There's been a change in the power dynamic this season in the Northwest Suburban Conference North Division.
Champlin Park and Centennial begin the week as the top teams the division standings, supplanting Elk River, which had dominated the league the past three years. Not only did the Elks win the last three division titles, they did so while going 36-0.
With the Elks struggling to a 2-5 league record, the Rebels (13-2, 6-0) and Cougars (13-3, 5-1) have reaped the benefits.
Champlin Park met Centennial on Dec. 21 in an unsurprisingly close game. The Rebels won 58-54 on the road to earn an early head-to-head advantage over the Cougars. Champlin Park's Erica Hicks led the Rebels with 23 points while Centennial's Sara Stapleton countered with 18.
Both teams have multiple scoring threats on offense. The No. 6-4 Rebels have three players averaging 10 or more points per game, led by Hicks’ 21.2 ppg.
The No. 7-4A Cougars feature four players who average 10 points or more, led by Taylor McAulay's 14.4 and Stapleton's 11.9.