Pioneers close regular season 11-0, thump Sting

41-0, 11-0, 17.5, 90... 21.

These are the milestone numbers reached by the St. Paul Pioneers Saturday.

They beat the Minnesota Sting 41-0.

With the win, the Pioneers finish the regular season 11-0.

Defensive tackle Jeff McGaster recorded 1.5 sacks, giving him the team's single season record with 17.5.

The Pioneers have now won 90 games since Mark Heiser became head coach in 2008.

St. Paul has now won 21 straight games and a national title since its last loss in the second game of 2014 at Des Moines.

None of it will count for much, however, in the real season -- the playoffs. Pioneers Board Member and former team owner George "Juice" Hall likes to talk about the playoffs being the Pioneers real season. He has a point. Since 2009, St. Paul has not lost a playoff game.

Not one.

But the NEFL playoff road is full of potential potholes. On Aug. 1, the Pioneers will play either the North Bank Bulls or the Minnesota Sting, teams St. Paul has beaten twice each this season. But, you know what they say about beating a team for the third time in a season. It will not be easy. And after that? If the Pioneers survive, they will likely host the NEFL title game, the Elite Bowl, on Saturday Aug. 8, against the winners of a tough and unpredictable Eastern Conference. Potential foes include the Menomonie Thunderhawks, the River Cities Roughriders or the Chippewa Valley Predators, a team hitting its peak at the right time.

We hope to see our fans out in force for the playoffs... our REAL season.

Players of the game:
Offense- Ronald Zollicoffer.
Defense- Jeff McGaster.
Special Teams- John Ostertag.