CARLISLE, Iowa — Senior running back Carter Berg delivered a dominant 262-yard, three-touchdown performance to lift the undefeated Carlisle Wildcats to a 27-14 victory over the Pella Little Dutch in the IHSAA Class 4A state quarterfinals on Friday night [Sat, Nov 07, 2026 @ 07:44 PM]. With the win, Carlisle (11-0) punches its ticket to the state semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, while Pella’s postseason run comes to an end.

Carlisle’s signature ground game proved to be the deciding factor, racking up 376 total rushing yards on 55 carries—averaging a physical 6.8 yards per attempt.

From the opening kickoff, Carlisle established its identity up front. Berg took the lion’s share of the workload, tearing through the Pella defense for 262 yards on 26 carries. His vision and burst allowed the Wildcats to control the tempo of the game and move the chains consistently, finding the end zone three times to anchor the offense.

Complementing Berg’s explosive night was senior quarterback CJ Haug, who directed the option attack with poise. Haug added 55 critical yards on the ground and remained highly efficient through the air, completing 5 of 8 passing attempts for 72 yards and a touchdown.

While the offense set the tone, the Wildcat defense rose to the occasion late in the contest. Defensive standout Jakson Hoversten made major impacts on both sides of the ball. On offense, Hoversten hauled in a crucial 30-yard touchdown pass from Haug to stretch the Carlisle lead.

Defensively, Hoversten put the exclamation point on the victory. With Pella attempting a late fourth-quarter comeback, Hoversten executed a decisive pass breakup on a fourth-down conversion attempt, turning the ball over on downs and allowing the Wildcats to run out the clock.

With the quarterfinal hurdle cleared, the undefeated Wildcats turn their attention to the state semifinals. Carlisle will face Western Dubuque at the UNI-Dome, where a spot in the Class 4A state championship game will be on the line.