NOAH TREIMER! One broken tackle after another on this play. TO THE HOUSE! pic.twitter.com/ZjZCZuuwbT
— Pella Christian AD (@PCEaglesAD) October 7, 2017
In a clash that likely determined the Class 1A District 5 champion, No. 2 Pella Christian shut out No. 5 Pleasantville in the second half to pull away late to earn a 31-14 victory, as heard live on 92.1 KRLS and KNIA3 at KNIAKRLS.com.
After a lightning delay immediately following the opening kick, both teams brought the thunder, as the Eagles struck immediately with a flare pass that turned into 75 yard score from Hayden Vroom to Noah Treimer. After a 4th down stop and an Eagles interception, Pleasantville scored three plays after on a pass from Owen Worthington to Kyle Amendt. Both Treimer and the Trojans’ star back Hunter Tyree traded big blows on the ground, and a Nathan De Bruin 27-yard field goal was enough to give the Eagles a 17-14 halftime lead. Both teams had over 230 yards of total offense and nine first downs at the break.
Defense took over from there, with both teams trading big stops and punts until late in the 4th quarter. Pleasantville head coach Graig Eichenberger tells KNIA/KRLS Sports his defense played well enough to win by keeping an explosive Pella Christian offense in check for the majority of the final 30 minutes.
“Our second-half defense was really good, I mean I think we put our selves into good field position and forced some punts, and a lot of good first downs and second downs,” he says.
After the Trojans’ defense held firm with Hunter Tyree forcing a 4th down interception, Pleasantville had 4th and 2 at their own 47 with just under four minutes to play, when the Eagles made the two biggest plays of the game.
Colten Uitermarkt’s 4th down sack and Noah Treimer’s 36 yard dagger touchdown sealed the Pella Christian victory. Eagles Assistant Verlan Nikkel tells KNIA/KRLS Sports those plays were crucial, and that P.C. took full advantage of the momentum swing.
“Having stopped them on fourth down like that, where they didn’t get the pass off, I’m sure was a downer for them at that point…and then you come back, and it might be just that moment where they’re kind of hanging their heads a little bit, and then you hit them and boom, Noah–you know it’s just one play and he can go anywhere with it, and he hit that hole and pulled away from a couple of guys, and made it to the end zone, and you could definitely see where they were deflated after that,” Nikkel says.
Treimer finished with 288 total yards and three touchdowns, and Pleasantville’s Tyree had 216 yards of total offense.
Pella Christian is now 7-0, 5-0 in District 5, and host senior night against Central Decatur, while Pleasantville falls to 6-1, 5-1 in the district, and host Woodward-Granger.