A pivotal turn of events early in the fourth quarter brought a rabid Pella crowd to its feet, and pushed the Dutch football team into the state title game with an electrifying 28-16 victory over defending champion Council Bluffs Lewis Central in the class 4A semifinals last night at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls as heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The Dutch were clinging to a 14-10 lead late in the third quarter when Tyson Barnes tackled a Titan punt-returner at the four-yard line after a 74-yard return that almost gave Lewis Central the lead. Nate Warner tackled the ballcarrier in the back field on first down, but as the clock flipped over to the fourth quarter, the Titans faced fourth down and goal at the two yard line. Pella’s defense stuffed a run up the middle just inches shy of the goal line to preserve the lead, and one play later the offense extended it, as Colin Kerndt hit Harrison Mullens with a 99-yard touchdown pass.

“It was big”, Kerndt said. “We knew that we were given the opportunity and we just had to take advantage of it and do everything we can to ice the game. I’m so proud of all our guys on both sides of the ball. There were a lot of big plays and a lot of back and forth, but we stayed composed and we got it done.”

Pella jumped out to a 14-0 lead on an Emmanuel Diers 12-yard run midway through the first quarter, and a 68-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass from Kerndt to Diers with two minutes to go before intermission. Lewis Central had just enough time to kick a 47-yard field goal as the halftime buzzer sounded, then they chewed more than six minutes off the third quarter clock, going 77 yards on 15 plays to cut Pella’s lead to three on a Jacob Jefferis six-yard run.

Diers added a third touchdown to put it out of reach, dashing 81-yards on the first play after a Titan punt. Lewis Central answered with another Jefferis touchdown run, but the Dutch recovered an onside kick and burned nearly seven minutes with a game-clinching drive that ended in victory formation.

Diers had 14 carries for 175 yards and added five receptions for 103 yards. Kerndt was 11-of-19 for 251 yards and Warner led the defense with 9.5 tackles.

Pella is now 11-1 on the season and will play North Polk next Thursday night for the state title in what will be the final game of coach Jay McKinstrey’s legendary career. The top-ranked Comets knocked off North Scott 35-7 in the other semifinal.