Top ranked Dallas Center Grimes is certainly a state champion contender.  Last Friday night, the Mustangs showed a state championship worthy level of sportsmanship.  DCG defeated Perry soundly 48-0 in a district 3 matchup.  The Mustangs jumped out to a 30 point lead midway through the first quarter and promptly put on the brakes to avoid embarrassing Perry.  The Dallas Center Grimes defense held Perry to a minus 48 yards in the first half alone.  This outcome was not a surprise to anyone following the two programs.  Perry was coming off a 44-0 shutout loss to Saydel the week before, marking the first Eagle win in football in over three years.  Perry lost seven starters in the course of that rough week two blowout.  Conversely, DCG was fresh off their second blowout win in as many weeks defeating North Polk 35-14.  Perry head coach Bryce Pierce reached out to DCG head coach Scott Heitland early in the week to inform the veteran Mustang coach of Perry’s dire situation.

“Yeah, I reached out to him early in the week to talk about our recent rash of injuries and the spot we were in as a program.  He understood.  After the game,  I just wanted to thank both him and his players for the way they conducted themselves during the game.  They showed incredible class in a number of areas.  We lost four more guys in the first half so we talked at halftime and he agreed to shorten the second half by four minutes and to play at a continuous clock.  I just wanted to personally thank him and wish him luck after the game.”

Pierce was also appreciative of the compliment he got back from Heitland.

“He told me that he liked our schemes and how hard our boys play for us.  I really believe that too.  I think our guys are trying every play but the execution is just not there right now.”

Perry travels to Norwalk Friday night.