(Council Bluffs, IA) — Pella will have to make a nearly 3 hour bus ride to Council Bluffs tonight to face Lewis Central in the 4A first round.
The Titans have only lost two close games all season — 33-28 to undefeated Sgt. Bluff Luton and 29-28 to Carroll. Head Coach Justin Kammrad was uncertain at the beginning of the season of who would play QB but Junior Eric Corrill eventually won the job and has thrown for 1,417 yards, 16 TD and only 3 INT. Kammrad says he has settled quite nicely into the starting spot
It helps Corrill that he has a big time receiver to throw to — Junior Braxton Parks has 51 catches for 764 yards and 6 TD
Junior RB Brayden Doss missed some time during the season with an injury but he is back and only 13 yards away from a 1,000, averaging 8 yards per carry and has 18 rushing TD.
On defense, the Titans did not allow a point in the district — ADM scored 6 points on special teams and LC shutout Glenwood, Boone, Denison Schleswig and CBTJ. Senior LB Jacob Jefferis leads a balanced D with 47.5 tackles and 8.5 TFLs. Kammrad says the defense has grown up a lot
Pella has lost three games but all to good teams and like Lewis Central — all fairly close: 7-3 to Waverly Shell Rock, 10-7 to North Polk and 20-10 to Newton. The Dutch have a nearly 2 to 1 offense in passing to running. Senior QB Griffin Simpson has 1,716 yards passing, 21 TD and 4 INT and Pella has just over a thousand yards rushing. Kammrad knows he has a tough game on his hands
Last year, Lewis Central lost in the first round of the playoffs to Gilbert and Kammrad says they do not like to dwell on the past but his football team does not forget
#10 Pella is 6-3; #5 Lewis Central is 7-2 — the winner will face either ADM or Carlisle in the next round.
Complete Interview with Head Coach Justin Kammrad
