When Jay McKinstrey announced his retirement in the winter before his final season, he wasn’t sure where the final games would ultimately take him.

But a dream season for the fall sports programs and the Pella football team came to a conclusion at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, as the #3 Dutch fell to # 1 North Polk 24-14, in the Class 4A State Championship game heard live on 92.1 KRLS on November 21st, and it lands at #4 of this incredible 12 months at Pella High School.

As the 2024 fall wore on, the Dutch kept winning, albeit in close, heart-racing fashion on most nights against one of the toughest schedules Class 4A had to offer. It included nail biting wins over Indianola, Xavier, Carlisle, and Newton. A loss to Gilbert didn’t ultimately sidetrack the fate of the Dutch, who just two weeks later, toppled the Tigers to get to the UNI Dome.

Click here to listen to a feature about Jay McKinstrey’s final home regular season game. Click here to here his greatest rivals celebrate his career.

Pella’s first appearance in Cedar Falls since 2017 included some major fireworks, as the Dutch defeated defending champions Lewis Central with more dramatic moments, including a 99-yard TD pass from Colin Kerndt to Harrison Mullens.

The championship game that followed was the final in the remarkable career of McKinstrey, who was grateful for the chance to play for a state title as the last seconds ticked away from the sidelines.

Interview with Jay post-North Polk:

Pella finished the season at 11-2 with the school’s sixth ever state finals appearance.