Perhaps it’s fitting the final stop on the wild run to the championship game features the biggest test for the Pella football team when they take on undefeated North Polk.

While the Class 4A field has been largely wide-open, the Comets have had an edge in the playoffs and have dominated their way to the finale. The undefeated No. 1 seed has scored an average of 35.3 points per postseason game and have allowed just 27 from opponents in that three-game stretch.

North Polk has a dynamic duo in the backfield that largely runs the ball — Quarterback Nathan Feldmann has 1710 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in 12 games, including a 9.9 yards per carry average, while running back BJ Tate, Jr. has just under 100 yards per game and 16 scores. Feldmann has also been efficient while passing, with a 65.3% completion percentage and 12 passing TDs. Jakob Phillips has been the Comets top defender, tallying 72.5 tackles — 15 for which have been for a loss, and he has tallied three interceptions as well.

The teams have played four times in the Bound era, with the Dutch leading the All-Time series 4-1 since 2016. Pella and North Polk played for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, with the Comets winning the most recent matchup in 2022 by a 24-7 margin.

Coverage of the 4A state championship game begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday with the Jeromy Dingeman Concrete Football Radio Preview Show on 92.1 KRLS, before the scheduled 7 p.m. kickoff from the UNI Dome.