By Tim Peterson
(Whittier) – Pioneer’s defense was in lockdown mode and the offense did the rest in the Titans 24-0 shutout of Panorama Saturday night at Dick Torres Stadium in the Division 7-A Regional State Bowl.
Panorama was never able to get on track as the Titans threw a banket over them. Panorama punted on four of its seven possessions and turned it over on another. On the other two the Pythons just ran out the clock at the end of each half. Pioneer held them to 134 total yards of offense including just 35 threw the air. The one turnover tuned into a Pioneer touchdown.
After Panorama punted on the first possession Pioneer drove down to the Pythons 13-yard line where Sean Gamon kicked a 30-yad field goal to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Titans marched 50 yards on nine plays with Damian Salguero capping it with a two-yard run. Panorama punted on its first three possessions and Pioneer took a 10-0 lead into the half.
Pioneer took the opening possession of the third quarter and promptly matriculated down the field 70 yards on 13 plays. This time the Titans went to the air to get the job done as Amiri Resendez hit a wide-open Jose Rojas for a two-yard score.
Meanwhile the Panorama offense continued to be smothered by the Pioneer D. The Pythons (cool team name) punted on the first series of the third quarter and were stuffed on fourth down on their second.
The song remained the same, or in this case the score, until late on the fourth quarter when Darean Bullard scooped up a fumble and rumbled 24 yards for a touchdown with 1:25 left in the game to put a little whipped cream on the sundae in a 24-0 whitewash.
For Pioneer Resendez managed the game effectively and threw for 89 yards and a score. Salguero ran for 34 yards and a touchdown.
The Titans, who most certainly will be remembered, will now play next Saturday for the State championship.
The reason for the Fullerton venue is, of course, because that’s one of the places the CIF state organization has chosen to host several of its title games. Nobody gets a true “home” game in this championship weekend. Still, Fullerton is just a bit closer to the Pioneer campus than any northern California sites. The glass is more than half full!
More than likely this is a once in a century event for Pioneer football. PiHi alums are having a great time. Only crazy thing is Pioneer with a big nice stadium has to play Saturday at 11:am in Fullerton. Why??? Easily could be scheduled at 6PM Saturday Night at Pioneer. Even visiting Belmont would have liked that much better.
Driving down the 605 freeway this evening, I saw the lights at Pioneer high burning brightly, and just assumed there were kids playing soccer. Then it dawned on me that the FOOTBALL team was out there getting ready for Saturday’s big state title game with Balboa (of San Francisco). Win or lose, a varsity football practice this late in the fall is unprecedented for the Whittier school. Congratulations just for making it this far!
M&P.. stay off the bloggs weirdo
division 15. pathetic and sad even by participation trophy standards.
Can we just applaud him and this Pioneer high school football program… remember there was a team from Whittier last year that won state and its happening again! “Lower division” but remember how much of a cake walk the playoffs were to that other school on the hill last season? every game by 40 until state playoffs. The amount of talent in Whittier is impressive and deserves more respect from BLOGGERS like mark the shark and Freddy and anyone else who has rankings where its all SGV teams (whittier is not SGV)
Perhaps Riser has hit on the key: almost all of men’s actions can be explained by their hidden, yet intense, desire to emulate all things Pioneer. They are too petty to admit their lust for that higher level of play, so they mask their desire by wasting time on ordinary programs such as RHP and Mater Dei. I defer to the man’s wisdom.
It’s not humor but jealousy. Jealous of the support the lower divisions get from their fan bases win or lose. Without us the MVS would not be as popular as it is.
Sad how some grown males can’t recognize a little humor when they see it.
Old Guy
December 8, yes he is a very good coach, and when he had (his whole time at Pioneer) some talent he coached them to their potential and won league I think in very late nineties, and made playoffs a few times.
Ramon is a very good football coach and even a better person! Very happy for him and his program!
It is sad how grown “males” hate on teenage boys.
Raise your hand if you had Pioneer winning a state title at the beginning of this season. This turn of events is entirely unexpected, perhaps unconstitutional. If a win next Saturday does turn out to be prohibited by law (because it’s Pioneer), Biden plans to issue a pre-emptive pardon on Monday, making the championship legit, along with a statutory undefeated season in ’25.
Congratulations to the Pioneer Titans.
People can say what they want about the lower divisions (double digit divisions) but I will say, to be there and witness the joy on those young men, along with their student body and their families, was exhilarating.
Very happy to see another school from the Old Whitmont area having success.
Congratulations once again!