Knoxville Boys Soccer Rallies to Beat Oskaloosa, Girls Fall to Pella Christian

Knoxville boys overcome early deficit, while girls struggle against Pella Christian

Apr. 7, 2026 at 4:01pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movements and energy of a soccer match, with players and the ball rendered in sharp, overlapping planes of color.A cubist interpretation of the intense back-and-forth action on the soccer pitch as Knoxville rallied to defeat Oskaloosa.Pella Today

The Knoxville boys soccer team came from behind to defeat Oskaloosa 2-1, with goals from Brett Watters and Andrew Bailey in the second half. Meanwhile, the Knoxville girls team lost 4-0 to Pella Christian, trailing 1-0 at halftime before the Eagles scored three more in the second half.

Why it matters

The Knoxville boys team showed resilience in coming back from an early deficit, demonstrating their ability to adjust and capitalize on opportunities. However, the girls team struggled against a strong Pella Christian squad, highlighting the need for continued development and improvement.

The details

In the boys match, Knoxville fell behind 1-0 with just over 20 minutes left in the first half, but dominated possession and shots on goal. Their persistence paid off in the second half, as Watters tied the game with 18:42 remaining, and Bailey scored the game-winner with 4:50 left. The girls team fell behind 1-0 in the first half and then gave up three more goals in the second half to Pella Christian.

  • Knoxville boys trailed Oskaloosa 1-0 with just over 20 minutes left in the first half.
  • Watters scored the equalizer for Knoxville boys with 18:42 remaining in the match.
  • Bailey scored the game-winning goal for Knoxville boys with 4:50 left in the match.
  • Knoxville girls trailed Pella Christian 1-0 at halftime.
  • Pella Christian scored three more goals in the second half to defeat Knoxville girls 4-0.

The players

Brett Watters

A Knoxville boys soccer player who scored the equalizing goal in the second half.

Andrew Bailey

A Knoxville boys soccer player who scored the game-winning goal in the second half.

Drake Larson

A senior Knoxville boys soccer player who discussed the team's strategy and execution.

Brody DeJong

A senior Knoxville boys soccer player who discussed the team's focus on winning aerial battles and scoring off throw-ins.

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What they’re saying

“Started down 1-0 and we knew we had to get them back from last year and we did that.”

— Drake Larson, Senior Knoxville boys soccer player

“We were way more aggressive and our goal that last 2 years was getting balls out of the air. We also wanted to get goals off of throw-ins and I'm glad we did that, and just beautiful finishes by Andrew Bailey and Brett Watters.”

— Brody DeJong, Senior Knoxville boys soccer player

What’s next

Knoxville boys will travel to Albia on Thursday, while the girls team will host Ballard on Friday.

The takeaway

The Knoxville boys team demonstrated their resilience and ability to overcome early deficits, while the girls team struggled against a strong Pella Christian squad, highlighting the need for continued improvement. Both teams will look to build on these performances in their upcoming matches.