Sep. 18—It wasn’t always pretty but the Pioneer football team won its third straight game with a 46-19 win over Hammond Central on Friday night.
Hammond Central is a new $100 million school. The district closed its aging Clark, Gavit and Hammond high schools at the end of the 2020-21 school year and redistricted students between Hammond Central and Morton High School.
The Wolves (1-4) are a Class 5A football team. They were defeated by the Panthers (3-2) on Friday night.
It was a close game most of the way before the Panthers pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wolves 26-6 in the frame.
Cayden Hill got the scoring started for the Panthers with a 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The Wolves answered with a 47-yard pass play at the end of the quarter to get to within 8-6 after one.
Logan Smith had a 5-yard TD run followed by a 3-yard TD run by Rhylahn Toloza as Pioneer took a 20-6 lead into halftime.
The Wolves scored on a 39-yard fumble recovery to get within 20-13 with 4:44 left in the third quarter.
Brock Robinson started the Panthers’ scoring binge in the fourth quarter with a 37-yard TD run. The Wolves answered with an 18-yard TD pass to get to within 26-19.
But Robinson had a 3-yard TD run, followed by a 5-yard TD run by Hill and a 33-yard TD run by Toloza to cap the scoring as the Panthers won going away.
Pioneer coach Adam Berry told Hoosier Country 103.7-FM’s Skylar Sigman and Parker Englert after the game that his team finished strong and didn’t punt one time in the game. But for the first time in about three weeks they hurt themselves with mental mistakes and fumbles. Berry added that the Wolves’ starting quarterback was out and they weren’t at full strength which hurt them. But, as he said to the radio, “The second half defensively we played extremely well. … From the middle to the third quarter on we played great football.”
Pioneer hosts Triton next week.
GIRLS GOLF
WESTERN SECTIONAL
Cass shot a 478 to place 10th at the event held at Chippendale Golf Club.
Cass coach Charlie Jones said his Nos. 1 and 2 players were out but the team was still able to field a team score. Kassidy Henry led with a 104, followed by Savy Bowser (107), Maggie Taylor (122) and Zabrena Cunningham (145).
Cass golfed with Pioneer on Thursday at Pond View. The Kings had a 228 and the Panthers had an incomplete score.
Henry led the Kings with a 56. Other golfers for Cass included Kinsey Mennen (57), Bowser (57), Taylor (58) and Cunningham (67).
Pioneer had three golfers compete. Ashlynn Brooke led with a 49, followed by Emilie Schmaltz (52) and Meisha Price (57).
Pioneer competes at the Twin Lakes Sectional on Monday.
BOYS SOCCER
NCC TOURNEY
Logansport earned the No. 2 seed in the NCC West and the right to host its first-round game with Muncie Central today.
The game will start at 1 p.m. at the football stadium on the turf. Gates will open at 12:15 and entry is $6. Since this is a conference tournament, Logansport all-sport passes will not be accepted.
GIRLS SOCCER
NCC TOURNEY
Logansport will compete at Richmond today. The Berries will play Anderson at 10 a.m., with the winner playing Richmond at 2 p.m.