The rivalry between Pipestone Area and Redwood Valley has heated up the last three years, which should make for another interesting contest when the two South Central White subdistrict teams meet Friday.
Though the Arrows have dropped three of the last five games against the Cardinals, they've won the matchups that mattered most: The Class 2A, Section 3 championship in 2017 and 2015.
Pipestone Area and Redwood Valley, along with Jackson County Central, are atop the league standings with unblemished records, and this week's matchup will help determine the frontrunners going into the final stretch of the regular season.
The No. 3-2A Arrows (4-0, 3-0) have shown they can play on both sides of the ball. The team averages 33.5 points per game behind junior running back Jason Steenstra, who has had a big hand in the offense, while the defense allows fewer than 6.3 ppg.
Defense has been the name of the game for the No. 8-2A Cardinals (4-0, 3-0), especially as of late. They forced six turnovers in a 19-8 win over Luverne two weeks ago and had another five in a 21-0 shutout of St. James Area last Friday. Senior cornerback Cole Woodford has been key to those impressive takeaway numbers, with six interceptions in three games, according to the Redwood Falls Gazette.