In a game that was much tighter than the final score indicated, the Pella High Dutch dropped a 37-20 decision to the Decorah Vikings Monday evening at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls in the Class 3A semifinals.

The Dutch led 14-10 following a 24-yard touchdown strike from Blaine Forsythe to Richie Bales with 3:05 left in the second quarter.

The semifinal round game proved to be a contest filled with big plays. The Vikings were already living the good life as a 47-yard field goal by Andrew Casper scraped the crossbar and barely went through early in the portion of the second quarter.

Big play number two for the Vikings came with just six seconds left in the opening half when quarterback Jackson Stalberger hit Jake Wanless on a 39-yard touchdown pass for a 17-14 Viking lead at the halftime break.

Pella received the second half kick and methodically marched from the 20 to the Viking 1 before disaster struck. A Pella fumble at the Decorah 1, bounced into the endzone and was recovered by Josh Woodhouse.

Instead of Pella taking the lead back in the third quarter the Vikings were back with the football. Decorah marched 80 yards for a touchdown with 4:54 left in the third quarter for a 24-14 lead.

The next drive by Coach Jay McKinstrey’s squad took over 5-minutes off the clock. The Dutch started at their own 20 and the drive stalled at the Decorah 7 when a pass on fourth down was incomplete in the endzone.

Soon after the drive stalled, Decorah hit on an 83-yard touchdown pass from Stalberger to Garret Strand. That score with 9:22 left put the Vikings up 30-14.

Each team scored one more time. The Vikings on a 7-yard pass from Stalberger to Adam Bohr and Pella on a 20-yard pass from Forsythe to Clarke Hammes.

Bohr rushed for 116 yards on 17 carries for the Vikings while Andy Sacquitne also carried the ball 17 times for 75 yards. Stalberger had 53 yards on the ground and was 5 of 8 passing for 154 yards anf three touchdowns. Bohr caught three of those passes for 32 yards and a touchdown while Strand and Wanless hauled in one pass each for 83 and 39 yards respectively. Both receptions went for scores.

The Vikings had 396 yards in offense nd recorded 15 first downs.

Zach Kerndt led the Decorah defense with 13 tackles as Josh Woodhouse had 11 tackles and recovered a fumble. Brett Van Sloten had nine tackles as did Zach Dawley while Strand was in on eight tackles and Sacquitne had seven tackles.

Pella ends the year at 12-1 overall while Decorah advances to the state 3A title game with a 13-0 mark.

It was Pella’s 20th trip to the football playoffs.