Although the Chargers generated more than 300 yards in total offense and had the edge in time of possession, it was a string of mistakes that Pioneer cashed in on that proved to be the difference in the game.

The Mustangs drew first blood midway through the first quarter. With Leland facing a third down deep in its own territory, linebacker C.J. Miller shot through the line and knocked the ball loose. The Chargers maintained possession but were forced to punt from their own one-yard line. The result was excellent field position for Pioneer at the Leland 20. Two plays later Mustang quarterback Chris Foley fired a pinpoint accurate shot to J.J. Goulden in the corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown strike. Kicker Kyle Burchfiel booted the PAT and Pioneer enjoyed a 7-0 lead.

It looked like the Chargers would respond with a score of their own when they began to march back down the field in a 14-play drive that eventually stalled at the Pioneer 35-yard line. Quarterback Kyle Walker found running back Adam Ondi for a nine-yard first down pass to keep the drive going early. Another key play was a fourth down two­yard plunge for the first by fullback Kevin Battipede. The Mustang defense finally stiffened and forced the Chargers to turn the ball over on downs when running back Lance Gemette was met head on by Mustang linebacker Jon Silva for no gain on a fourth and one.

The next three minutes and 39 seconds were disastrous for the Chargers as Pioneer exploded and put up 21 unanswered points.

Pioneer sent the ball back down the field in short order. The potent ground game of running backs Shaun Souza, Nick D'Antonio and Silva took only five plays and 1:44 to go 65 yards and put six more points on the board. Souza blasted in from six yards out, and Burchfiel added the PAT.

It took Pioneer only 1:07 to hit paydirt again. The strong leg of Eddie Hsieh on the kickoff forced Leland to start deep on its own 10. Three unsuccessful plays later, the Chargers lined up to punt from their own end zone. An errant snap got away from punter Battipede, but he was able to fight his way out to the one-yard line to prevent a safety, and Pioneer took over possession. D'Antonio powered up the middle on a one-yard plunge for the score.

Mustang lightning struck again 48 seconds later. On the first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kick off, the ball squirted loose from Battipede and Pioneer's Lenny Larussa fell on it giving the ball back to the Mustangs at the 24-yard stripe. Souza bolted for 10 yards before Foley and Goulden teamed up again. Foley floated a high arching pass toward Goulden in the corner of the end zone. It was just a little short but Goulden won the battle for the ball as he fell to the ground. Another conversion by Burchfiel and Pioneer had extended its lead to 28-0.

Leland went on another extended drive as halftime drew near, crunching out short yardage plays. Unable to come up with the key play against a strong Pioneer defense, the Charger drive stalled once again and it was 28-0 at the intermission.

"We have a lot of speed on defense and a lot of smart football players," Pioneer defensive coordinator Eric Perry pointed out. "It allows us to do a lot of different things which makes it confusing for the offense."

That defense was led by Miller with 12 tackles, including seven solo shots. Silva knocked down six solos and one assist. Lineman Dan Alvord was in the thick of things often with seven tackles. Jerry Barnes, Nico Pagan and Clark Worthington made sure the secondary was secure with four solos each.

The deluge continued in the third quarter as the Mustangs put up two more unanswered scores. Souza put together one of his patented inside outside stop and go jaunts around the corner with a burst of speed outrunning defenders to the goal for a 23-yard touchdown. Miller was in the right spot at the right time and snagged an interception on Leland's next series to set up Pioneer at the Chargers' 28. D'Antonio rumbled off tackle almost untouched to the end zone for the score on the first play and a 42-0 bulge for the Mustangs.

The Chargers showed a lot of spirit, fighting back again to go on an 80-yard march that finally hit paydirt. The march was led by the running of Ondi and Gemette. Ondi broke off a 41-yard scamper that would have been a touchdown except for a saving tackle by Mustang defensive back Worthington. Gemette completed the drive when he punched in the score from two yards out.

Even as Pioneer substituted freely throughout the fourth quarter, the ground game continued to work effectively. Pagan led the charge as he raced around the corner, squirted between a pair of defenders, and sprinted past another down the sidelines for a 34-yard touchdown, closing out an 11-play 85-yard drive.

Garrett Avilla quarterbacked the Chargers throughout the second half and capped his performance by finding Ondi with a nine-yard touchdown strike with just over a minute left in the game.

But the Mustangs had one last answer. Scott Lowry gathered in the following kick off at his own 18 and weaved his way through the defense all the way back for an 82-yard touchdown return.

The 360 yards of offense produced by the Mustangs was the result of the efforts of many. Souza led the way rushing for 101 yards with only nine touches and two touchdowns. He also pulled down one pass for 21 yards. Pagan made the most of his four carries, contributing 47 yards and one touchdown. D'Antonio was not far behind with 41 yards on six attempts including a pair of touchdowns. The ground game was completed by Silva (four for 38), Steven Lopes (four for 22) and Lowry (three for 19). Foley's aerial attack was limited to nine attempts with five finding the mark. Goulden grabbed two totaling 32 yards, both for touchdowns. D'Antonio also snagged a pair for 39 yards.

Ondi found the most holes in the Pioneer defense, rushing for 70 yards on 11 carries. Steve Kawamura got the call 12 times and chalked up 53 yards. The workhorse was Gemette who took 16 handoffs and pounded out 51 yards. Gemette also piled up 106 yards in kick return yardage. Walker connected three times in eight attempts for 20 yards.

The Chargers defense had a busy night with defensive tackle Melis Barota setting the pace with nine tackles. He got good support from Gemette and Nick Mortensen.

Coming up for the Mustangs is a critical game with Oak Grove this week which has been tabbed as potentially deciding the league championship. "Going in, we were fearful of overlooking Leland because we know Oak Grove is on the schedule and right behind us in the standings and will be gunning for us," Pioneer head coach Mark Krail explained. "To go out and take care of our business tonight, execute well and not turn the ball over are all things to build upon in preparation for Oak Grove."

The showdown with Oak Grove is scheduled for Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. at Santa Teresa High School.

Leland continues league action, hosting Silver Creek in a 7:30 p.m. game on Oct. 28.