The Willow Glen Resident

Pioneer runs to an easy win over Yerba Buena

By Dick Sparrer

Leigh Mayer or Ryan Miksch.

Bryan Collins or Mike Wiens.

It didn't matter much to the Pioneer Mustangs who was carrying the football when they battled Yerba Buena in the league opener for each club last week.

Pioneer ran up 275 yards on the ground on the way to a lopsided 38-6 win over the Warriors in the first week of the season in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

In all, seven Pioneer backs combined their efforts to run up the big rushing numbers.

Wiens, a sophomore, led the ground show with 65 yards on eight carries. Miksch, a senior, supported with 59 yards on just five carries, and Mayer, another senior, carried six times for 55 yards and two touchdowns.

Collins, the big junior fullback for the Mustangs, ran six times for 34 yards.

Ryan Brown picked up 29 yards on just two totes, and Ted Lopez scooted for 26 yards on six carries. Ryan Sexauer had one run for eight yards.

Pioneer scored quickly on its first possession against the Warriors. An 18-yard run by Miksch set up a seven-yard touchdown run by Mayer. Brian Sturges kicked the first of his five extra points.

Grant Murdock, Casey Olsen, Rob Basuino and Nick Ruocchio combined forces defensively to stop Yerba Buena after the kick-off. The Warriors tried to run for the first down on a fourth-down play, but Kevin Gelardi, Sexauer and Basuino converged on the ball carrier to drop him in the backfield.

Four plays later, the Mustangs scored again, this time on 22-yard run by Miksch.

Sturges booted a 26-yard field goal to give the Mustangs a 17-0 lead at the half, then the Mustangs scored on their first three possessions of the second half on TD runs by Mayer, Wiens and Lopes.

Paul Purdy led the Pioneer defensive effort in the win with 11 tackles. Basuino, Gelardi, Lopez, Ruoccho, Olsen and Brown were other defensive standouts for the Mustangs.

Greg Haskell led the air show for Pioneer, hitting on four of eight passes for 25 yards. Mayer, Miksch, Wiens and Ruocchio each pulled in passes for the Mustangs.

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