Cancelled Home Game Can’t Stop Pioneer Football

On Friday, August 26, Pioneer was looking forward to rounding off their first full week back in school with a home game. Students were encouraged to wear tropical clothes, and throughout the day kids of all grades were seen in Hawaiian shirts, leis, and sandals. Coming off of last week’s victories against Will C. Wood, with both JV and Varsity dominating the opponent, it was shaping up to be a promising game against the Armijo Royals.

However, there was one large problem: Friday was the smokiest day of the week. All day, Woodland was covered in smoke that blew in from the multiple fires ravaging our state. The Air Quality Index (AQI), a tool used by the government to measure air pollution, read around 160, in the “Unhealthy” range. Obviously, the athletes could not be allowed to breathe in the smoky air and risk lung damage.

Around the end of the school day, it was announced that the home game would be cancelled and moved to the opponent's field. Fairfield, home of the Royals, had a lower AQI rating than Woodland, at safer levels for outdoor activity. The Varsity team scrambled to mobilize and get to the game in Fairfield.

Keenan McCabe (5) is a star varsity player and pillar in all of PHS Football who provided some insight about the hectic turnaround. “It was really hard having to go to Armijo on such short notice. We had to communicate with all the kids on the team, and most of varsity was already off campus. We had no bus so we had to give rides and work carpools to the game.” Under normal circumstances, all WJUSD athletes are provided a bus to and from events, but because of the sudden change of plans, transportation couldn’t be arranged in time.

Regardless, the Varsity team made it to Fairfield and got to playing. “We started off slow as we struggled offensively in the first quarter,” notes McCabe. “But Jack Carner (27) got hot and scored 3 touchdowns in the second quarter. Brandon Nolan (51) also had a great game with one Pick 6 and a lot of tackles.” It was clear that PHS Varsity didn’t need a home field advantage, with a 44-6 victory over Armijo.

With both teams off to a strong start, PHS Football has a promising season ahead. Students are encouraged to come cheer on the team at Woodland High School on Friday, October 1st. The next home game will be on Friday, October 8th.