Class 4A semifinals: Pella dethrones Lewis Central, North Polk handles North Scott

Pella tops defending 4A state champion Lewis Central while North Polk takes out North Scott

Pella's Emmanuel Diers (1) and Benjamin Dothager (51) celebrate earlier this season. The Dutch knocked off Lewis Central Thursday to advance to the Class 4A title game. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another defending state champion has fallen inside the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, as Pella knocked off reigning 4A kings Lewis Central Thursday evening, 28-16.

The Dutch jumped all over the Titans early behind touchdowns from Emmanuel Diers, and again used big plays to put them away later.

Leading 14-10 entering the fourth, Colin Kerndt and Harrison Mullens connected on a 99-yard touchdown while Diers went 81 yards just over a minute later to make it 28-10.

Pella, who will play in its sixth state title game, finished with 465 yards of total offense. Diers had 175 yards rushing and two TDs while hauling in five passes for 103 and another score. 

Kerndt was 11 of 19 for 251 with two touchdowns, adding 46 yards on the ground. 

For the Titans, Brady Hetzel completed 9 of 21 for 131 with Chance Chappell rushing for 75 yards. 

Big third quarter lifts North Polk past North Scott

Leading by just seven at the half, North Polk turned things over to its star, Nathan Feldmann, and he delivered.

Feldmann helped orchestrate three unanswered scoring drives in the third quarter as the Comets bested North Scott and advanced to the championship game, 35-7.

Feldmann capped off a four-play, 25-yard drive with an 8-yard TD run to extend the lead to three scores. He followed with passing TDs to Jakob Phillips and Bryce Burke that put the Lancers in a 28-point hole entering the fourth.

North Polk went down 7-0 early after a Kye Smith 1-yard TD plunge completed an impressive 14-play, 62-yard drive that took up nearly six minutes. From there, though, it was all Comets.

BJ Tate caught a Feldmann pass and darted 84 yards to the end zone while Henry Christensen ran in a 6-yard score to finish off an 11-play, 80-yard drive that gave North Polk the lead for good.

Feldmann finished an effective 5 of 6 passing for 105 yards and three TDs to three different players, adding 73 yards on the ground. Tate had 104 yards receiving and 45 yards rushing. 

For North Scott, Chase Smith completed 13 of 20 for 116, Carson Lage had 10 receptions for 87 and Jerrod Lee ran for 66 yards. 

What’s next

Pella, competing in the state title game for a sixth time, will meet North Polk on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Dutch have won three championships, doing so from 2014-16. They were also runners-up in 2017.

The Comets, meanwhile, have reached the finals just once, losing to Iowa City Regina in 2010.