Pella Christian is back in Class 1A’s final four after toppling undefeated Bellevue in a 23-21 classic heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The Eagles recovered the opening kickoff, scored first on a Nathan De Bruin FG, and traded scores with the Comets in the first half before scoring 10 points in the final two minutes before the break.

Pella Christian’s defense turned up the pressure in the second half, with Luke Mulder racking up 2.5 tackles for loss as part of the effort, with De Bruin picking off a Bellevue pass and hitting a field goal in the 4th quarter to take a nine-point lead. The Comets scored late in the 4th with 4:42 remaining, but the Eagles were able to get the first downs they needed to clinch the win.

Assistant Coach Verlan Nikkel tells KRLS Sports it was a hard fought win with a bruised and battered team, but the group couldn’t be any happier than to be in the final four in Class 1A.

Pella Christian was led all over the stat sheet by All-State Kicker Nathan De Bruin — a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals, recovered the early fumble on the opening kickoff, had an interception on defense, and racked up six catches for 64 yards on offense. Dan Jungling was 13 of 17 passing with 144 yards in the air, and had 110 yards on 17 carries on the ground. Noah Treimer had 147 total yards of offense and a touchdown.

The 8-3 Eagles will face yet another undefeated team when they take on 11-0 Dike New-Hartford in the state semifinals Saturday, November 10th at 10 a.m. in the UNI Dome. Listen to the game live on 92.1 KRLS.