Changes on campus this year have ranged far and wide. From the introduction of a new president to the tearing down of the PEC, the most astounding of these changes just might be the unexpected resurgence of Pioneer football. The team has already matched their past three seasons’ win total with six, and currently enjoy a second place standing in the Midwest Conference. Last week, the Pioneers continued their 42-29 against the Illinois College Blueboys.
This past Saturday marked the final home game of the season, and a formal goodbye for all the seniors on the team.
“For me being a senior, and this being my last home game, that was something that I had on my mind, and I am sure the rest of us seniors did too, so I couldn’t have been happier with how it ended for us,” said linebacker Ryan Fletcher ’11.
The game on Saturday was not only a successful send-off for the seniors but a fast paced, tension filled contest. The Pioneers led 22-15 at half time thanks to a 30-yard pass by Mike McCabe ’13 to Robert Seer ’12 at the 4:03 mark, and a field goal by Logan Granera ’13 with 40 seconds left in the half. In the third quarter, the Pioneers allowed Illinois to tie the game at 22, so as not to bore their spectators. In the final seconds of the fourth quarter the squad decided to put the Blueboys to sleep for good, forcing a turnover in their final drive.
Going into the game versus Illinois College, the team prepared by focusing on their running game and continuing their dominance on defense.
“Offensively, we knew they would be vulnerable against the run and we ended up having one of our most productive rushing games of the season,” said Head Coach Jeff Pedersen. “Defensively, we played with more two-high safeties than we usually do, and it ended up paying off with three interceptions.”
The running game accounted for 155 yards, while the three interceptions allowed for a 28-yard pickup.
The team was able to work past the struggles brought on by the injury bug, which perhaps accounted for some midseason woes.
“Halfway through the season we got beat up and lost a lot of players, so we were able to get back to the way we were doing things before,” said linebacker Ryan Creps ’12.
The Pioneers were also able to test out the depth of their lineup in the game.
“Harpreet Singh-Mann [’12] and Augustus Karisch [’11] played more than usual on offense, and both made a big catch. Jason Peters [’14] also had his best game,” said Pedersen.
The turning point of the game came during the third quarter when the Pioneers began to pull away from the 22-22 knotted score. The final nail in the coffin did not come until the final seconds of the game, though. Just as it looked like Illinois was picking up some steam, Ryan Creps picked a pass, shifting the tone of the game in an irreversible way.
“Creps’ interception was a big point in the game. It allowed us to get a swing in our direction and put up another score,” Fletcher said.
The team will hope to finish the season with an exclamation point.
“Going out winning will be a big boost for the offseason, because 7-3 sounds a lot better than 6-4,” Creps said.
The Pioneers conclude their season on Nov. 6 at Carroll University.
