Pioneer has no answers for Lee D, 13-0

NORTHFIELD — Since a three-game winning streak boosted Pioneer Valley Regional School into the Western Mass. Division IV-A football playoffs, the month of November has proven quite a bit rockier for the Panthers.
Pioneer, which was bounced from the IV-A semifinals by Turners Falls High School last week, played its Week 10 assigned game Saturday and couldn’t generate much offense against visiting Lee High School. The Wildcats scored less than four minutes into the game and made that lead stand up en route to a 13-0 victory.
On five of its seven possessions, Pioneer (5-4) ended drives in Lee territory, twice in the red zone, but never could cross the goal line.
“We didn’t execute well at all offensively, it’s that simple,” said Panthers coach Paul Worth. “Our young quarterback struggled in the first half, and we put ourselves in a hole. Give them credit, they took it to us a little bit, and they’re a good football team. We’ve just struggled with offense the last three weeks, and we’ve gotta straighten it out.”
Lee (5-5) needed only 3:53 after the opening kickoff to break on top, helped along by a 34-yard burst by Nic Castillo (seven carries, game-high 110 yards) that created first-and-goal at the Pioneer 5. After Michael Hurley gained three yards on first down, he went in on a dive play from the 2, putting Lee up 6-0 after Nico Chacon’s extra-point try sliced wide to the left.

Sophomore Scott Perlberg got the start at quarterback for Pioneer and completed three early passes to Alex Tyson for 31 yards, before Tyson stepped in to call the signals. The Panthers’ opening series went as far as the Lee 35 before they failed on fourth down, but the Wildcats had to punt. Pioneer then drove back across midfield before Tyson’s deep throw down the middle was intercepted by Lee’s Ben Harding at the 10-yard line, and Harding returned the pick 26 yards to set up Lee at its 36.
The Wildcats were hurt by an intentional-grounding call, leading to a loss on downs when punter Ryan Ruef fielded a bad snap from center, scrambled and threw incomplete. Pioneer took over at midfield and got back-to-back big gains from Tristan Dresser (20 yards) and Bryce Dobosz (15) to set up first down at the Lee 15. The Panthers would make it to the 6 before a false-start call, then Dobosz was stopped for no gain on third down and a 7-yard loss on fourth as Lee took over at its own 18 to round out the half.

Pioneer took the ball to start the third quarter and punted, but got the ball back right away when Jake Wallace jumped on a fumble by Castillo at the Lee 38. The Panthers picked up one first down, but Lee tightened up from there, stopping Pioneer at the 28-yard line when Dobosz managed five yards on fourth-and-15.
That led to the Wildcats’ most productive drive of the day, 72 yards in eight plays, keyed by Ruef’s 11-yard run and a 42-yard sprint by Castillo that put the ball at the Panthers’ 12. On fourth-and-3 from the 5-yard line, quarterback Homer Winston (6-of-14 passing, 57 yards) rolled right and hit Patrick Finnegan down the right seam, just across the goal line, for the all-important second score. Chacon’s point-after kick made it a 13-0 game after three quarters.
On its last two series of the day, Pioneer was forced into a 10-yard punt and then made it as far as the Lee 12, where Ruef dropped Dobosz for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-1. The Wildcats took over with 4:59 left and ran out the clock, gashing the tiring Panthers for five gains of 10 yards or more and ending the game at the Pioneer 12-yard line.
“(Our defense) bent, but they didn’t break. It’s a one-score game, we missed the extra point, if they score and put us behind, it changes the whole complexion of the game,” said Wildcats coach Keith Thomson. “They stepped up and made the plays when they needed to.”
Lee owned a 272-162 edge in total offense, with 215 rushing yards. Lucas Loehr (43 yards) and Ruef (33) aided Castillo in the ground game, while Hurley caught three passes for 35 yards.
Dobosz ran 19 times for 64 yards to lead Pioneer and Dresser was right behind with 60 yards.
The Panthers wrap up their season Thanksgiving morning at Franklin County Technical School, with a winning record still in their sights.
“We’re playing with 14, 15 kids, and it’s okay, we played hard and we hung in there,” said Worth. “Joe (Franklin Tech coach Joe Gamache) is a good friend of mine, and we’ve known each other from before I even came out here, from the vocational association. They’ll be tough, they’re a good football team to play.”