PCM football advances to 2A quarterfinals after win over rival Eagles

MONROE — The PCM football team had a much easier time against Pella Christian during their first meeting back on Sept. 19.

But in the playoffs, all bets are off and anything can happen. The Eagles, after all, were coming off an upset win over district champion Clarinda and state-ranked Okoboji, Centerville and Bellevue all lost in the first round, too.

In their latest meeting in the second round of the playoffs, the Eagles matched the Class 2A No. 2 Mustangs point for point in three of the four quarters, but a big third frame propelled PCM to a 45-31 home win on Friday night.

The Mustangs advanced to the quarterfinal round for the third straight season. They registered their third consecutive victory over Pella Christian and averaged 54 points per contest in those wins.

PCM takes an eight-game win streak into the 2A quarterfinals. The Mustangs host Wilton at 7 p.m. on Friday in Monroe.

Wilton (8-2) routed West Branch, 30-7, in its second-round matchup. The Beavers have won six in a row since losing, 21-20, to No. 4 Mid-Prairie on Sept. 19.

The game between PCM and Pella Christian on Friday was tied at 7-all after the first quarter. Lewis Daye Jr. started things off with a 13-yard touchdown run with 8:02 left in the quarter.

Pella Christian (3-7) answered with a Brecken Ritzert 25-yard TD pass to Gilbert Flagel late in the frame.

Both teams scored 10 points in the second, but PCM led 17-7 until the final two minutes of the half.

Dominic Witt booted a 22-yard field goal with 7:22 to play to give PCM another lead, and Daye Jr. added a 3-yard TD run 3 minutes later to extend the home team’s margin.

Pella Christian got a 1-yard TD run from Landon Nunnikhoven with 1:55 on the clock and then Dallas Ford kicked a 27-yard field goal to tie the score as time expired.

The Mustangs (9-1) outscored the Eagles 21-7 in the third. Easton Morris scored from 6 yards out to push PCM back in front and then Chase Wagaman sprinted 47 yards for a TD midway through the third.

A Gavin Steenhoek 36-yard pick 6 made it 38-17 before another Nunnikhoven 1-yard TD run closed the Eagles’ gap.

Ritzert hit Flagel for a 13-yard TD pass with 4:35 to play in the game to melt the Mustangs’ lead to seven, but Morris put the finishing touches on the win with another 6-yard TD run with 1:06 to play.

Wagaman finished 5-of-7 through the air for 111 yards. He also rushed for 61 yards and one TD on six carries. His 28 total touchdowns this fall ranks tied for sixth in 2A, and his 183.9 rating is fifth.

Daye Jr. gained 127 yards and scored two TDs on 28 carries. He became the 12th player in 2A to go past 1,000 rushing yards for the season.

Morris added 54 yards and two scores on 13 carries, Steenhoek hauled in three passes for 75 yards and Alex Wendt caught two passes for 36 yards. Steenhoek’s 763 receiving yards rank fifth in 2A.

Evan Jones led the defense with 11 tackles. Jax Strait totaled 7.5 tackles, Harrison Brinegar chipped in 6.5 tackles and Braedyn Lester and Mason Hjortshoj each tallied six tackles.

Steenhoek finished with three tackles, two interceptions and the pick 6. He moved into a tie with Wagaman for the 2A-lead with six interceptions and Steenhoek is one of three players with two pick 6s in the class this fall.

Wagaman registered five tackles, Ivan Shannon had three tackles and one sack and Wendt and Keegan Fenton each contributed three tackles.

Witt booted five of his eight kickoffs for touchbacks and was 6-of-6 in PATs with the 22-yard field goal. He leads 2A with 62 touchbacks and is tied for second with four field goals this fall.

The Mustangs rushed for 235 yards in the win. They totaled 310 in the win back in September.

PCM ranks second in 2A with 2,514 rushing yards. The Mustangs also are tied for fourth with 15 picks and tied for first with four pick 6s.

Ritzert threw for 211 yards but it took 42 passing attempts. He tossed two touchdowns and two picks and rushed for 67 yards on 11 carries.

Nunnikhoven gained 117 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, Flagel caught six passes for 76 yards and two scores and Anton Boender led the Eagles’ defense with 13 tackles.