Pioneer football preview: After state runner-up season, Panthers bring back 3 Junior All-Staters

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Losing a state championship game is not always a bad omen.

For example, the last time the Pioneer football team lost a state championship game in 2016, they came back to go 30-0 over the next two seasons and win back-to-back Class 1A state championships in 2017 and 2018.

After a seven-year wait, Pioneer got back to the 1A state title game last year but lost 55-29 to South Putnam. Can they rebound the way the 2016 team did?

Pioneer graduated three All-State players from last year in quarterback Micah Rans, fullback Noah VanMeter and lineman Liam Rouch.

But they also have three Junior All-State players back in two-way lineman Mikaden Tolosa, wingback-safety Shiloh Rine and wingback-safety-kicker Phillip McFatridge. Tolosa and Rine will be seniors, and McFatridge will be a junior.

Adam Berry was a rookie coach when Pioneer lost to Linton-Stockton in 2016 and remains the coach today. He was asked how – if at all – a coach gets over a loss in a state championship game.

“It’s hard to get over those losses,” Berry said. “I still go back to 2016 at times and think about what I could have done better in 2016. I still think about each of the last losses throughout my time and think what could I have done better to prepare the guys to make it to that next step in the tournament run.

“But I use it to hopefully better the group for the following year. You know, I can’t speak for the players, but hopefully, for those returning guys, it was that much more fuel to want to get back there and do what they can week in and week out to prepare themselves for us as a team to get back to that point.”

Pollsters seem to think Pioneer will bounce back. Pioneer is ranked No. 1 in the first USA Today media poll of the season.

But there will also be some unproven players filling in at key spots.

The team went to the wing-T camp at Trine University. Berry said the camp “helps kickstart our summer.”

“It shows us what we already know and what we definitely need to work on,” Berry said. “It’s very valuable. Other than just football, it gets the guys together, away from family. It’s just us as a team at Trine University. We spend a lot of time together, just developing that chemistry as well.”

Offense

One of those unproven players is freshman quarterback Colton Popejoy, who will take over at quarterback.

“He spends a lot of time on football,” Berry said. “He lives and breathes it. Different skill set than Micah. Micah was just that true option quarterback. We feel like Popejoy throws a pretty good football, but he’s also shown in practice a little bit in the summer and in our official scrimmage that he can also run with the ball. … It’s hard to be a freshman on Friday nights. We know he’s going to make mistakes, but we know he’s also going to learn from them and grow from them, and we’re looking for him to do some special things this year.”

Sophomore Braxton Maciejewski will take over for VanMeter at fullback. Maciejewski earned a letter last year with his work on defense last year and also played fullback on the scout team. Junior Colten Long and senior Blu Rosen-Jacks will also be in the mix at fullback.

Rine ran for 1,162 yards last year on 11.0 yards per carry, and McFatridge ran for 1,045 on 8.9 a carry, and they will be the primary wingbacks. 

“They both showed when Micah went down with an injury that they can also carry the load,” Berry said. “So we are expecting big things from those two. We’re expecting leadership from those two. They both had a great summer. Both got a lot stronger and a lot quicker, noticeably bigger than they were last year. We’re looking for those two to really lead our team.”

Carter Mize is a returning starter at wide receiver while Archie Blickenstaff is playing for the first time since middle school, according to Berry. At 6-3, Blickenstaff could be one of Popejoy’s bigger targets.

“We’ll see what he can do once he just gets more game time experience,” Berry said.

Sophomores Chase VanMeter and Adric Lee are competing for time at tight end. Lee is listed at 6-3, 225 pounds. Berry said he is considering rotating the two.

The offensive line includes junior Colton Hopper, who is listed at 6-6 and 277 pounds, at center. Blair Burns, who was last year’s center, moves to tackle for his senior season, but Berry said Burns is a possibility at center as well.

“We’re trying to piece some things together where he could also be center,” Berry said. “We’re just trying to figure out those top five guys and where exactly they fit with this team.”

Tolosa is expected to provide more vocal leadership at right guard with senior Hunter Stover moving from backup to the starting left guard spot.

Burns is the right tackle with 285-pound senior Kaidyn Wiles, junior Ronny Layer, senior Mason Shaver and freshman Clayton Schmicker also getting reps at left tackle.

“We have some guys that we know can do it,” Berry said. “Just looking to see which of those guys as the season goes on emerges as being that definite starter for us.”

Defense

Pioneer will continue to play a 3-4 defense under coordinator Matt Vianco.

Sophomore Wyatt Wiles, who earned a letter last year as part of the rotation at nose tackle, will return at that spot. Tolosa and Rosen-Jacks are returnees at end.

“He’s had a great start to the fall practices,” Berry said of Rosen-Jacks. “So, looking for big things from him.”

Junior Collin Frye is looking to rotate in as well.

Chase VanMeter, who is Noah’s brother, will start at outside linebacker with Maciejewski. Long moves from outside linebacker to inside linebacker, and Stover will join him on the inside. Mason Shaver is a senior who has moved to inside linebacker and will compete for time.

Sophomore Kit Gotshall moves from defensive end to outside linebacker and will compete with VanMeter and Maciejewski for playing time.

Rine and McFatridge start their third year as the safety tandem. Berry calls the pair “the quarterbacks of the defense.”

Senior Jason Gluth, who did not play last year, and junior Kayden Rigney can also play safety.

Junior Gage Lakes and Mize are the starters at cornerback with Blickenstaff also getting reps.

Pioneer’s first two games are against Lewis Cass, who averaged 31 points per game last year, and Knox, who averaged 45 points per game.

Pioneer cut their defensive average from 20.6 in 2024 to 13.4 last year, and how they fare against Lewis Cass and Knox could help determine whether this team develops an identity like the one they developed last year.

“We have a great nonconference schedule to see exactly where we are and exactly what we need to work on going into our conference schedule,” Berry said. “We have a lot of guys either new to varsity or playing a new position. I feel like we’re looking pretty good at practice. I feel like we look pretty good at the scrimmage (against Northwestern). But that needs to translate to Friday night. We know we’re going to be battle tested (in) Week 1.”

Special teams

McFatridge will be the placekicker, kickoff man and punter, and he will also return kickoffs and punts along with Rine.

Berry calls McFatridge, Rine, Stover and Tolosa among the team leaders.

The team had to cancel one practice, cut another practice short and went inside for a practice due to heavy rains in Cass County last week. And due to wet grounds at the Panther Pit, the scrimmage was moved to the turf field at Northwestern. Still, Berry thought they had a good scrimmage and that focus is there.

“It’s obviously a new team,” Berry said. “It’s going to look different out there. We graduated guys that the community has been seeing for four years, but this is a new team. Honestly, I’m very excited for this group to show what they can do on Friday nights. I feel like we can still have something pretty special, but nothing’s given, nothing’s handed to you.

“Honestly, you want to win every game. But it is to compete. We still have the same mindset of we’re looking first for that conference. Then come postseason, your goal is always to make a run.”

Schedule

Pioneer moves from Sectional 42 to Sectional 43 for the next cycle. Sectional rivals include Hoosier North rivals Caston and North Miami. Sheridan, a reigning sectional champion, is also in the sectional.

Aug. 21 – at Lewis Cass, 7 p.m.

Aug. 28 – at Knox, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4 – vs. Winamac, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11 – at Caston, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18 – vs. North Miami, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25 – at South Central (Union Mills), 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 2 – vs. Culver, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9 – at Triton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16 – vs. North Judson, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 23 – Class 1A, Sectional 43 quarterfinal

Class 1A, Sectional 43

Caston, Clinton Central, Madison-Grant, North Miami, PIONEER, Sheridan, Taylor, Tri-Central