For the fourth time in five weeks, the Pella High football team will battle a top 10 team as the Dutch travel to Newton tonight to take on the 10th-ranked Cardinals.

Pella is off to a 1-3 start, while Newton is 4-0.  But the season starts anew in some respects, as tonight is the start of district play, and both teams are 0-0 as they chase a district title and a guaranteed spot in the class 4A playoffs.  Dutch head coach Jay McKinstrey expects the intensity to be kicked up a notch tonight.

“I know that schedules have changed a little bit in college football, but when they start Big Ten play or Big 12 play or SEC play, teams play at a higher level knowing that this is for a conference championship or a district title is on the line.  I think that you’ll see that throughout the state in tonight’s games and I hope our guys will rise to the occasion and play really well too.”

Opening kickoff is at 7:30 at H.A. Lynn Field in Newton.  Trevor Castle and Randy Sikkema will call all of the action, beginning with pregame coverage at 6:30 on 92.1 KRLS.