A classic bout between two longtime rivals went the way of Carlisle for the first time in a decade as the Wildcats edged No. 10 Pella 42-36 in a tilt heard live on the KRLS2 stream.

Offense largely defined the first half, as the Dutch aerial attack was soaring and the Wildcat triple option was punishing as the teams drew to a 28-all tie to end the first half.

Both defenses tightened their loose screws in a scoreless 3rd quarter, before an 85 yard option heavy drive pushed Carlisle into a late 35-28 lead. A costly Pella interception allowed the Wildcats to go up two scores with under five minutes to play, and a critical fourth down kept the Dutch in it.

A 4th and 10 turned into six points by Warren Page from Ryan Mace for 51 yards. Pella would force a fumble on the first play after the kickoff, and had a fourth and 8 from the 10, but an interception in the end zone sealed that scoring chance. The Dutch couldn’t stop Carlisle on 4th and 2 with 38 seconds left, and Pella fell to 2-2 overall. Ryan Mace finished with 242 yards passing, 4 touchdowns, and 3 picks; Logan Shetterly caught five passes for 124 yards and two scores; and Nolan Clayberg churned out 114 yards and a score, while Warren Page finished with two receiving touchdowns.

Pella will look to begin the journey of trying to take the district when undefeated Knoxville rolls into town for homecoming next Friday.