Football | 10/11/2025 10:18:00 PM
UTICA, NY - The Pioneers welcomed Morrisville to Gaetano Stadium on Saturday afternoon with the chance to add another conference win to their strong 2025 resume ahead of the bye. In the team's Breast Cancer Awareness matchup, the Pioneers improved upon their redzone struggles from the previous weekend, using some creative sets to take a 20-0 lead by half. The defense would then hold off a late rally, with Nicholas DeForrest grabbing two game-ending sacks on the Mustangs' final chance to help push the Pioneers to a 27-21 win.
Utica improved to 4-2 with the win, moving to 2-1 in conference play heading into the bye week. Morrisville fell to 0-6, also dropping to 0-3 in Empire 8 play.
Saturday Spotlight: The Pioneers found their redzone weapon today, as the "Raven set" reigned supreme during the victory. Matthew Pallouras burst into the endzone three times on Saturday afternoon, racking up a hat trick of touchdowns, including an opening score that saw him go fully horizontal for the pylon push.
Despite rushing for just 29 yards, Pallouras was nearly unstoppable in clutch situations, with three of his eight rushes creating first downs, and another three seeing him break the plane. Pallouras had a convoy on every opportunity, as the team blocked at a high level during each Raven rushing attempt.
On the defensive side, the Pioneers put together an excellent team effort, especially in the open field. Although after a big Morrisville rally in the fourth quarter, the game's lasting image became that of Nicholas DeForrest, who secured two sacks in a three-play span, costing the Mustangs 37 yards and ending the affair in emphatic fashion.
Thanks to these timely plays by a pair of explosive players, the Pioneers were able to halt a late Morrisville push, securing the victory and remaining unbeaten at home heading into their bye week.
Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter
8:11 | 7-0 UTC | Bryce Palmer - 18-yard pass from Tyler Szalkwoski (Nico Duarte XP) - 7 plays, 63 yards (3:48)
2nd Quarter
6:44 | 14-0 UTC | Matthew Pallouras - 4-yard rush (Nico Duarte XP) - 13 plays, 81 yards (7:37)
0:20 | 20-0 UTC | Matthew Pallouras - 1-yard rush - 10 plays, 80 yards (1:11)
3rd Quarter
11:11 | 20-7 UTC | Mason Ondreyko - 9-yard pass from Logan Watson (Ryan Fish XP) - 4 plays, 14 yards (1:37)
6:02 | 27-7 UTC | Matthew Pallouras - 7-yard rush (Nico Duarte XP) - 9 plays, 61 yards (5:02)
4th Quarter
10:20 | 27-14 UTC | Isaac Sylvain - 6-yard rush (Ryan Fish XP) - 10 plays, 55 yards (3:18)
4:03 | 27-21 UTC | Logan Watson - 3-yard rush (Ryan Fish XP) - 10 plays, 49 yards (4:41)
Offensive Highlights: Against a Mustang team that favored dropping loads of players into coverage, the Pioneers looked to get the underneath game going in this one.
Leading that charge was Bryce Palmer, who, despite logging 109 receiving yards in the contest, accrued 94 of those yards after the catch, effectively becoming the Pioneers' primary source of strength underneath. Palmer finished with 10 catches for the aforementioned 109 yards and a touchdown, getting back on track as the Pioneers' most versatile weapon. Palmer, much like Antonio Cianfarani did the previous week, also passed the 1,000 career receiving yards mark on Saturday, boosting his total to 1003.
Speaking of Cianfarani, he also had a solid outing, securing four catches for 72 yards.
Aside from Palmer, Eze Frazier slotted in as the Pioneers' ground general, rushing for 97 yards on 19 attempts, averaging almost 5.1 yards per carry. The orange and blue game plan coming into this matchup was to establish the rush, and the efforts of Frazier, along with Pallouras, helped the team achieve that goal.
Under center, Tyler Szalkowski had another solid day, completing 21 of 29 passes for 249 yards and a single passing score. He also helped lead another last-minute touchdown drive headed into halftime, helping the team score seconds before the midway mark for the third consecutive time at home this season.
Defensive Highlights: The Pioneers were dominant in the open field on Saturday, allowing barely any Morrisville ball carriers to break tackles during the matchup. The team saw a variety of defenders contribute to an effort that saw Morrisville log just 94 passing yards. The Pioneers also managed to record 31 solo tackles, an impressive number that showcased the team's strength in one-on-one battles.
Isaiah Thomas had another monster game from the linebacker position, filling a void left by the departure of fellow backer Ceejay Newton early in the game. Thomas made up the extra ground by himself, logging an unbelievable game-high 17 tackles (four solo) while also recording a key quarterback hurry on the Mustangs' final possession. His 17 tackles tied for 10th in the Pioneers' single-game total tackles column.
Out wide, Jah-Kobiah Cancer had a career day, tackling any and all challengers on the wings as he gathered a game-high eight solo tackles. Cancer finished with nine total tackles, also picking up a breakup and a tackle for loss during the action.
Jordyn Davis led a defensive front that was sturdy throughout the entire contest, with the Pioneer Captain racking up nine total tackles (four solo) from his spot on the interior line. Much like DeForrest and Thomas, Davis contributed to an incredible four-play sequence that won the game for the Pioneers in the final moments. Davis grabbed the third down stop, recording a pass breakup at the line, which sent the game to fourth down, where DeForrest would eventually secure the victory.
Other notable defensive performances:
Mason Miranowicz - six tackles (two solo), one pass breakup
Nick Graziano - three tackles (two solo), one sack
The Specialists: Nico Duarte nailed all three of his extra point attempts in the matchup, while Devin Taylor boomed all three of his punts, averaging 43.7 yards per kick and even launching a 50-yard boot late in the game.
Who's Next?: The Pioneers will hit the bye week this coming week, and will be off until the following weekend when they head to Alfred University. That matchup with the Saxons is slated for a 12:00 PM kickoff at Yunevich Stadium on Saturday, October 11th.