The 2021 season ended for the Pella football team before the playoffs started for the first time in a decade-and-a-half, narrowly missing an at-large bid by .0003 points in the RPI system against one of Class 4A’s toughest schedules.

While last fall has served as extra motivation, the 2022 Dutch hope to soon put away the past and focus on what can be accomplished this fall, according to Head Coach Jay McKinstrey.

He says the 2021 season proved as a reminder that the playoffs aren’t always a guarantee and while it’s always a goal to play among Iowa’s best, it doesn’t always define what the program is trying to accomplish.

Pella will work to get back to the postseason starting next week, when they host Norwalk in the season opener. Tonight, the football team is hosting their annual intrasquad scrimmage, with fans encouraged to bring a sports drink to support the team this fall.