Cobras strike 1st in ranked teams district battle

PELLA -- One of the top high school games Friday was No. 6 Pella Christian battling No. 4 Sigourney-Keota in a clash of undefeated Class 1A District 6 teams.

Sigourney-Keota would leave with a 20-13 win.

”This was one of our best games played defensively up to this point,“ SK head coach Jared Jensen said. ”But we are far from how good this group could really be.“

The Eagles were driving late into SK territory but ran out of time after a Cobra sack with 12 seconds left.

“The defense played a great game giving Pella Christian a tough time trying to put drives together,” Jensen said.

It was not until 3:38 remained in the first half when the Cobras struck first with Cade Molyneux finding the end zone on a 7-yard dash to cap off almost a 7-minute drive.

The Eagles come back with Isaac Kacmarynski connecting on a 22-yard passing TD to Bennett Spronk with just 1:21 until halftime and it is 7-7.

The turning point of the game was the start of the second half. Levi Crawford and his teammates had a tremendous return setting the Cobras up at midfield. The offense put together a 13-play drive killing over 6 minutes finished off with a Molyneux TD from 3 yards out and it is Sigourney-Keota 14, Pella Christian 7.

“This really showed us how good a team we can be,” Jensen said. “We did not play a perfect game and still came out on top. That PC team is very well coached and have great players. We just found a way to get the plays made that we needed exactly when we needed them.”

Pella converted a fourth-and-1 when Kacmarynski ran 20 yards for a touchdown. A Cobra penalty on the extra point convinced the Eagles to go for a 2-pointer they didn’t get, Sigourney-Keota 14, Pella Christian 13.

The deciding score came with 7:56 remaining when Molyneux barely gets into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 1. The extra point doinks off the left upright to keep it a 7-point game.

“Cade, Colten Clarahan and Levi Crawford ran the ball well, but our offensive linemen, tight ends and blocking back took control of the game and really started imposing their will,” Jensen said. “That type of line play coupled with backs that run hard is a tough combination to stop.”