Pioneers to Host Nemesis Newburyport in Opener

It feels odd to write that a game against Newburyport doesn't really matter, but in the new world order of 2011 (or at least in the world of north shore football), it really doesn't.

One of the beneficial byproducts of the merger of the Cape Ann League and the Northeast Conference into the 24 team superconference, is that the Clippers no longer stand in the way of the Pioneers' title hopes. The CAL/NEC has broken into four leagues of six team each. Lynnfield is in the CAL/NEC 4 with North Reading, Hamilton Wenham, Ipswich, Georgetown and Manchester-Essex.

Say bye bye to Newburyport and Amesbury who move up to the CAL/NEC 3 to join Triton, Pentucket, Winthrop and Saugus.

Well not really bye bye, but more like so long since the Pioneers will still play Newburyport, along with Amesbury and Pentucket. But those games no longer become life and death struggles with league title implications on the line.

So when the Clippers sail into town Saturday morning to open the season, it will be a non-league game. Of course that isn't to say the game won't still be intense. This year will be particularly interesting since it was Newburyport that derailed the Pioneer express last season.

After reeling off seven straight wins to start the 2010 season, the Pioneers cruised into Newburyport and were broadsided by the Clippers by a 24-7 count. The Pioneers would later lose a one point heartbreaker to Hamilton Wenham that officially ended their hopes of winning a second straight CAL Small crown.  But even if they had beaten the Generals, the loss to Newburyport would have kept them from repeating anyway.

You know that revenge has to be on the Pioneers' mind when they kick off against Newburyport.

Not that the Pioneers need any more inspiration when facing the Clippers.

Newburyport has been the brussels sprouts on Lynnfield's dinner plate since the two became charter members of the Cape Ann League in 1973. The Pioneers are 8-30 since then, by far their poorest record against any opponent.

In recent years, it has been even worse. Lynnfield is 3-21 since 1987 having been outscored 641-251 in those 24 games.

The Pioneers have had a few great moments against Newburyport, the biggest coming in 1977 when a 2-6 Pioneer team upset the Clippers 6-0 ending what had been the longest winning streak in Eastern Mass football at 38 games. But those high points have been few and far between.

Saturday's battle figures to be an evenly matched one. Both teams are faced with replacing talented players lost to graduation on both sides of the ball. Both teams will be looking at new quarterbacks but that is where the similarity ends.

The Pioneers' strength and experience lies in its offensive and defensive lines. Tri-Captains Jon Roberto and John Gaff lead a strong trench brigade. Tri captain Mike Thomas is an experienced running back, having picked up 445 yards and five touchdowns last season.

After that, the Pioneers get a little green.

Junior quarterback Mike Karavetsos was 2 for 5 for 8 yards and rushed 6 times for 38 yards last season. His main receiving corps of Alex Pascucci, Dan Ashwell, Steve Yobaccio, John Rogers and Niko Varano combined for three catches last season. Rogers and Varano weren't even on the squad.

And behind Thomas in the running game are Tyler Palumbo and Kyle McGah who combined had 17 carries for 71 yards and one touchdown by McGah.

But for a frame of reference, going into last season, Tri-captain Jeff Gannon and Thomas had combined for 133 yards and zero touchdowns in 2009. Last year that pair exploded for 903 yards and 13 TD's.

Lynnfield's young group of skill position players will need to make a similar jump in production for the Pioneers to be successful in 2011.

The Clippers graduated 13 players including quarterback Ryan O'Connor but they have nearly the opposite problem than the Pioneers. Their talent exodus came out of their offensive and defensive lines including mammoth tackles Tim Regan and Tim Lawler.

They will have an inexperienced quarterback in junior Connor Wile, but he will be surrounded by seasoned weapons. Receiver Brett Fontaine and tight end Jim Conway are back as is running back Tyler Martin who burned the Pioneers for 92 yards in last year's upset. Fontaine had four catches for 54 yards while Conway had a pair of catches for 18 yards.

The fact that the Pioneers' strength (defensive line) matches up against the Clippers' weakness (inexperience offensive line) favors Lynnfield. The Pioneers faced two outstanding offensive lines in scrimmages against Masco and Northeast and were not able to stop them. This matchup should prove to be more favorable. If not, the young Pioneer defense could be in for a long day.

Meanwhile, Pioneer head coach Neal Weidman is focusing on the development of his team. As you read in my Villager preseason preview Wednesday, Weidman feels the Pioneers will need four or five games to hit their stride.

"We just have to make sure that we stay positive and continue to improve," Weidman told me. "We've definitely improved already.

"The biggest thing is that we need to be consistent on both sides of the ball," the coach continued. "Right now we're not on either side of the ball. We do well offensively and then it's a missed block here or a dropped pass there, we drop a snap or something else happens.

"Defensively, we stop them then (against Northeast) we give up a touchdown drive where we give up two fourth down conversions," Weidman said. "We have to get off the field. It's just a consistency thing."

But Weidman is not surprised at the state of his squad right now.

"I think we're about where I thought we would be," he said. "I knew it was going to take some time to get come guys varsity ready. We're still working on that piece."

So what happens if the Pioneers do struggle through what appears to be a very difficult non-league schedule?

"We have to talk to them and let them know that they are playing good teams and the experience will be good," Weidman said. "We just have to keep getting better. "

And he can also keep reminding them that the games that really matter don't start until October 21 when the Pioneers travel to Ipswich for the first league game. But until then, some good football lies ahead.

And appropriately enough, it all starts Saturday against Newburyport.

Let's kick this baby off. Game time at the Middle School Field is 11:00 am.