The hope for a 17th State Tournament berth in the last 33 years is on the line tonight for the Pella Christian boys basketball team, as they battle #6 West Burlington in the Class 2A Substate 6 Final.

Tonight marks the first time in the Varsity bound era that the Eagles and Falcons have met on the hardwood, and setting up this first showdown wasn’t easy for either team. Pella Christian outlasted Wilton in overtime Tuesday night 68-65, while West Burlington held just a four-point lead over Albia at halftime Tuesday but ended the game with a 25-11 run to pull away for the 49-32 win. Facing a Falcons team that ranks second among Class 2A in points per game against with 43.5, Eagles head coach J.D. Boer is excited for a great contest and atmosphere.

“It’s gonna be a drag out game again. West Burlington is quick, they’ve got a ton of guards. They are just outstanding. They only have one loss all season and went much of this season undefeated, and that tells you they got some winners over there, some tough kids. They just really guard oriented. So, in terms of game planning will have to dig into the film and figure something out, but I’m excited for it. It’ll be a fun game, I’m sure we’ll have a great crowd and I’m sure they will too. And it’s fun because we’ve got nine losses, they’ve got one, you know, but I’m ready to strap it on and see what we’ve got against those guys.”

Coverage of the Class 2A Substate 6 final between Pella Christian and West Burlington from Oskaloosa High School can be heard live on 92.1 KRLS and viewed on the Indians Network beginning with the Smash Park Radio Pregame show at 6:30 p.m., with tip-off to follow at 7.