UTICA, NY - Pioneer Football takes to the thruway this weekend in the first of two road games to finish the 2024 season as they head to Hamburg for a meeting with Hilbert. This will be the first of two matchups that will see the Pioneers head west, with the team traveling to face Fisher following this weekend's contest. This weekend, the Pioneers and Hawks will faceoff on Saturday at 2:00 PM from St. Francis High School in Hamburg, New York.
 
How to Watch: Follow along live with this Saturday's action by clicking the "Watch" tab on our football schedule page, or by following the link below.
You can stream this weekend's contest here:
https://www.stfrancishigh.org/athletics/livestream
 
Live Statistics: Get live statistics updates for every Football matchup by following the link below, or by selecting the "live stats" tab under each matchup on our 2024 football schedule page.
Follow along with Live Statistics here: https://hilberthawks.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
 
Vs SUNY Brockport Recap: Pioneer Football met Brockport on ABM Field Saturday afternoon following a well-orchestrated Senior Day Ceremony where the Orange and Blue honored a spectacular group of student staff, student coaches, and players. The stellar energy from the ceremony poured over into the matchup as the Pioneers struck immediately against a Brockport defense that hadn't allowed a single score in Empire 8 play up to that point. Despite the strong start from Utica, the Golden Eagles slowly crept back into the game, eventually taking and holding a 20-10 lead and leaving Gaetano Stadium with a close win to remain undefeated in conference play.
 
The Pioneers picked up many important first downs during the crucial contest, moving the ball very well against a previously unblemished Brockport defensive unit. Utica picked up 289 total yards in the contest, earning 75 yards on the ground and 214 through the air. The Pioneers managed to out-gain the visitors during aerial combat, accruing 14 more passing yards than the Golden Eagles.
 
Despite being outgained by almost 200 yards due in large part to a lethal Brockport rushing attack, the Pioneers key affinity for nabbing first downs at opportune times led to the first down margin being fairly equal, with Utica achieving 16 first downs, only four less than the Golden Eagles' 20.
 
The Pioneers were also efficient on their redzone opportunities, nearly converting at a 100% rate but settling for two-out-of-three against the Brockport defense.
 
Brett Fuller (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) had all of the 214 passing yards for the Pioneers, achieving that total by way of 26 completions.
 
Matt Brantley (Rochester, NY/Eastridge) was the leading rusher for Utica in the afternoon, getting 61 yards on 12 attempts and scoring the Pioneers' lone touchdown on the first offensive play from scrimmage.
 
Darius Johnson (Webster, NY/Webster) topped the Pioneer tackle charts yet again, keeping up a streak of immaculate defensive prowess. He also found himself on the receiving end of a Brockport pass, hauling in the interception late in the second quarter after a batted ball from Pioneer Defensive Lineman Jordyn Davis (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale).
 
John Stroughn (Baldwin, NY/Holy Trinity), Mekhi Bailey (Auburn, NY/Auburn), and Nick DiStefano (Roxbury, NJ/Webster Schroeder) each ended the matchup with seven tackles, with Stroughn also picking up half of a sack alongside the aforementioned Davis.
 
Pioneer Prestige: The Pioneers immediately put a scratch on a previously spotless Brockport defensive unit during Saturday's action, notching the first score against the vaunted Golden Eagles defense in Empire 8 play this season. Utica managed to win the turnover battle, achieving three takeaways compared to Brockport's one, but couldn't take advantage of their opportunities against a sturdy Golden Eagle squad.
 
Stroughn also earned half-a-sack on Saturday, meaning he is now just one sack away from tying the all-time Pioneer sack record held by Nick Woodman. Woodman had 29.5 sacks over the course of his career and Stroughn is now directly behind him with 28.5. Stroughn will have a difficult time achieving the record this weekend just due to the playstyle of a Hilbert squad that only has 24 total passing attempts on the season, but if they drop back, Stroughn will absolutely be on the hunt. Fisher next week may present a better chance, with the Cardinals totaling 211 passing attempts, nonetheless, Stroughn still has 120 minutes of regular season time left to reach the mark.
 
Stroughn has already recorded a different record this season, with the Graduate Student now owning the Pioneer career record for yards from sacks. The Baldwin, NY native has now cost opposing teams 155 yards through his 28.5 QB takedowns, eight more yards than Woodman who now ranks second with 147 yards from sacks. Stroughn will put the finishing touches on a legendary career over the next few weekends.
 
Empire 8 Elite: Fuller's stayed near the top of the conference QB rankings after a solid start against the gritty Golden Eagles. Fuller currently ranks second in passing yards (1,640), second in passing touchdowns (16), second in passing yards per game (205), and first in completions (160).
 
Matt Brantley (Rochester, NY/Eastridge) is still third in the conference for total rushing yards, having gained 672 yards on the ground this season. The Pioneer Captain has rushed for an average of 84 yards per game, and has an average of six yards per attempt. Brantley is also eighth in the conference for all-purpose yards per game, with the Rochester native checking in at 90.3 total yards per contest.
 
Stroughn trails the league leader in sacks by half-a-tally, with Ben Robinson of Brockport taking the top spot at six QB takedowns and Stroughn less than a sack behind with 5.5. The race to crown this year's Empire 8 Sack Champion will come down to the wire, with both teams having two games remaining. Stroughn, along with fellow line-wrecker Doug Simmons (White Plains, NY/Archbishop Stepinac) have had good follow up seasons after both players finished second in the conference last year with eight sacks each. This year, Stroughn is in second with 5.5 while Simmons is in fourth with four.
 
Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley) finds himself in a couple battles against different Brockport defensive backs for the top spot in some major conference coverage rankings. Douglas is tied for tops in the Empire 8 in passes defended with nine. Malik Kelly of the Golden Eagles is Douglas' direct opponent, and both players are at least two breakups ahead of the next closest player.
 
The Ausable Forks native is also in a competition for the league lead in interceptions, as both Douglas and Elijah Grooms of Brockport are tied at the top with four interceptions.
 
The Series - Hilbert: This will be the first meeting between the Pioneers and the Hawks, with Hilbert participating in their third season as a program and first season within the Empire 8.
 
2024 Hilbert Outlook: Hilbert is in their third season of competition after the program played their debut season in 2022. The Hawks played a non-league schedule during their first two seasons of play, with the Buffalo-based team joining the Empire 8 ahead of the 2024 season. The Hawks have experienced a rugged schedule against lots of established programs within the Empire 8, and are going through the trials common of a newly-formed program during their first season in conference play.
 
The Hawks are a heavy rushing team, and even that may be an understatement. Hilbert has just 24 passing attempts, but sports a colossal 410 rushing attempts, nearly 200 more than the Pioneers. The Hawks definitely do most of their damage through the ground game, establishing a very old-school style of football.
 
Quarterback Mike Hanlon is the team's leading rusher with 492 yards, which paints a picture of the type of run-heavy offense that the Hawks like to play.
 
Statcast: Here's a breakdown of Hilbert and Utica's 2024 statistics.
 

OFFENSIVE	Hilbert	Utica
Points Per Game	4.6	29.8
First Downs Per Game	8.9	17.9
Rushing Yards Per Game	115.8	144.3
Yards Per Carry	2.5	5
Rushing Touchdowns	5	10
Fumbles Lost	19	4
Passing Yards Per Game	21.3	218.1
Yards Per Attempt	8	6.2
Passing Touchdowns	1	17
Interceptions Thrown	3	7
Sacks Allowed	9	11
Total Yards Per Game	137.1	362.4
Total Touchdowns	6	33
Time of Poss. Per Game	31:50	30:00
3rd Down Conversions	20-103 (19.42%)	43-109 (39.45%)
DEFENSIVE
Points Allowed Per Game	49.8	24.88
1st Downs All. Per Game	21.4	19.6
Rushing Yards All. Per Game	201.9	162.1
Rushing Touchdowns All.	25	15
Passing Yards All. Per Game	213.1	203.50
Passing Touchdowns All.	33	11
Total Yards All. Per Game	415	365.6
Touchdowns All.	61	27
Interceptions Created	4	8
Fumbles Recovered	1	8
Sacks	6	18
Record	0-9	3-5

 
After Hilbert: The Pioneers will complete their 2024 regular season campaign next weekend when they travel to play St. John Fisher.
 
Tune in this weekend when the Pioneers take on Hilbert!