by Tom Condardo
The Pioneers have just about a week of practice under their belts and are ready to kick off their pre season scrimmage schedule Saturday morning, so I thought this would be a good time to take a quick look back. In particular, the past three years under the new playoff format.
The Pioneers played 21 games in the run up to three straight playoff berths and were a near perfect 20-1. Their only loss was a controversial (if you call scoring a TD at the end of the first half on a bonus play with no time left controversial - yes I'm still bitter) 22-15 defeat to Danvers. In the 20 victories, the Pioneers outscored their 15 league opponents and 5 non league opponents 729-89, an 8 to 1 margin. Their average winning score was 37-5 with 10 of the games shutouts.
Eye-popping. Incredible. Also, unsustainable.
It would be tough for any team to follow that performance, but this year will be particularly difficult to continue that trend for two big reasons: younger squad, tougher schedule.
That's not to say this year's team won't be competitive - head coach Neal Weidman and his staff will make sure they will be. In fact, Danny V's of the Boston Herald has the Pioneers ranked third in Division 3A behind Saint Mary's and Winthrop.
But the hard fact is that in the past two years the Pioneers have graduated nearly 40 seniors including a host of all-league players. No one wants to use the "R" word (rebuilding) - but the Pioneers have significant holes to fill this year. That's also been the case the last several years, but the Pioneers have been able to rely on large senior classes ready to step in and take over.
Weidman has pointed out that things are a bit different this season.
"The seniors have worked hard and they're ready for their senior year," the coach told me. "There just aren't a lot of them."
Only a dozen 12th graders are on the roster, the smallest group in three years. And football is a game of numbers in general and numbers of seniors in particular. The Pioneers certainly have the numbers - 72 players make up the pre season roster - but more than half (41) are freshmen and sophomores, which means more juniors and sophomores will likely be playing than in recent years. There is still a lot of talent in the Lynnfield cupboard, but it's hard to make up for experience.
Then there's the schedule.
The Pioneers will be playing only six pre-playoff games with Georgetown dropping out of the CAL to play an independent football schedule. Of those half dozen Lynnfield opponents, four are ranked in the top eight in their division - in other words playoff teams - according to the just released ratings from the Herald's Dan Ventura.
The Pioneers open on the road in the refurbished House of Lynnfield Horrors in Newburyport against a Clipper team ranked eighth in D3 and playing under a new head coach. That's followed by the home opener against Danvers, ranked fifth in D2A, two divisions higher than Lynnfield. The CAL Baker opener will be in Amesbury followed by another home game against the resurgent Ipswich Tigers who were 6-5 last year and are ranked fifth in D3, two slots behind the Pioneers. They follow that with another game at Pioneer Stadium against Manchester Essex, ranked sixth in D4.
With Georgetown gone, the Pioneers have a bye the following week and then wrap up their Baker schedule against Hamilton Wenham and new coach Jim Pugh, former head coach of powerhouse Masco.
In the first three years of the playoff format, the Pioneers only had to finish first or second in their league to clinch a playoff berth, but that's not the case this year. There are no automatic qualifiers in the CAL so the Pioneers have to finish in the top eight of the 12 team D3 based on their points rating.
They have the opportunity to run up some points since their first three games are against teams in higher divisions, meaning a victory would give them 12 points instead of 10.
Weidman is certainly preparing the Pioneers for the rugged road ahead based on their three preseason scrimmages. They kick it off Saturday in Boxford in a 9 am scrimmage/practice against Masco, the number six team in D2, followed by a visit to Salem against D2A Salem, and finishing up the Friday before Labor Day against Melrose, the top rated team in D2A.
Needless to say, we'll know a lot more by Labor Day. Stay tuned.
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