Pella opens the 2018 season tonight on the road with a familiar foe.
The Little Dutch travel to Dallas Center-Grimes for week one non-district action. The two teams played twice in Grimes last year, with DCG winning 10-7 the week two matchup and ending Pella’s then 42-game winning streak, and Pella coming back to that stadium to clinch a spot in the UNI Dome with a 35-18 win in the playoffs.
Head Coach Jay McKinstrey tells KNIA/KRLS Sports the Mustangs turn over almost their entire roster, and he hopes the Dutch can take advantage of the experience they have at key positions.
“We think it could help us a little bit and make a difference,” he says. “At least, at the beginning of the game, we’re all kind of raw and trying to figure out where you’re at, but I hope our guys–since they’ve been in through some big games before and we do have a few more kids back that have experienced that high level of play, that we can get to that level a lot faster.”
Pella has won five of six all-time matchups with DCG, including now five consecutive seasons of competition. Cole Cook will be joined by Randy Sikkema for coverage that begins at 7 p.m. on 92.1 KRLS, with kickoff at 7:30 from Grimes.