the tournament since 2013.