UTICA, NY - The wait is finally over. For the 25th time in program history, the Pioneers will take to the gridiron to begin a new campaign starting this Saturday in Washington, PA. This iteration of Utica Football returns lots of staple players from last season, while also blending in a mix of instant-impact transfers and much-anticipated rookies. Down below, we'll get you caught up on everything Utica Football ahead of their high-profile matchup with last year's PAC Champion: the Washington & Jefferson Presidents. Get your football fix with our 2025 Utica Football Season Preview!
 
Opening Weekend has Arrived: The Pioneers will be in action on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Pennsylvania to face one of the top teams in the nation from last year in Washington & Jefferson. Last season, the Presidents finished with a 9-2 record, claiming the 2024 PAC Championship and losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Randolph-Macon. This weekend's contest will be held at Cameron Stadium in Washington, Pennsylvania, starting at 12:00 PM sharp this Saturday, September 6th. Below is all the information you need for this weekend's season-opening showdown.
 
This weekend's matchup can be streamed by following this link: https://www.pacdigitalnetwork.com/presidents/ - PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS LINK MAY BE UPDATED LEADING UP TO SATURDAY. The official watch link will also be included on the matchup tab in our football schedule area come gameday.
 
Live stats can be viewed for the game by following this link: https://gopresidents.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
 
Looking for a ticket? Follow this link to purchase your seats online: https://events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/washjeff/L2VtYmVkL2FsbA%3D%3D
ALL TICKET SALES FOR THE W&J GAME WILL BE DONE THROUGH THIS LINK. Please purchase your ticket prior to arriving at the stadium.
 
25th Season: This year marks the 25th season of Utica Football. All season, the Pioneers will celebrate all of those who came before, honoring the legacy of many Pioneers who paved the way for Utica Football to be the household name it is today. Notable among these celebrations will be the Homecoming festivities, where Utica Football Class of 2010 Eric Kahl will be inducted into the Pioneer Hall of Fame. Fans can attend a special ceremony at halftime of the Homecoming game against Alfred State to be a part of this special moment. The team will also be honoring other players and moments throughout the season, so be sure to stay tuned for all the festivities. Who will be leading the Pioneers into this 25th campaign? Here are the list of leaders for the team this season…
 
Leading the Way: The Pioneers are proud to announce their 2025 Captains, with information on each player listed below:
 
Captain - #0 | Antonio Cianfarani (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville): Cianfarani enters his fourth season with the Pioneers, looking to have a landmark season following his Empire 8 All-Conference Third Team selection in 2024. After hauling in 28 receptions for 394 yards and three touchdowns. Cianfarani will lead a powerful Pioneer skill group, with the team oozing talent at all spots across the receiving corps.


 
Captain - #18 | Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute): On the other end of the Cianfarani connection will be a newcomer to the orange and blue: the University of Albany transfer Szalkowski. The incoming QB wowed in training camp, gaining the respect of his peers enough to be selected as a captain in his debut season with the team. Szalkowski hopes to impress in his debut season at the Division III level, bringing lots of experience from Albany and fellow Division I program Robert Morris. One of Rochester's all-time great high school players will try to start making a mark further down the thruway with the Pioneers, beginning in week one, where he'll get the nod behind center.


 
Captain - #0 | Jordyn Davis (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale): On the other side of the ball, Davis will ascend to the captaincy ahead of his junior year. Last season, Davis broke out on the defensive line, notching 24 total tackles (eight solo, 16 assisted), including five tackles for loss and four sacks. Davis was also a heads-up player in the trenches, knocking down five passes and forcing a single fumble. The Long Island native will lead the Pioneers on that side of the ball along with fellow defensive captain…


 
Captain - #24 | Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley): Douglas rounds out a great group of Pioneer captains, with the veteran defensive back ready to go following a stellar season that saw him set the program record for pick-6s. The ballhawking Douglas will be organizing the troops in the open field, working with a solid Pioneer secondary that hopes to be a lockdown unit in the Empire 8. Douglas and the rest of the DBs will have a feature matchup on Saturday, facing off against two 2,000-yard wideouts in John Peduzzi and Jacob Macosko.


 
2025 Leadership Council: The team is also proud to announce its Leadership Council for the 2025 season, with a bunch of Pioneer veterans being rewarded for their hard work with a spot among the team's top leaders. Here are the members of this season's leadership council:
 
Adante Bianchino
Antonio Cianfarani (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville)
Jordyn Davis (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale)
Nicholas DeForrest (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) (Rome, NY/Holland Patent)
Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley)
Michael Malzahn (Sparrowbush, NY/Port Jervis)
Michael Mecca (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside)
Mason Nolan (Hilton, NY/Hilton Central)
Caiden Ott (Kingston, NY/Kingston)
Bryce Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill)
Mason Payton (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay)
Isaiah Thomas (Kingston, NY/Kingston)
Scotty Thompson (Fairport, NY/Fairport)
 
 
At the Helm: The Pioneers will be led by Blaise Faggiano for his 18th consecutive season. Coach Faggiano currently sits as the longest-tenured head coach in New York State. Over his 17 previous years, Coach has led Utica to a 90-79 overall record for a 53.3% win percentage. The Pioneers have finished .500 or better each of the last seven seasons, a trend they will look to continue with hopes of reaching back to the peak of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
 
Alongside Coach Faggiano, a number of coaches will look to aid Utica's efforts. Jerrod Clowes, who has served as Utica's offensive coordinator the past two seasons, was recently promoted to Assistant Head Coach. Despite the new title, Clowes will continue to run the offense. Jamey McClendon will begin his fourth season as Utica's defensive coordinator. Braeden Zenelovic will enter his third season with the Pioneers, where he serves as the coordinator of the pass game, strength and conditioning, and recruiting.
 
2024 Recap: The Pioneers battled to a 5-5 record in 2024, but the results were anything but boring. Three of those five losses came in one-score games, with each matchup being decided in the final minute of play (two on the final play of the game). A fourth loss came at the hands of nationally recognized Brockport, with the game being separated by one score until the final 10 minutes. Even just one of those games going in the other direction would have placed the Pioneers in bowl contention, something they hope to be firmly in during their 25th season. In each of their five wins, the Pioneers dominated play, defeating each opponent by at least 15 or more points. Three of those wins saw the team secure victory by a comfortable margin of 25+.
 
Statistically, the team outscored its opponents by an average of 30.90-22.50 points per game, with a total point differential of 309-225. The Pioneers were slightly outrushed (1606-1709 yards), but outgained their opponents through the air (2184-1965 yards), something they'll look to do even better with an outstanding returning skill group and one of the best QB rooms in all of Division III. They were also solid when it mattered at various points during the game, with a third-down conversion percentage of 41.86% and a fourth-down rate of 43.48%. On defense, the team held its opponents to a third-down rate of 38.69% and a fourth-down rate of 36.84%. The Pioneers were also powerful on the defensive side, forcing 15 fumbles and recovering nine compared to losing just four fumbles from the Utica offense. They also logged 10 interceptions, combining for 19 total turnovers forced, with the hopes of being even more disruptive and one-upping this number in 2025. Look no further then the team record books, where the Pioneers managed to set program records in blocked kicks (6), punt return touchdowns (2), single-game fumbles forced (4), single-game fumbles recovered (3), and single game fumble return yards (76) to show the team's propensity for scoring at all different levels of the game. Paired with the team not allowing a single opposing punt return touchdown, kick return touchdown, fumble return touchdown, and only one pick-6, it should paint a picture about how on top of the turnover battle the Pioneers hope to be in 2025.
 
Needless to say, another point of emphasis in 2025 will be clutch time, as the team will look to win those 50-50 battles and nail some close victories against opponents in a 2025 slate that's jam-packed with top-tier programs.

Key Losses: The Pioneers, despite returning an excellent portion of their starting talent, will have to adapt to losing a few playmakers at various positions. On offense, the Pioneers' big loss will be felt in the backfield, with the team losing nearly everyone who contributed heavily in the rushing game to graduation. Of those players, the two big names that departed were Raven set specialist Sam Florio (Port Jefferson, NY/Port Jefferson) and the program's new all-time career rushing yards leader in Matt Brantley (Rochester, NY/Eastridge). With those two moving on due to graduation, the biggest opportunity for new success on the entire offensive side will be at running back. The team will also see some receiving slots open up due to the graduation of wide receivers Peyton Ausfeld (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) and Izzy Maldonado (Island Park, NY/Long Beach), although a stacked skill group should pick up the slack on that front. Another notable parting piece is Tyler Kolenda (Harwinton, CT/Lewis S. Mills), who will open up a hole at tight end after an Empire 8 All-Conference Third Team selection last season. Cam Lizardi and Russell Porter will also make way for new lineman leadership after the two former seniors each put in All-Empire 8-caliber seasons. However, both players have returned in coaching roles, looking to guide this season's line from the sidelines.
 
On defense, the Pioneers saw a couple of key players depart, most notable of all being sack machine John Stroughn (Baldwin, NY/Holy Trinity), who had a strong 2024 season after receiving a surprise final year of eligibility. Stroughn will leave massive shoes to fill, with the Baldwin native wrapping up a career that saw him fall just one tackle for loss short, and a half sack short of both program records (46.5 & 29.0, respectively). Doug Simmons (White Plains, NY/Archbishop Stepinac) also departs after a strong season that saw him record the second most QB hurries in program history (tracked since 2018), just six behind Stroughn, who finished with the top mark at 21. Finally, James Lanier (Syracuse, NY/Corcoran) graduated after a great season where he showcased leadership in the trenches as one of the Pioneers' captains. In the heart of the defense, the Pioneers will have to replace an entire linebacker core, which was headed by captains Norman Booth (Schenectady, NY/Schenectady) and Darius Johnson (Webster, NY/Webster). Out in the secondary, Karyll Rony-Dorceus (Jamaica Queens, NY/Christ the King) leaves for Fairmont State following a great 2024 that saw him achieve Empire 8 All-Conference honors.
 
Finally, the special teams unit will look a bit different this year around, with one of the program's best punters graduating in Freddie Callo (Milton, NY/Marlboro Central) Jr. The departure of backup Gavin Fisher (Tioga, NY/Tioga Central) will leave the kicking spots open for the Pioneers, although they seem to have solved these gaps already, which will be discussed below.
 
Offensive Standouts: Utica's offense will see a number of new players stepping into vacated roles, as well as many returners looking to build upon their previous success. One of the new roles to watch is in the running back slots. Eze Frazier (Garnerville, NY/North Rockland) and Jani Strong (Bronx, NY/Christ The King Regional) will look to solidify the backfield, with each of them expected to see significant time for the first time in their Utica careers. Frazier, who is currently listed as RB1, appeared in five games last year, recording 11 rush attempts. Strong has not yet appeared in a game for the orange and blue.
 
The offensive line will sport some new faces this year, with the returning ADante Bianchino (Albany, NY/Shaker) leading a unit with a few new starters in 2025. Carson Tessitore (East Islip, NY/East Islip) will get the nod at center, with Bianchino and Aidan Olsen (Rotterdam, NY/Schalmont) manning the left side, and the duo of Gavin Grech (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) and Mike Malzahn manning the right. The depth squad in the trenches is comprised of Caiden Ott (Kingston, NY/Kingston), Gavin Kuc (Camden, NY/Camden), Michael Devlin (St. James, NY/Smithtown East), Vinny Trovato (Massapequa, NY/Plainedge), and Emil Abreu (Brentwood, NY/Brentwood).
The Pioneers also have a number of exciting receiving options this coming season. Antonio Cianfarani (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville) will look to improve on his numbers again after leading the team in receiving yards last season. Cianfarani's 716 career receiving yards currently lead the Pioneer receivers. Alongside him is Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Institute of Technology), who had the second-most receiving yards last season. Taylor, who is entering his junior season, will look to take another sizable step. Bryce Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) will continue to carve out a role after reaching 271 receiving yards last season in a campaign that was cut short due to a midseason injury. Gabriel Zawalo found a role in the offense last season, falling just short of 200 receiving yards, but he was a major contributor to the special teams. He accounted for 389 total return yards, including one punt return touchdown. Other names that look to feature in the passing game are Ethan Alvarado (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) and Lorenzo Velez (East Setauket, NY/Ward Melville).
 
The Pioneers' tight end group also looks strong, with Scotty Thompson (Fairport, NY/Fairport) getting the start in week one, and Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) on deck to see some snaps as well. Coach Faggiano was very impressed with Frederick during training camp, noting that he expects the senior to surprise lots of defenses this season.
 
One of the main questions heading into training camp this year was who would be throwing to all this talent come week one, and after an extremely competitive training camp battle, here is how the QB room shakes out heading into the season…
 
The QB Room: Make no mistake about it, the Pioneers present one of the most talented and complete quarterback rooms in all of Division III heading into this season. The main position battle occurred between last year's starter Brett Fuller (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) and incoming transfer Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute). With this scenario, the Pioneers were given a tough decision, as both players have the stuff to be premier quarterbacking talents at the Division III level. Although the week one starting spot has been given to Szalkowski, don't be surprised if the Pioneers shift things around and give Fuller some significant snaps following a 2024 season that saw him rack up the second most completions in the Empire 8.
 
The quarterback depth even extends beyond those two top choices, with pass game coordinator Braeden Zenelovic also noting that Nazir Smith (Newark, NJ/Malcolm X Shabazz) had an excellent pre-season, with the sophomore perhaps being the future of the position beyond Szalkowski and Fuller's tenures. Matthew Pallouras (Rochelle Park, NJ/Hackensack) also looks to be getting some important snaps as well, with the 6'2 signal caller slotting in as the primary rusher in the Pioneers' Raven set, the same spot that backup Sam Florio (Port Jefferson, NY/Port Jefferson) sat in last season.
 
Defensive Standouts: On the other side of the ball, the Pioneers will be looking to replace some major names. A point of strength seems to be in the trenches, though, as the Pioneers are loaded with returning depth despite the losses of John Stroughn (Baldwin, NY/Holy Trinity), Doug Simmons (White Plains, NY/Archbishop Stepinac), and James Lanier (Syracuse, NY/Corcoran). Leading this unit will be new captain Jordyn Davis (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale), whose versatile game at the line will be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. Davis causes havoc in the backfield as one of the conference's best sack threats, while also keeping his head on a swivel and being known to knock down passing attempts with great accuracy. Davis is set to play alongside fellow interior presence Mason Miranowicz (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush), who looks to have a bigger impact on the defense after featuring heavily in the Pioneers' menacing punt block unit during 2024. Another force on that special teams unit will also be positioned for a breakout season, with All-American Special Teamer star Nicholas DeForrest (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) locked in as a starting edge rusher. The Holland Patent product will sit opposite Mason Mascari (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder), who looks for even more defensive success after an 18-tackle season that also saw him recover two fumbles and knock down two passes. To further showcase the depth, Cam'Ren Brister will play a role as a backup edge rusher.
 
Behind a stacked defensive line will be a relatively new linebacker core led by Ceejay Newton (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood). The Midwood graduate will take the reins at the heart of the defense alongside sophomores Mason Nolan (Hilton, NY/Hilton Central) and Isaiah Thomas (Kingston, NY/Kingston), who will most likely occupy the roles of both outside linebackers. The trio of Nick Maritato (Congers, NY/Clarkstown North), Luke Sheldon (Lake George, NY/Lake George Central), and Braeden Rhatigan will comprise the second string at linebacker.
 
The secondary will be led by the aforementioned Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley), who continues to slot in as a safety. He'll look to grow his legacy and continue his ball-hawking ways alongside fellow deep man Ronaldo Lewis (Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln). Jah-Kobiah Cancer (Albany, NY/Kingston) and Mason Payton (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) will be gifted the role of starting cornerback. The depth pieces in the secondary include safeties Joseph Gentile (Utica, NY/Proctor) and Javier Rivera-Leal (Latham, NY/Shaker), along with backup corners Michael Mecca (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) and Martese Davenport (Freeport, NY/Freeport).
 
A notable fact about the starting eleven this year on the defensive side, it will be comprised of a multitude of Mason's with four such players starting in Miranowicz, Mascari, Nolan, and Payton.
 
Special Teams Standouts: Two new legs will feature on special teams this season, with incoming transfer Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) joining the team after transferring from Sacred Heart, and a returning Devin Taylor (New Port Richey, FL/Wendell Krinn Technical) hoping to get off to a good start in his first season at the top of the depth chart. Duarte, a New Jersey All-State talent in high school, will lead the kicking game, while Taylor, who averaged an outrageous 56.5 yards in his two punts during 2024, will step into the lead punting role. That 56.5 average is nearly 16 yards higher than the career school average, with Taylor needing just three more punts to be eligible. Taylor also took a few kickoffs this past season, perhaps featuring in that phase of the game during 2025, too.
 
Rookie Rundown: The Pioneers welcome a bunch of new faces to the program for the 2025 season, with some notable freshmen to keep an eye on, such as Austin DeGroat (Oneida, NY/Oneida), who carved out a legendary career with nearby Oneida during his high school tenure. DeGroat, the MVP of last year's Section III All-Star Game, will now play his home ball on the very same field that he won that All-Star Game title on during this past fall, donning the orange and blue and getting a second-string nod as an interior defensive lineman to start his collegiate run.
 
Some other Pioneer rookies who earned numbers immediately after joining the squad include running back prospect Drevariis Yeomas (Victor, NY/Victor), defensive back Breon Campbell Jr. (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph Collegiate Institute), safety Tahjir Fernand (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle), linebackers Logan Clarey (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford), Nick Graziano (Albany, NY/Shaker), and Key Kahan (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial), offensive linemen Josh Richardson (Towaco, NJ/Paramus Catholic High School), Anthony Cobb (Syracuse, NY/Henninger), Jaden Lewis-White (Uniondale, NY/Uniondale), Emajie White (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville), and Cameron Clark (Winter Park, FL/Winter Park), defensive linemen Clauzel Moore (Rochester, NY/East High), Quamere Reynolds (Rochester, NY/East High), Christian Rhone (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle), Ali Mendoza (Hoboken, NJ/Hoboken), Laferald Hines Jr. (Lackawanna, NY/Lackawanna), Nuallan King (Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl Area High School), and Jazaree Willis (Rochester, NY/World of Inquiry).

Record Watch: There are many Pioneer mainstays looking to etch their name into the Pioneer record books this coming season, including some who've already taken the top spot and are looking to build up their program bests. One such player is 2024 All-American Nick DeForrest, who, thanks to his outrageous year on the punt block unit, already set the program record for blocked kicks with four (all in 2024). It remains to be seen how much he'll feature on the punt block unit, but any other blocks will only solidify his grasp on the blocked kick title.
 
Another Pioneer already in possession of a program record is Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley), who stands alone atop the career pick-6 ranks after grabbing three such scores in 2024. Douglas is also close to the interception return yards mark, which is currently held by James Lenahan with 172 (Douglas has 157). His total interceptions mark is currently at eight, which would require him to have an all-time year to reach Lenahan, who is second with 16, and the record holder Jon Klosner, who captured 17 career picks.
 
Many of Hall of Fame quarterback Andrew Benkwitt's records walk the line of unbreakable, although the opportunity is still open for Port Jervis graduate Brett Fuller (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) to step into second place. Fuller needs just 54 completions to pass Teddy VanGalen for second on the all-time career completions list. Likewise, Fuller needs just six touchdown passes to move into second all-time above Logan Wilcox, who possesses 37.
 
Gabriel Zawolo (Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit), the Pioneers' return specialist, is also on the brink of history, needing just one punt return touchdown to become the only Pioneer with multiple such scores.
 
Schedule Preview: Earlier this offseason, we previewed the Pioneers' 2025 home schedule slate, also giving additional information about each home game sponsor and festivities that are planned during the 2025 campaign. Below is a link to that release:
 
2025 UTICA FOOTBALL HOME SCHEDULE PREVIEW: https://uticapioneers.com/news/2025/8/1/pioneer-football-releases-2025-home-schedule-information.aspx
 
As for their away contests, the Pioneers have non-conference tilts scheduled against powerhouse programs Washington & Jefferson (Week 1) and Hobart (Week 3). Both of those games are against teams that finished with 9-2 records in 2024, as W&J grabbed the PAC Championship and Hobart secured the Liberty League title. Both programs advanced to the NCAA Division III Football Tournament, losing in the second round to Randolph-Macon and Hobart, respectively. You can learn more about the Presidents below, and make sure to check out our weekly previews for insight on every other opponent during the 2025 season.
 
For the Empire 8 schedule, the Pioneers are slated to travel to Cortland (Week 5), Alfred University (Week 8), and SUNY Brockport in the season finale (Week 11). The Pioneers' bye week will be during Week 7 (10/18/25). Here is a full list of their 2025 opponents:
 
Week One - at Washington & Jefferson - 9/6 - 12:00 PM
Week Two - vs RPI (Believe Bowl) - 9/13 - 6:00 PM
Week Three - at Hobart (2023 Chapman Bowl Rematch) - 9/20 - 1:00 PM
Week Four - vs Alfred State (Homecoming) - 9/27 - 1:00 PM
Week Five - at Cortland - 10/4 - 1:00 PM
Week Six - vs Morrisville State (Breast Cancer Awareness Game)  - 10/11 - 12:00 PM
Week Seven - BYE WEEK - 10/18
Week Eight - at Alfred University - 10/25 - 12:00 PM
Week Nine - vs St. John Fisher (MV Challengers Day) - 11/1 - 1:00 PM
Week Ten - vs Hartwick (Senior Day/Veterans Day Game) - 11/8 - 1:00 PM
Week Eleven - at Brockport - 11/15 - 2:00 PM
 
Prepping for the Presidents: Washington & Jefferson saw NCAA postseason contention last season after going 9-1 in their regular season games, all of which were within Presidents' Athletic Conference play. The PAC saw three teams finish 9-1, sharing conference champion honors, with W&J receiving the conference's automatic qualifier. The Presidents traveled to face Randolph-Macon in the second round of the NCAA Championships, falling by a score of 22-38 to conclude their season. For their successes, President's head coach Mike Sirianni was named the 2024 PAC Coach of the Year. In early August of this year, the PAC held a conference-wide media day, and ranked W&J first in the preseason poll, receiving 17 of the 42 total first place votes.
 
W&J is expected to be led by a group of seniors. Running back Kobe Derosa scored 10 rushing touchdowns and earned 431 yards, the second most on the team. The Presidents' air attack has run through two major pieces over recent seasons, John Peduzzi and Jacob Macosko. Peduzzi has tallied 3,100 receiving yards over his career, which is the highest career total among any Division III player. In addition to his impressive yardage total, he has found the end zone 39 times. His teammate, Macosko, is not far behind, totaling 2,169 receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns. Macosko's 2,169 career yards sit at the 6th most in the country.
 
W&J lost a significant number of its starters to graduation this previous offseason. The Presidents expect defensive lineman Aidan Thomas and linebacker Joey Lacey to take steps to help fill the new voids. Thomas played in all 11 games last season for W&J, recording 2.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss. In his career, Thomas has recorded 5.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 44 total tackles. Lacey took his first step last season after minor participation in his underclassman years. In 2024, Lacey recorded 18 total tackles, with three tackles for loss and one half-sack.
 
After Opening Weekend: The Pioneers will prepare for their home opener against RPI the following Saturday. That game will be the annual Believe Bowl sponsored by Mastrovito Hyundai and will take place under the lights at Gaetano Stadium on Saturday, September 13th at 6:00 PM. Check out next week's preview for more information about the matchup!
 
12th Man Club: Are you looking for a way to support your Pioneers this season? CHECK OUT THE 12TH MAN CLUB! You can be a part of the action by helping Utica's team get the best gear, care, and experience possible to keep challenging the best in Division III Football. Follow the link below to join the 12th Man and get some complimentary gifts today:
 
JOIN THE 12TH MAN TODAY: https://store.masteryourimage.com/UUF12/shop/home
 
TUNE IN THIS WEEKEND AS THE 25TH SEASON OF UTICA FOOTBALL GETS UNDERWAY!!! Make sure to keep an eye on our athletics website for postgame analysis and highlights!
 
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