If you ask any coach, they’ll tell you they look at just one game at a time and not too far into the “future” on their schedules. For Pella Christian Eagles’ head basketball coach, Kevin Van Maanen, he has peeked a little ahead and mentions a tough stretch of games for his squad that will be a true testament to his team’s success and a good “reflecting point” of their season.
“There’s a stretch, right before Christmas, we go to Sioux Center Iowa to Dordt College and play Western Christian,” Van Maanen said. “They bring everybody back from last year’s state championship team. They’re going to be experienced; we’re a totally different team. I’m really interested in how we’ll compare with them up there.”
Van Maanen also adds that they play their first conference game against Pella, and also play North Polk and Norwalk in that same stretch. The Eagles made it all the way to the state finals this past March, falling to Western Christian 67 – 57 in a back-and-forth affair. The Eagles’ season opener is this Tuesday at Albia starting at 7:30 p.m.