Blaine vs. Centennial 

7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 19

It has been a slow start to the year for both Blaine and Centennial, but the first Northwest Suburban-North Conference game for both teams could provide the catalyst for a winning run into the heart of the season.

The Bengals (2-2) have regrouped after dropping their first two games, thrashing Mounds View 62-26 on Dec. 13 and knocking of Hudson (Wis.) 96-88 on Dec. 15. Blaine does not want for scoring, mostly relying on senior Ray Mitchell and his 22 points per game to spark an offense that has put up at least 62 points in the first four games of the season. 

Centennial's offense has been clicking early on too, despite the Cougars' 2-3 record. Sophomore Carter Anderson (18.2 ppg) and junior Ricky Eason (16 ppg) have set the pace early, and if they can offset Mitchell's scoring, Centennial could have a great chance to start conference play with a win. 

With both offenses playing well so far, getting an early league win could come down to a few stops at pivotal points in the game. Those stops, and the eventual win, will be even more important than usual, with last year's champion, Champlin Park, struggling to climb out of the gate. If either of these teams has conference aspirations, a statement win in this game would be a good start.