For the 12th time in school history, the Pella High football team is playing in the state semifinals, as today the fourth-ranked Dutch will battle number three Sergeant Bluff-Luton at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

It’s the first ever meeting between the two programs, who are both 10-1 on the season, with the Warriors having won Class 4A District 1 at 5-0 and Pella qualifying for the playoffs as runner-up in Class 4A District 4 at 4-1. And both teams lone loss was to another semifinal qualifier. Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s only setback was in the season opener, 14-6 to Sioux City Heelan, who will play Saturday in the 3A semis, while the Dutch lost 35-33 in early October to Newton, who plays the nightcap tonight against Xavier.

It’s a classic matchup of the irresistible force against the immovable object. The Warriors have a best-in-class rushing attack, leading 4A in both rushing yards (3,510) and touchdowns (47), while Pella’s strength is its defense, especially against the rush, having allowed only 848 yards or just 77 per game.

“It’s important that you have all 11 guys do their job”, said Dutch head coach Ben Bollard. “That’s the answer to any kind of option offense or wing T offense like we’re going to see today. You’ve got to have all 11 guys have the discipline to do your job, fit in your gap and make the play when the ball does come to you. You can’t have missed tackles. You’ve got to be great tacklers in these situations and then read your keys so that you know if the ball is coming to you or away from you.”

The Dutch have a more balanced offensive attack, and while they have completed more passes (155) than any other team in class 4A this season, they’ve leaned heavily on senior running back Emmanuel Diers in the playoffs. In Pella’s two wins over Davenport North and Decorah, Diers has carried it a combined 73 times and caught six passes, racking up 498 yards from scrimmage.

Hear more about Diers as this week’s Player Profile when we kickoff our wall-to-wall coverage of the Class 4A semifinals with the Jeromy Dingeman Concrete Football Friday Night Radio Preview Show this afternoon at two o’clock on KNIA/KRLS. Official pregame coverage of Pella versus Sergeant Bluff-Luton begins at 3:30 on 92.1 KRLS, with Trevor Castle and Randy Sikkema providing the play-by-play beginning at 4pm.