The second round of the Highway 163 rivalry saw a back-and-forth contest that came down to the final minutes of the game, and when the dust settled, PCM outlasted Pella Christian for a 45-31 win in the second round of the Class 2A football playoffs heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

In the first quarter, each team found the endzone to make the score 7-7, and that score held until the middle of the second quarter. PCM’s first quarter score came from a Lewis Daye 13-yard touchdown run, while the Eagles scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Brecken Ritzert to Gilbert Flagel. Midway through the second quarter, the Mustangs threatened to pull away, with Dominic Witt knocking through a 22-yard field goal and Daye finding the end zone for a two-yard rushing score to make the score 17-7. In the final two minutes of the first half, Pella Christian battled back even the score at 17-17 going into halftime. The Eagles final two scores in the first half came from a one-yard Landon Nunnikhoven run and a 27-yard Dallas Ford field goal.

Out of halftime, PCM again threatened to pull away, as an Easton Morris six-yard touchdown run followed by a 46-yard rushing score by Chase Wagamon and a Gavin Steekhoek 40-yard pick-six pushed the Mustangs in front 38-17 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Not going away easily however, Pella Christian began to rally yet again, as a second Nunnikhoven one-yard rushing touchdown cut the deficit to 38-24 with 19 seconds left in the third. The Eagles further chipped away with 4:35 remaining in the game, as Ritzert and Flagel again connected for a 13-yard passing touchdown to pull within 38-31. On their final offensive possession, PCM took back the momentum, as a 44-yard pass from Wagamon to Steenhoek on 3rd and 9 from their own 41-yard line set up a five-yard Morris rushing touchdown to end the scoring.

The Mustangs improved to 9-1 overall on the season and they will now host Wilton next Friday in the quarterfinals for a chance at a return trip to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Pella Christian ends the season with a 3-7 overall record and will graduate 11 seniors from the program.