For the second straight week, the Pella High defense snuffed out a fourth quarter two point conversion to stay undefeated, this time hanging on to beat Cedar Rapids Xavier 21-19 on the road in a game heard live on 92.1 KRLS.
Each team scored on its first two possessions, with Pella finding the end zone on a 19-yard pass from Colin Kerndt to Tyson Barnes and a Kerndt 36-yard run. Xavier missed its first extra point, allowing the Dutch to snag a one point lead.
Pella got the first stop of the game in the second quarter, and appeared ready to extend their lead when Barnes fumbled at the one yard line. But the Dutch got it back on a Lake Cowman interception and Kerndt hit Harrison Mullens for a five yard TD just before the half to give Pella a 21-13 lead.
It stayed that way until there were less than five minutes to go in the game as the Saints punched it into the end zone on a four yard run by Carter Hoffman, setting the stage for a game-tying two-point try. Xavier went back to Hoffman, who was stuffed, preserving Pella’s lead.
There was still over four minutes to play and the Saints had all three timeouts. Pella picked up several first downs, the biggest being a catch and run of 28 yards by Emmanuel Diers on third and seven, and the Dutch were able to kneel it out inside the 20.
It’s Pella’s third nail biting victory in its first four contests, having rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Ballard in week one, and stopping an Indianola two-point try to tie in the final seconds last week. Coach Jay McKinstrey says it’s a defining characteristic of this year’s version of the green and white.
“Our kids are doing a great job of finding a way to win and they did it again tonight. I thought we played a really good first half, but in the second half it’s just tough because the game settles in. You can go back to Xavier because that’s what they are, they’re just that good. They make good adjustments and they’re a really good football team. I was really excited for our kids to be able to hold them out on the two point conversion again and then to be able to drive the field and keep the ball away from them to finish it out on the kneel downs.”
Kerndt completed 21-of-34 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns and he added 21 carries for 105 yards and a score. Both Barnes and Diers caught eight passes, Barnes for 69 yards and Diers for 84, and Diers rushed 14 times for 64 yards.
The Dutch finish non-district play at 4-0 and will start their quest for a district championship next Friday night at Carlisle.