The Red Rock Boys Basketball Rivalry, which did not get played this season, will be played in a do or die game for both Knoxville and Pella on Monday night as the Class 3A boys substate gets underway in the Tulip City. The Panthers have been in a tailspin the past several weeks due to injury and illness and come in on a six game losing streak and have not played since a loss to top ranked Bondurant-Farrar back on February 9th. Panthers Coach Troy Pearson tells KNIA/KRLS Sports both teams statistically are even and like to shoot the three, but he is a bit concerned that Pella is deeper at this point.

Pearson: “When you look at just stats, their numbers from the 3 point line are similar to ours, and we tell the guys that they will shoot the three. I think they’re deeper and a big stronger than we are, but when the ball goes up, you have to play because you never know which team will have an off night.”

Meanwhile, Pella Coach Derek Schulte says this Panthers team across the gym will have been tested late in the season and are a dangerous opening round foe.

Schulte: “They’re a team that finished really well in that conference, and was really competitive, and they shoot the ball really well whether it was against Bondurant, or a team from our conference that we’re familiar with they have had stretches where they have played very well. We also know it’s a rivalry and there will be heightened emotions in the gym.”

Pella is coming in a bit of momentum after knocking off 9th ranked Mount Pleasant is its regular season finale on Tuesday. The Dutch have dominated the season series since 2001, winning 36/ 38 games played with the Dutch winning the last 27 games in a row. Live coverage can be heard on 95.3 KNIA at 6:45 for the Knoxville perspective with Derek Cardwell, or on 92.1 KRLS with Andrew Schneider and Phil Hemming at 6:30 — also on Pella Dutch Live.