It’s been a long time coming, but Park Center is back on top of PI adapted soccer in Minnesota.

The Pirates defeated Minneapolis 2-1 in the championship game of the state tournament Saturday at White Bear Lake High School for their first title since 1998.

“It’s really remarkable,” Park Center head coach Jonah Pridey said. “Four years ago, we didn’t have a team. We did what we could to get these guys young and to get a solid squad. We knew it was going to take time to develop them as great people and athletes. We had a great vision to hopefully get them to a championship, along with the personal growth, too. It’s beautiful to see us get the final result.”

Lincoln Scearcy led the way for the Pirates (10-0), scoring both goals. He started the scoring with 4 minutes, 35 seconds left in the first half by sliding a shot past Minneapolis goalkeeper Jorge Rosas Bravo low and to the short side. He extended the lead 1:17 into the second half with a shot off the crossbar and into the net on a penalty kick from a handball.

The Pirates’ ability to dribble and possess the ball is a big part of their offense and contributes to their defense.

“It’s to really push these athletes,” Pridey said. “Yes, we have kids with physical impairments and such, but what can we do to literally adapt to our own specific movements.

“We try to preach a lot that we don’t want really too much on our goalie. We don’t want really too much on our guys. We’re plenty skilled and talented, where we don’t need to rely on [our defense] too much.”

Minneapolis (8-2) cut the deficit in half 5:59 into the second half. Abubakarr Heda knocked in a loose ball off a rebound from a shot by Christopher Trejo.

Denver Nuggets (9-2, second in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-4, fifth in the Western Conference)

Minneapolis; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Timberwolves -1; over/under is 233.5

BOTTOM LINE: Denver faces the Minnesota Timberwolves after Nikola Jokic’s 55-point game in the Nuggets’ 130-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Minnesota went 49-33 overall, 11-5 in Northwest Division action and 25-16 at home a season ago. The Timberwolves averaged 26.1 assists per game on 41.0 made field goals last season.

Denver went 50-32 overall and 8-8 in Northwest Division action during the 2024-25 season. The Nuggets averaged 120.8 points per game last season, 58.5 in the paint, 17.0 off of turnovers and 20.1 on fast breaks.

The two teams play for the second time this season. The Nuggets defeated the Timberwolves 127-114 in their last meeting on Oct. 28. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 43 points, and Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 25 points.

INJURIES: Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: out (foot).

Nuggets: Cameron Johnson: out (arm), Nikola Jokic: day to day (wrist), Christian Braun: out (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Friday could be the warmest day until spring with lots of sunshine all day long.

Friday forecast

Local perspective:

Expect lots of sunshine with a few clouds in northern Minnesota. 

A southern breeze could bring 20 mph wind gusts, but sustained winds will remain between 10 and 15 mph. 

The temperatures could be the warmest in the area until spring, with the metro area hitting 67 degrees and southwest Minnesota possibly seeing 70 degrees. 

Average highs for this time of year are in the lower 40s.

The sun will set around 4:45 p.m. on Friday, and temperatures will remain mild into the evening. 

Overnight, clouds will move in with a weak cold front, possibly bringing light showers around 5 a.m. Saturday.

Weekend forecast 

What’s next:

Temperatures on Saturday are expected to peak around midday, with a northwest breeze picking up. 

The day will still be mild for this time of year, but temperatures will drop in the afternoon. 

A cold front will work its way through the area, possibly bringing light showers along with it.