Two teams coming into the game with identical 6-0 records, but perhaps a bit different fanfare, will square off tonight on the gridiron as Pella Christian will host Pleasantville for first place in the district.
Pella Christian is the favorite on paper, ranked #2 in the state for class 1A, an average winning margin of over 50 points per game, and features perhaps two of the top players in the state with David Kacmarynski and Levi Jungling.
However, Pleasantville is not letting the statistics and scores intimidate them says Pleasantville Head Coach Gabe Bakker.
“I’ve always preached to the kids that the games are played on the field, not on quikstats. So those stats are great to look at during the week and the weekend, but when it comes down to it it’s what matters on the scoreboard not how many yards each person is getting”
The Trojan run game will be important, as controlling the clock against the high-flying Eagles will be paramount to any sort of Pleasantville success. The three headed monster of Sawyer Phillips, Cael Lester, and Hunter Tyree average 224 yards on the ground per game, and they will likely need every bit of it tonight for a Trojan victory.
On the Eagles side, Pella Christian knows that this will likely be the biggest test of their regular season. Head Coach Rich Kacmarynski said that his team is more ready than ever to make a run in the postseason, and looks to this game to prove it. They are a more complete team than last season, and more physical than ever to go along with their prolific playmaking.
“I think we’ve been preparing for this game for a long time. We’ve added a little more muscle on our offensive line this offseason in the weight room so we are as strong and as big on the offensive line as we’ve ever been and I think that’s shown up because in key times we’ve been able to run the ball”
The Pella Christian offense has certainly not gone unheralded, averaging nearly 60 points per game. However, the defense for the Eagles may have flown under the radar so far this season. The powerful and physical defense has given up a total of only 46 points all season.
There will be two broadcasts of tonight’s game. For the Pella Christian perspective listen in via the KRLS2 stream on KNIAKRLS.com with Trevor Castle and Larry Hessing on the call, and for the Pleasantville perspective listen in via the KNIA3 stream with Andrew Swadner and Ron Danks on the call. Both pregame shows will start at 6:30, with kickoff scheduled for 7pm.