The 2-1 Jonathan Alder Football team is  heading to Marion for an inter-conference matchup with the Spartans of Pleasant High School. The Pioneer varsity football team is coming off of a two-day game against West Jefferson in which they won 43-26. The Spartans won last Friday’s contest against Centerburg with a score of 34-27.

    Head Coach and science teacher Brett Glass says, “You have to attribute our success so far to the fact that our team gets along very well and where everyone has each other’s backs.” This support for each other has helped the team overcome its biggest adversity, which has been their inexperience throughout their offense and defense.

    In week one of the 2015 season, the Pioneers had 25 players take their first Friday night snaps. While these players had previously come in only to do cleanup work at the end of games, they had to learn about the high-stake pressures of Friday Night Football on the fly. Glass is hoping the players can take grasp of the speed of the game as they move toward their team goal of winning their league, the MOAC, and making the playoffs.

   Jonathan Alder hasn’t won a football league title in over 12 years. Now, in Jonathan Alder’s fourth year as a member of the MOAC, the Pioneer’s week to week contest is a very big piece of their goal. For as long as the MOAC has been around, the Pleasant Spartans have always been the “big brother” of the league. A week four win would help Alder earn respect among the league and keep their momentum rolling toward a playoff bid.