The Pioneers jump into the fire quickly this Saturday morning when they step up four divisions to take on Masconomet in Boxford at 9:30. Last season, the Pioneers opened the preseason with a dual scrimmage against Masco and Revere. This year it will be the Division 3A Pioneers against the powerful Division 1A Chieftains one on one.
Last year head coach Neal Weidman was looking to fill gaping holes from the 2009-10 squads. This year he has a good deal more experience. Among the 65 players that turned out for the first practice, thirteen either started or saw significant playing time last year. Seventeen seniors populate the roster led by captains Mike Karavetsos (All CAL/Division 4 quarterback), Andrew Kibarian and D. J. DeGeorge (both All CAL/Div 4 defensive linemen), Alex Pascucci (All CAL/Div 4 Honorable Mention receiver) and Tyler Palumbo (All CAL/Div 4 Honorable Mention linebacker). Returning linebackers Alex Roper and Kyle McGah, both earned All CAL/Div 4 Honorable Mention as well.
“I think they’re going to work at it,” Weidman said of the group. “I need to talk to them about commitment but if they show up everyday to practice hard, they have a chance to be a good team.”
“It’s a good group,” Weidman said after getting his first look at the squad last Monday. “It wasn’t a bad first day. Not as crisp as I would have liked but I threw a lot more at them then I did last year because of the experience.”
Lynnfield Pioneer Football Club
Friends of Lynnfield Football has been reorganized as the new Lynnfield Pioneer Football Club, Tracy Karavetsos has informed me. There is a brand new website at www.lynnfieldpioneersfootball.com which Tracy encourages everyone to visit. There is also a new facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LynnfieldPioneerFootballClub. The goal is to get 100 "Likes" by opening night and as I type this, they have already reached 52 so that goal may have to be nudged upward.
"The reason we dropped Friends of Lynnfield Football and formed this new nonprofit, the Lynnfield Pioneer Football Club, was to separate from the school so we can now accept donations," Tracy said. "We are looking to this as a way to build the football program. We are having a golf tournament on October 3rd at the Black Swan Country Club in Georgetown as our first big fundraiser."
The parents all work hard behind the scenes to help the boys and this is another step in that direction. I'm sure they will appreciate everyone's support.
Preseason Notes:
- For those of you who might have been worried, no need to fret. The Voice of the Pioneers, Tom Waisnor, will be back behind the microphone for all home games at Pioneer Field at the Middle School this season. We all know what a tremendous job Tom does and the effort he puts in so it's good news that he will be back in the booth.
- Interesting news out of Newburyport, where the Pioneers will open the regular season on Friday night September 7. Clipper quarterback Conor Wile, who torched the Pioneers on opening day last year with a 12 for 19, 167 yard, 2 TD performance, may not be available to begin the season.
According to Dan Guttenplan of the Newburyport News, Wile didn't take all of the snaps at the Clippers opening preseason practice.
"Wile, who set Newburyport passing records for single-season yardage and touchdowns last fall, suffered a torn labrum prior before the start of the baseball season last spring," wrote Guttenplan. "After starting at catcher as a sophomore on Newburyport’s state-championship baseball team, Wile did not play a single game last spring. He still has yet to receive clearance from doctors or trainers to return to contact drills on the football field."
Guttenplan went on to report that Clipper head coach Ed Gaudiano was "unsure yesterday of whether Wile would be available for the regular-season opener" against Lynnfield.
- Guttenplan also reported that the Clippers had 52 players turn out for first practice. Amesbury, the Pioneers' second opponent, had 64 players on hand to start the preseason.
- Matt Williams of the Salem Evening News wrote his opening preseason article today and sees Hamilton Wenham as the preseason favorite in the CAL/NEC 4 Division. But Williams also had some love for the Chestnut Street Rivals.
"Look for Lynnfield to challenge the Generals in Tier 4, but don’t overlook North Reading," Williams wrote. "Carl Lipani is a threat to go for 2,000 yards on the ground after tearing up the Tier last year and could carry the Hornets to the playoffs."
Williams also predicted that Masco, the Pioneers' scrimmage opponent on Saturday morning, might just take the Division 1A CAL/NEC 1. Lynnfield will certainly get a test against the Chieftains and their outstanding running back Mike Tivinis in the contest.
That's it for now. Check back over the weekend and I'll have some notes on the scrimmage. Also don't forget you can follow me on Twitter at @condardogrdblog. I provide in game updates for those that can't attend the game and also notifications when I post here on the Gridblog.
The Boys of Autumn are back. Let's get started.
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