Week 1 preview: ‘They’re back to playing Lewis Cass football:’ Berry wary of improved Kings

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Pioneer at Lewis Cass, 7 p.m.

Lewis Cass is 5-14 the last two seasons, but for Pioneer, beating the Kings could be a tall order – literally.

Quarterback L.J. Hillis is 6-5. So are tight end Luke Chambers and newcomer Tyson Good, the top scorer on the Lewis Cass basketball team. Senior wide receiver Keaton Lewellen is 6-6.

“We weren’t able to play them last year because of COVID, but for one, looking at their two deep and just watching them from their scrimmage, coach (Clayton) Mannering and his staff have them going. They have bought into what he wants, and they’re back to playing Lewis Cass football. They’re senior-dominant. If you look at the two two-deeps, they’re loaded with juniors and seniors and size, and we have five freshmen on ours and guys that are seriously a foot shorter than some of their players. He definitely has them going.”

This will be the varsity debut for Pioneer freshmen Noah Van Meter, Eli Guffey, Tuff Uebler and Tyler Schnurpel as well as senior Eli Rans.

It will be the seventh career start at quarterback for Caleb Sweet but the first time he’s started the first game of a season at quarterback. Sweet will be both the offensive and defensive signal caller as he also starts at middle linebacker in Pioneer’s 4-3 defense.

Pioneer won the last meeting 44-0 in the 2020 season opener after Lewis Cass handed Pioneer their only two losses in 2019.