An excellent performance from the No. 13 Pioneers special teams forced two fumbles and allowed ample opportunities for the offense, setting the stage for a 49-19 Pioneer win.
“Defense and special teams were able to pull off some quick turnovers in the first half that allowed us to put some quick points on the board,” head coach Mike Emendorfer said. “We spend a lot of time on special teams because we know how crucial that phase of the game can be in big games.”
Quarterback John Kelly once again had a career night going 30-41 for 414 yards passing and four touchdowns. The Kelly-led offense moved the ball at will, generating 507 yards of total offense.
Kelly’s favorite target of the night was junior wide receiver Ryley Bailey, who had 11 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
Bailey was named WIAC Offensive Player of the Week, and senior defensive back Ryan McWethy was named WIAC Defensive Player of the Week.
“The bye week really gave us time to prepare and sharpen our skills, and as a result, we looked pretty sharp tonight,” Kelly said. “It was a very good team win.”
“We wanted to win this game real bad,” Bailey said. “Our offensive line really played well, they gave us time to get to open spots and gave (Kelly) time to deliver the ball to us.”
While the rushing game did not have quite the night that the Pioneers are accustomed to, it proved crucial to the offensive efficiency.
“Teams have to account for what senior running backs Lee Vlasak and Hank McIvor do in the rushing game. We feel that no matter what the defense gave us the match ups were in our favor,” Emendorfer said.
The Pioneer defense did their part in the win, intercepting Blugold quarterback Austin Neu twice and only allowing four conversions on 13 third-down attempts.
“We got a little lucky,” McWethy said. “The quarterback was showing us where he was going to throw the ball with his eyes and we were able to make a couple of plays off of it.”
While the Pioneers made easy work of the Blugolds, they will have a tougher task next week when they square off against WIAC rival University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The match up with the fourth ranked team in the country could be a crucial turning point for the Pioneer season.
If the Pioneers beat the Warhawks, they could be looking at a top-five ranking in the country and could make a push towards a playoff berth.
“While it’s easy to get caught up in the Whitewater game, we like to focus on having a faceless opponent each week,” Bailey said. “We will watch film and get prepared, but it’s about what we do and playing Pioneer football and that is what it will take to beat Whitewater.”
