Pioneers Run Over Hornets, 35-14

By the time the Saline Hornets varsity football team got into a rhythm Friday, they were down big to Ann Arbor Pioneer and unable to make a comeback.  Saline fell 35-14 to drop to 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in the SEC Red.

“[Pioneer is] a good football team. You can say its scheme all you want, but they did some good things to us. We took one on the chin, but we’ll be back,” said Saline head coach Mike Glennie.

The Saline offense was inconsistent in the early going. The ground attack was stuffed at the line of scrimmage and Reece Dils was often scrambling to avoid pressure. Dils went 7-for-18 throwing for 91 yards with one touchdown and one interception. 

Saline’s struggles were epitomized at the end of the half. With less than a minute left, the Hornets got the ball down 14-0. Dils threw three passes that fell incomplete, and the team was forced to punt.  One play later, Pioneer’s Drake Johnson caught a long touchdown pass from Aedan York. Saline went into the half down 20-0.

The second half seemed to start the same way the first one ended.  Johnson, who ran for 190 yards on 34 carries, touched the ball on every play to drive Pioneer 80 yards down the field. After a completed two-point conversion, Ann Arbor was up 28-0.

Saline’s offense found its stride with its first drive of the second half.  Pounding the ball on the ground after beginning the drive on the six yard line, the drive ended with a 22-yard pass from Dils to Gage Hammond for a touchdown. The extra point made it 28-7.

After giving up a two play, 80-yard drive on defense, the Hornet offense stalled deep in Pioneer’s end of the field. The defense made its stand and Saline got the ball back. Justin Barnes pounded the Hornets second touchdown of the evening.  Barnes, who picked up 31 yards on seven carries, lowered his shoulder and ran between the tackles for seven yards; he ran right over Pioneers safety at the goal line for his score.

"These kids have a lot of pride. We don’t do everything right, but one thing we’re going to do is fight and scrap. They’re getting better and we feel good about that,” said Glennie.

When Saline failed to grab the onside kick, Pioneer’s offense ran the clock out by continuing to pick up yardage on the ground.

The Hornets return home to face the Bedford Kicking Mules on Friday, Sept. 23.