The final Friday for high school sports in 2021 is here and the Pella basketball teams are seeking to build momentum heading into next week and winter break.

The Dutch welcome Newton to town for a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader. Newly-ranked for the first time since the 2020 season, the No. 14 in 4A Pella girls basketball team is seeking to continue a long-stretch of success against the Cardinals, having won 18 in a row dating back to 2013 and 27 of 30 matchups in the Varsity Bound era.

Meanwhile, the 7th-ranked Dutch boys are seeking to continue a bounce back from their first pair of consecutive losses since January 2020 against a Newton team that Head Coach Derek Schulte says is a clash of styles with the rest of the fast-paced league.

“They’re an excellent basketball team, and it’s going to be a real battle,” he says. “They’re a team that’s not going to want the score to be in the 90s, they’re comfortable playing at a slower pace and will try to out-execute you on the offensive end and really compete on defense.”

Coverage of Pella vs. Newton basketball begins at 6 p.m. on the KRLS2 stream at KNIAKRLS.com and the Pella Dutch Live YouTube channel.