While the Pella girls basketball team came up short on their goal to return to the State Tournament this season, the Little Dutch still completed a successful campaign, and did it with a new head coach on the bench. Jerod Garland took over for long-time head coach Mike Vint, and says it was a little advice from the celebrated coach that helped him with the transition.

“I’d say it was definitely a good year, [and] a year that I learned quite a bit,” said Garland. “Coach Vint talked with me over the summer and before the season started about what it was going to be like for me, and he told me it was going to be a big difference [from being an assistant] and it was.”

The Pella girls basketball team finished the season with an overall record of 18-5 after falling to Ballard in the Regional Finals. The Lady Dutch finished second in the Little Hawkeye Conference standings behind State Tournament qualifier Knoxville.