A state title defense begins tonight as the Pella boys basketball team joins the girls on the road to Alleman to take on North Polk.

It’s the first game since the Dutch hoisted the 3A trophy above their heads in Wells Fargo Arena in March, with a large portion of that roster returning to try and make it two in a row. That road starts at North Polk, with a much improved Comets team, according to Head Coach Derek Schulte. The Dutch have won two in a row against them in the Varsity Bound era, both in blowout fashion.

North Polk fell to Indianola in the boys matchup 76-66 Monday night on the road. The Comets girls are ranked 14th in Class 4A and should be a much bigger challenge than the Dutch girls faced last week in a 63-43 win over Mt. Pleasant. North Polk has defeated Pella in all four matchups in a row during the Varsity Bound era.

Pregame coverage begins at 6 p.m. on 92.1 KRLS.