Football | 9/5/2026 5:53:00 PM
UTICA, NY - Eight straight, believe it! The Pioneers opened up the 2026 season today with a massive victory over two-time reigning PAC Champion Washington and Jefferson. The 26-11 win saw the orange and blue emerge victorious for the eighth straight time in the Mastrovito Family Auto Group Believe Bowl, taking all eight matchups in emphatic fashion. The Pioneers controlled the game from the start, using a dominant defensive effort and a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull away from the Presidents and secure a victory in front of a raucous Utica crowd.
The Pioneers got on the board with just 21 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, as Nico Duarte connected on a 22-yard field goal to give Utica an early 3-0 advantage. Duarte would remain perfect throughout the afternoon, adding three more field goals throughout the game. The senior kicker nailed a career-high 41-yarder while making all his extra point attempts, becoming just the third kicker in program history to make four field goals in a single contest. His efforts guided the Pioneers to a 9-0 halftime lead. Washington & Jefferson finally broke through with a 38-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, but Duarte answered with his fourth field goal of the day to restore Utica's nine-point advantage.
Utica's offense finally found the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Tyler Szalkowski connected with Gabriel Zawolo for a 36-yard touchdown pass just 14 seconds into the final frame, extending the Pioneer lead to 19-3. The Presidents responded with a 17-yard touchdown run from Derek Burk to make it an eight-point game, but the Pioneers quickly put the game away as Szalkowski found Tyshawn Taylor for a 27-yard touchdown with 2:28 remaining. The score capped a five-play, 45-yard drive and pushed Utica's lead back to 15 points, sealing the season-opening victory.
Saturday Spotlight: There were many standout performances in the matchup, from Duarte's perfect afternoon to a powerful rushing performance by Eze Frazier, who racked up 116 ground yards and added 26 yards in the receiving game. However, it was the Pioneer defensive line that set the tone throughout Saturday's Mastrovito Auto Group Believe Bowl, consistently creating pressure and making life difficult for the Washington & Jefferson offense. The senior-laden group combined for four sacks and eight tackles for loss, helping Utica hold the Presidents to 288 total yards and just 135 yards through the air.
Senior defensive lineman Jordyn Davis led the charge with three tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup, while senior end Nicholas DeForrest added five tackles and a sack. Darrien Insogna was great off the bench, as he also recorded five tackles and a sack, while Mason Miranowicz chipped in with three tackles and half a sack. The defensive front consistently collapsed the pocket against Washington & Jefferson quarterbacks, who were sacked four times and held to an average of just 4.5 yards per passing attempt.
The defensive line's work was complemented by a strong performance from the rest of the Pioneer defense. Isaiah Thomas led all Utica defenders with 11 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, while Nathan Hernandez, Jah-Kobiah Cancer, and the rest of the Pioneer secondary kept the Presidents quiet through the air.
Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter
0:21 | 3-0 UTC | Nico Duarte - 22-yard field goal - 6 plays, 52 yards (2:21)
2nd Quarter
12:35 | 6-0 UTC | Nico Duarte - 22-yard field goal - 6 plays, 11 yards (2:42)
2:47 | 9-0 UTC | Nico Duarte - 41-yard field goal - 5 plays, 21 yards (2:39)
3rd Quarter
10:20 | 9-3 UTC | Deven Wyandt - 38-yard field goal - 11 plays, 56 yards (4:34)
5:10 | 12-3 UTC | Nico Duarte - 27-yard field goal - 9 plays, 55 yards (5:10)
4th Quarter
14:46 | 19-3 UTC | Gabriel Zawolo - 36-yard pass from Tyler Szalkowski - 5 plays, 77 yards (2:44)
11:03 | 19-11 UTC | Derek Burk - 17-yard rush (Braylon Wagner two-point rush) - 9 plays, 65 yards (3:43)
2:28 | 26-11 UTC | Tyshawn Taylor - 27-yard pass from Tyler Szalkowski - 5 plays, 45 yards (2:28)
Offensive Highlights: The Pioneers finished the season-opener with 423 total yards, including 302 through the air and 121 on the ground. Utica picked up 22 first downs and held the ball for 34:53, nearly 10 minutes longer than the Presidents. The Pioneers were particularly effective through the air, averaging 10.1 yards per passing attempt while Szalkowski completed 70 percent of his passes.
Speaking of Szalkowski, last year's Gagliardi Semifinalist remained in great form, opening his season with an impressive performance through the air, completing 21 of 30 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns. His two touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter, with the first finding Zawolo for a 36-yard score before Taylor hauled in a 27-yard touchdown later in the frame.
Szalkowski had several weapons at his disposal on a new-look offense, led by Logan Frederick, who hauled in eight passes for 101 yards, both of which were game-highs. The pre-season All-American was his normal self in the open field, grabbing 56 of his 101 yards after the catch. Taylor added five receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown, while Zawolo finished with three catches for 45 yards and a score. Zawolo's initial touchdown was also the second straight season-opening score for the senior, as he caught Szalkowski's first Pioneer touchdown during last year's season-opening contest at W&J. Lorenzo Velez rounded out the receiving corps, also contributed three receptions for 38 yards.
The Pioneers received a very strong performance from running back Eze Frazier, who carried the ball 18 times for 116 yards. Frazier averaged 6.4 yards per carry and broke off a game-long 31-yard rush down the right sideline, helping Utica finish the afternoon with 121 rushing yards. The senior back was efficient up the middle, juking his way through an array of President defenders. He also hauled in a highlight-reel one-handed grab to extend a Pioneer drive midway through the matchup. Frazier looked stellar to start his senior season, and his development has increased the balance of a high-powered Pioneer offense.
Finally, the Pioneer offensive line held its ground against a menacing defensive front, not allowing a single sack by its opposition in the contest.
Utica also showed an ability to sustain drives throughout the afternoon, converting four of 11 third-down attempts and one of two fourth-down opportunities. The Pioneers went 4-for-6 in the red zone, with Duarte's four field goals providing a critical source of offense before the team's fourth-quarter touchdown surge.
Defensive Highlights: The Pioneer defense kept Washington & Jefferson off the scoreboard for the first 30 minutes and limited the Presidents to 288 yards of total offense. While Washington & Jefferson found success on the ground behind Andrew Sharp's 150 rushing yards, the Pioneer defense consistently made plays in the passing game and in the backfield. W&J completed just 15 of 30 passes for 135 yards, while Utica recorded four sacks, eight tackles for loss and three takeaways.
Thomas led the Pioneers with 11 total tackles, followed by Cancer and Lake with seven apiece. Davis, DeForrest, Insogna and Miranowicz combined for the four sacks, while Nathan Hernandez recorded an interception and a pass breakup. The defense also held the Presidents to just two third-down conversions on nine attempts, forcing Washington & Jefferson to struggle to sustain drives for much of the afternoon.
The Pioneer defense was especially strong, and the team could have widened the gap many times throughout the contest if it wasn't for the timely play of W&J's red zone defense.
Specialists: Duarte was perfect on all four of his field-goal attempts, connecting from 22, 22, 41, and 27 yards to account for 12 Pioneer points. His 41-yard make in the second quarter was the longest of the afternoon and helped Utica carry a 9-0 advantage into halftime.
The other specs units were also outstanding, with Brady Rhatigan scooping up a fumble on the kickoff unit, while Zawolo contributed 65 yards on four returns, including a 27-yard return late in the contest to allow the team to salt away the clock. Zawolo averaged 16.3 yards per return.
Szalkowski (yes, you read that correctly) also handled the lone Pioneer punt of the game, booting a 50-yard blast that was nearly fielded at the one-yard line. The punt landed inches over the goal line and was almost kept in play by a pair of Pioneer specialists.
Up Next: The Pioneers now move to 1-0 on the young season after the big Mastrovito Auto Group Believe Bowl victory. They will head down the thruway to Troy next Saturday for a meeting with the RPI Engineers. RPI took down WPI in the annual Transit Trophy Game and will be out for revenge after the Pioneers deftly defeated them during the 2025 Believe Bowl. Next Saturday's matchup will kick off at 12:00 PM at ECAV Stadium.