After getting back to a .500 record with a win over Knoxville, the Pella football team opens the Class 3A District 7 schedule on Friday, sensing that there is more work to be done…much more. Little Dutch head coach Jay McKinstrey says this week’s focus has been on three elements that he says are vital to the team’s success.

“We’re going to work on becoming a team that plays faster, we need to keep working on playing more physical, and we need to keep working on making fewer mistakes. They’re trying to do what it takes to get there,” says McKinstrey. “And we’re not even close yet, and our kids even said that.”

“One of our senior leaders on the sideline [Friday night] said ‘hey Coach, we got better, but we’re not even close, are we yet?’ I said ‘no, we’re not yet, but you’re right, we did get better.’ I think they understand that, and they have a passion and a drive to keep getting better. I think that’s going to be something really important for this football team.”

Pella begins its District schedule at Chariton on Friday night. The Chargers have opened their season with consecutive losses, while the Little Dutch are 1-1.