Pioneer News

  Team Mini Camp  

The St. Paul Pioneers will hold their annual mini-camp on March 24 and March 25 at McMurray Field in St. Paul. This is a FULL CONTACT event and players need to wear full equipment to participate. This is your last chance to try out for the Pioneers for 2012. If you have attended either of the previous tryouts, or were on the roster at the end of the 2011 season, there is NO COST.

New players who have not yet tried out for the team in 2012 must pay $20.

The camp will be held both days from noon to 3 p.m. Returning players are STRONGLY encouraged to attend.

McMurray is located at 1101 W. Jessamine Avenue in St. Paul, at the southern end of Como Park just west of Lexington Parkway.

Contact Head Coach Mark Heiser for more information: (651) 300-4365 mark@pioneersfootball.org

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  Another Successful Tryout  

Excitement and anticipation ran high at the second St. Paul Pioneers tryout on Sunday February 19th. During the 11-on-11 drills, applause rang throughout the arena as players cheered on potential teammates.

Delane Woods was one newcomer hoping to make the 2012 Pioneers. Woods has plenty of experience playing football, however. He played high school football at Minneapolis Washburn High School. He also played for two years at East Los Angeles College, a junior college in California.

In 2008, he was second on the team with 20 catches for 412 yards and six touchdowns. That year, he finished with 603 all-purpose yards.

He transferred to North Dakota State but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, however. Now, his knee is fully healed and he hopes to put the hurt on Pioneers’ opponents. He hopes that playing with the Pioneers, defending champions of the Northern Elite Football League, will give him a chance to play football at an even higher level.
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  New Team Apparel Store  

St. Paul Pioneers fans, family members, players and staff who want the latest and best Pioneers gear have a new place to go for attire that fits them to a “P” – the new Pioneers team store through GTM Sportswear.

Developed this year to give Pioneers followers and fanatics a greater range of choices – from T-shirts and sweat shirts to equipment bags and jackets – the new team store will allow fans to buy a wide variety of team-themed items all year long.

“We are really happy with what GTM is able to do for us with this online team store,” Head Coach and General Manager Mark Heiser said. “This just gives us a much more professional way to make our fans happy.”To access the new Pioneers team store through GTM, go to http://gtmteamstore.com/stpaulpioneers.

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  Player Tryouts February 19th  

The St. Paul Pioneers members of the Northern Elite Football League and the 2010 & 2011 League Champions will hold open tryouts for the 2012 season on Sunday February 19th from 2pm-4pm. Tryouts will take place at the Bethel University Sports and Recreation Center (3900 Bethel Drive, Arden Hills, MN 55112).

Registration will begin at 1:30pm. The cost of the tryout is $20 for new players and can be paid at the door or online through the Pro Shop on the Pioneers website http://www.pioneersfootball.org/proshop . There will be no charge for players that ended the season on the 2011 Pioneers roster.

Players should wear shorts, t-shirt, and gym type shoes and be ready to go through football related drills.

Questions about the 2012 tryouts can be directed to Mark Heiser at mark@pioneersfootball.org or (651) 300-4365.

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  January 8th Tryout Success  

The nearly 60 players came from all walks of life and all experience levels – from on-the-verge pros to longtime dreamers. But any way you look at it, the St. Paul Pioneers’ first tryout for the 2012 season – held Jan. 8 at the Bethel University Sports and Recreation Center – was a rousing and exciting success.

Near the top of the list for the Pioneers’ hopes for a third straight Northern Elite Football League title was a running back who has been a two-time NCAA Division II All-America and a Division II National Champion – not to mention a San Diego Charger for a couple months last summer. Issac Odim, a former star running back for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs signed a Letter of Intent to play for the Pioneers in 2012.

For the Pioneers, who have won six championships in their first 10 seasons, including the 2009 NAFL National Championship, the appearance of Odim and all the other high quality football players provides high hopes for this season as well.
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  Wills Thanks Pioneers for Making Him Feel Welcome  

It was a pretty easy decision to make.
Robert Wills, an All-NSIC defender for the Bemidji State Beavers, wanted to keep playing football after graduating from college. And he wanted to play for the Pioneers.

“A no-brainer for us,” said Jim Walsh, the Pioneers assistant head coach and defensive assistant.But Wills, who had taken part in several combines, wanted to try his hand at tight end. He had played defensive end in college.

Again, a no-brainer, said offensive coordinator Rob Neumann.  The Pioneers were willing to give it a shot.

In the end, Wills played both tight end and defensive end for the St. Paul Pioneers in their 2011 championship season. And he played well enough to get a look from the Green Bay Blizzard of the Indoor Football League. The Blizzard recently signed Wills to a professional contract.
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  Versatile Pioneers Standout Gets Pro Contract  

St. Paul Pioneers Tight End/Defensive End Robert Wills wanted to have fun and keep playing football last summer – so he joined what is perhaps the best amateur team in the Upper Midwest. It turned out to be a great move – for the Pioneers and Wills. The Bemidji State University star not only helped St. Paul to its second consecutive league title, but he caught the eye of professional scouts.

Now, Wills joins the Green Bay Blizzard of the professional Indoor Football League – thanks in large part to his ability to keep sharp playing the game he loves with the Pioneers. Wills caught a key 2-point conversion in the Pioneers’ 15-0 win over the Chippewa Valley Predators in the Northern Elite Football League title game in August.
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  George Hall Returns As Director of Player Relations  

There is no need for the St. Paul Pioneers to baste their turkey this Thanksgiving. The team just got a whole lot more Juicy.

George Hall, known as Juice to those who know him and love him, is returning to the team he helped start on its way 10 years ago. Hall, who has been everything from a player to sideline manager to team owner, is joining the Pioneers’ Board of Directors as Director of Player Relations.

Hall owned the team in from 2008 through 2010. In 2009, St. Paul embarked on a historic coast-to-coast odyssey to win the 2009 NAFL National Championship in Miami Beach, Fla. He took last season off to tend to the home fires and move ahead professionally.

Now, he is back. And to Hall and the Pioneers, it is like he never really left.

“I am very happy, actually,” Hall said of his and the team’s decision to rejoin each other. “It’s in my blood, this organization. It’s in my soul. It’s a part of me. Being away for a week, a month, or more, it eats at you a little bit.”
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  Brian Schulz Returns to the Annoucers' Booth  

Brian Schulz, the voice of the St. Paul Pioneers, is returning to the booth as the Pioneers’ PA announcer at all home games. Schulz will work Pioneers games at their new home: Sea Foam Stadium at Concordia University-St. Paul.

Schulz, a former coach and owner of the Pioneers, took a couple of years off to focus on his kids and career. But he said he is jazzed about returning to the team that has been such a big part of his life. The Pioneers are the two-time defending champions of the Northern Elite Football League.

“I missed the history, the tradition. Everything,” Schulz said. “I missed that camaraderie.”
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  Pioneers Move to Sea Foam Stadium  

The two-time NEFL Champion St. Paul Pioneers will call a new stadium home for the 2012 season: Sea Foam Stadium at Concordia University-St. Paul.

Sea Foam, one of the best and newest football stadiums in the St. Paul- Minneapolis Twin Cities area, opened two years ago. It cost an estimated $14.5 million to build and is located in the heart of St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood at Interstate Hwy. 94 and Hamline Avenue.

The Pioneers will have full access to the stadium facilities, including home and away locker rooms. Being on the campus of Concordia University should feel like coming home to several current and former Pioneers players, many of whom played for the Golden Bears during their college careers.

“We would like to thank Concordia officials and staff for their willingness to work with us to make this exciting opportunity happen,” Pioneers Head Coach Mark Heiser said. “Moving to Concordia will only help the Pioneers draw an even larger fan base.”

The move to Sea Foam already is opening new doors for Pioneers sponsorships and other partnerships with area businesses. New announcements regarding those developments will be coming soon.
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  Powell Named New Defensive Coordinator  

Maybe the ball-hawking, ball-stealing, points-scoring St. Paul Pioneers defense will now be known as the Wrath of Kahn.

Kahn Powell, a much-respected and longtime Pioneers defensive assistant, has been promoted to Defensive Coordinator, the Pioneers announced Sunday. Powell, who had been the Pioneers defensive backs coach since 2008, promises to stress taking the ball away from opposing offenses.

“This is just a great opportunity to step up and coach a great group of players,” Powell said about his decision to take the defensive reins for St. Paul, the NEFL’s top defense over the past two seasons. “I’m happy I can do it with the Pioneers.”

Pioneers Head Coach Mark Heiser, who was the team’s defensive coordinator himself in 2006 and 2007, said Powell will bring an excitement to the Pioneers’ defense. “And I am excited about the dynamics he will bring. Kahn is going to help make a great defense even better.”

Rob Neumann, the Pioneers’ Offensive Coordinator, was happy to hear the news that Powell had accepted the job.
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  VidSwap Sponsorship  

The NEFL Champion St. Paul Pioneers are proud to announce a 2012 season
partnership with VidSwap.com, an online game video distribution and analysis
provider that allows the Pioneers to immediately post game film to the Internet
to be seen by coaches, players and professional scouts.

As a Pioneers’ sponsor, VidSwap.com gives Pioneers players and coaches a true
advantage – allowing the team immediate access to game film from any laptop or
PC. It means the Pioneers are able to game plan an opponent, evaluate their own
games and send game film to professional scouts at the click of a mouse.
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  2011 Season Wrap Up  

The two-time NEFL Champion St. Paul Pioneers recently looked back on an incredible 2011 season – while also looking ahead to building an even better team in 2012.

First, some reflections on 2011, another championship year:
Wide receiver Joseph Mapson was named the Pioneers’ Most Valuable Player. The Concordia University- St. Paul standout played receiver, punt returner and even quarterback at times for the cardinal and black. Mapson proves his value every year, but he came through with perhaps the season’s most sensational play with a leaping, twisting and falling touchdown grab against the Chippewa Valley Predators in the 2011 Elite Bowl to give the Pioneers a lead they would never relinquish in a 15-0 win.  Mapson was also named co-player of the year for the NEFL.

Defensive tackle Jeff McGaster, a Pioneers dominating force since joining the team in 2008, was named Defensive Most Valuable Player. Jeff had 10 sacks, 60 tackles, an interception and a blocked field goal in seven games. More importantly, he is a game-changer that forces the other team to double-team him if they hope to do anything on offense. McGaster was also awarded Defensive Player of the Year for the NEFL National Conference.
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