Photo courtesy of Troy L. Hugen Photography

The Pella Christian football season came to an end Friday night, as their upset bid in the second round of the Class 1A playoffs at #4 Grundy Center fell short in a 35-12 defeat heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

Defense was the name of the game early, with both teams being held off the scoreboard in the first quarter. A pair of long touchdowns runs for the Spartans midway through the second quarter was really all the offense to be had in the first half, as the Eagles trailed 14-0 at the break. Getting the ball first in the second half, Pella Christian’s offense found their rhythm. The Eagles marched down the field on a 13-play, 77-yard drive that resulted in a four-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Van Arendonk to Benny Schirz. After missing the two-point conversion, the P.C. defense got another stop setting up a potential game-tying drive. 

Down 14-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, Van Arendonk again found Schirz, this time connecting for a 67-yard touchdown pass to put the Eagles down 14-12. The Grundy Center defense held up on the two-point conversion, keeping the Pella Christian deficit at two. The stop proved to be the momentum swing in the Spartans favor, as they forced two turnovers and scored three touchdowns in the final six minutes to end the Eagles season. Despite the loss, Pella Christian head coach Rich Kacmarynski said he was proud of how his team performed against a talented Grundy Center squad.

“First of all, I thought our defense played fantastic through three quarters, we gave up a couple of things cheap I’d say at the end, but our defense played so well for three quarters. Offensively, boy we struggled early on, struggled in the first half, but we kind of came alive in the third quarter and made the game, so I was just super proud.”

Pella Christian ends the year with a 7-3 record and will say goodbye to 10 seniors.