Photo courtesy of Troy L. Hugen Photography

For the first time this season, Pella Christian will host a home boys basketball game, as they welcome Wilton to Eagle Lane this afternoon.

The Eagles won their first three games of the season but have struggled as of late, dropping their last two contests against Norwalk and Des Moines Christian. Meanwhile, the Beavers are off to a 4-1 start to their season, most recently beating Iowa Valley 71-31 on Thursday. Today’s matchup will be just the third meeting between the schools, with the other two games taking place a season ago. Pella Christian pulled out a 61-56 victory in the regular season last winter, before winning a 68-65 overtime thriller over Wilton in the Class 2A District 6 Final. Eagles head coach JD Boer knows that his team faces a tough test today, but he says he’s excited to see how his team responds to their adjustments following a pair of tough losses.

“I’ve been impressed with how they’ve started this season, so it’s gonna be a great test for us. They’ve got some great shooting, they have a couple of freshmen who have really played well for them, and they’ve mixed in some zone defense that makes for some challenging looks, so it’s gonna be a tough one for us. I’m excited to see how we respond after making some adjustments and changes throughout the week.”

Coverage of the Pella Christian boys basketball team’s home opener against Wilton today can be heard live on 92.1 KRLS and viewed on the Pella Christian YouTube channel, beginning with the Scooter’s Coffee Radio Pregame Show at 1:30 pm.