Pierz Football Looks For State Title After Perfect Regular Season

“It’s win or go home,” Reese Kapsner, Senior Pioneer Running Back, said. “So, we just have to stay hungry and play our best game every game.”

Playoff football time has arrived in Minnesota, and the Pierz Pioneers are in great shape finishing the regular season at a perfect 8-0.

“I think it’s always a goal for the kids and even coaches, but there’s a lot of work to be done from your first day of practice, and you can’t live off of last year’s reputation,” Leo Pohlkamp, Pierz’s head coach, said. “Things came together, we stayed healthy, kids worked hard, and with that we are lucky to be where we are at right now 8-0.”

After winning the state title last season opponents have been gunning for the pioneers all year, but that has only made the team stronger.

“I think we do get the best shot from every team. Which again, makes us better for when it counts in the postseason.” Kapsner said.

Thanks to their 8-0 record Pierz will have a bye in the first round, and won’t have to take the field until next Saturday.

“If you play that Tuesday and Saturday, that’s hard for kids to play a game Tuesday and turn right around,” Pohlkamp said. “Bumps and bruises don’t heal that quick, it gives us a little time to prepare, work on the fundamentals, do some scouting of our opponent that night of who we will play, and hopefully get ready for the semis.”

With the extra week to prepare the Pioneers will be concentrating on one thing…

“Special teams are always important,” Pohlkamp said. “You can never punt well enough or kickoff well enough, those are things we get extra time now to work on.”

The Pioneers may have finished the regular season undefeated, but if you ask them they would say their season is just getting started.

“The playoffs is when the real season starts,” Kapsner said. “That was like the preseason now we are just trying to have another extra season after the regular season.”

Only a few teams can carry the title of back-to-back champs, but that’s exactly what the pioneers are embarking on when the playoffs kickoff next week.