In Coach Derek Schulte’s tenure as head coach of the Pella High boys basketball team, they’ve made it one step further on the tournament trail each season.  From the district finals in 2018 to substrate in 2019, and the state tournament last season.  

The second-ranked Little Dutch open the 2021 playoffs Monday night with their eyes set on a return trip to Wells Fargo Arena and a shot at a state title.  Schulte is counting on the veteran leadership of his upperclassmen to lead the way.

“These seniors have been through battles and so they have that tournament experience and hopefully that will be valuable for us.  For our new guys coming in, tournament games do have a different feel.  Sometimes they can have a more intense piece because there’s no game or practice the next day if you don’t get it done.  However, hopefully our preparation with situational basketball in practices and just playing to our strengths, when moments get tight you really have to rely on what you do well.”

Pella enters the postseason as the number three scoring team in class 3A, averaging 70 points per game.  They’re first in the state in 3-point shooting, both in makes (10.8 per game) and percentage (39.1).

The Little Dutch have an 18-2 record, and won the Little Hawkeye Conference with a 13-1 mark.  Monday night’s opponent is Centerville, who is 5-12 this season and finished sixth in the South Central Conference at 4-8.  The Big Reds had eight games this season either postponed or cancelled due to COVID or weather.

Tipoff is at 7:00 at Pella High School.  Trevor Castle and Phil Hemming will call the action on 92.1 KRLS, beginning with pregame at 6:30. Audio commentary will also be available with video on the Pella Dutch Live YouTube channel.