Well its Football season

Lets welcome our new Coach Paul Worth.



The Tri-County League went to the spring chopping block and what’s left is a five-team division.
Three former TCL teams were moved up into the new-look Intercounty League this fall and another program dropped athletics entirely. The five teams that remain should form a competitive division, including the lone local team from Pioneer Valley Regional School.
For the past couple of seasons the top two teams in the TCL have been McCann Technical High School and Franklin County Technical School, both of which were pulled into the IL by realignment. Franklin Tech is now in the IL North and McCann is situated in the IL West along with three former Berkshire League teams, as well as Mohawk Trail Regional High School, the third team from the TCL to get moved. Dean Technical High School is also no longer in the TCL because the school folded its athletic department and all its students are playing with Holyoke High School.
That leaves Ware, Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical, Palmer, Smith Vocational & Agricultural high schools and Pioneer. The five teams all finished in the middle of the pack last season, setting up an exciting season.
Pioneer welcomes a new coach with lots of experience this season in Paul Worth, who formerly coached at North Shore Technical High School, launching the school’s football program in 1994. By 1997, Worth and North Shore went unbeaten and won a Super Bowl. In all, he served as the school’s coach for 20 years.

In 2014, North Shore merged with Essex Agricultural and Technical High School to form the current Essex Technical High School. Worth stopped coaching at that point but continued on as athletic director, a position he has held for five years. On Sept. 2, Worth will officially retire from his AD post.
Worth’s daughter, Greenfield Community College professor Caitlin Heinzmann, recently gave birth to a son and, for her to return to her job, she needed a sitter. Enter the retired Worth, who decided that, since he was going to be in the area to care for his grandson, he would also hunt a football coaching gig. He said wife Claudia Worth knows his love for the sport and supported the idea. When he saw the Pioneer job posted, he applied and was hired.
Worth said that during his time at North Shore, the school had around 400 students, so Pioneer is a bit smaller. He was used to coaching teams of around 36 players at North Shore, so the 22-man roster he has at Pioneer is also smaller. He said that despite the low numbers, he has some very talented athletes, and if those bodies stay on the field, he expects to be competitive.
“I’m really excited,” Worth said. “We have a good group of kids and I think if we stay healthy, we should do well.”
Pioneer will have a new look this season after the graduation of quarterback Zach Lambert, who accounted for a lot of the offense the past couple years.
Taking over under center is the player who caught many of Lambert’s passes in recent years, as senior Alex Tyson moves from wide receiver.
“Alex has picked up the offense very well,” Worth said. “He throws on the run well and I think we can be successful at running the ball a little bit and throwing on the run.”
Junior Bryce Dobosz returns to running back, where he gained nearly 500 yards last season to easily pace the ground attack. Lining up in the backfield with him and Tyson will be senior fullback Josh Baker. Senior Terrell Hicks will also see time in the backfield during three-back sets.
Hicks will start at tight end while senior Hunter Cote and junior Karl Wheeler will start at wideout. Sophomore Jake Wallis has a great pair of hands and will also play at receiver.
The team is thin on the line but the five starters are solid. Connor Johnson is the only senior on the line and will start at center, while junior Justin Hubbard will play the right guard and sophomore Ethan Lanoie will play the left guard. Sophomores Drew Denney (right) and Jake Comiskey (left) will start at tackle.
Worth will play with three linemen on defense, as Comiskey starts at nose tackle with junior Tristan Dresser spelling him. Hubbard and Lanoie will start at the ends with sophomore Wyatt Keith serving as the backup. Johnson, Tyson and Hicks will play the three inside backers, while Dobosz and Baker will line up outside. Cote and Wheeler will start at corner and Wallis will play safety.
“Our defense is predicated on quickness and speed,” Worth said. “We will be moving a lot and if we are going to be successful we need to use our speed.”


 GOOD LUCK PANTHERS .. WE ARE ROOTING FOR YOU !!!