Burton Shines as Pioneers Defeat Golden Mules


On Friday night, the Boys' Basketball team hosted the Solanco Golden Mules. The last time the Mules defeated the Pioneers, most of the players in tonight's game were in preschool (2007). The Mules entered the game with a record of 0-2, losing a heartbreaker to Penn Manor and getting blown out by Red Lion.

Tyler Burton in Game vs Manheim Central (Jon Klein)

The Mules came out of the gates firing, with Zed Baker playing exceptionally well. Baker had 8 points during the quarter, including 2 three-pointers. Tyler Burton and Ben Wert kept the Pioneers afloat as the Mules went into the second quarter with a 17-15 lead.

The Pioneers looked rejuvenated in the second quarter, with Tyler Burton shooting lights out for the Pioneers. Burton scored 10 points during the quarter, bringing his scoring total to 16. Brady Cole also played well, keeping possessions alive with good offensive-rebounding. Going into the break, the Pioneers led by a score of 32-23.

The third quarter played out similarly to its predecessors, with Tyler Burton and Zed Baker controlling the action for their respective teams. Burton entered the final quarter with 21 points to his name, while Baker found himself 2 rebounds and 4 assists away from a triple-double. The Pioneers led 47-39 going into the final 8 minutes of play.

The fourth quarter was all L-S, with the Pioneers locking up another win against a Section 3 opponent. Burton continued his outstanding play, aided by Beau Heyser. Luka Vranich dribbled the final seconds away as the Pioneers won by a final score of 60-44. 

THREE STARS:

Tyler Burton: Wow. Burton did just about everything right tonight, scoring 27 points along with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Burton was also efficient, shooting 50% from the field and 42% from beyond the three-point arc. If Burton can continue to play even close to what he did tonight, the Pioneers are going to be very hard to stop over the next 4 years. 

Zed Baker: Baker was flying around the court tonight, doing just about everything for the Mules. Baker finished with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Baker was almost single-handedly the reason the Pioneers were on upset-alert after the first quarter, and the scoreline might have been ugly without him. 

Brady Cole/Beau Heyser: For how outstanding Burton was tonight, the Pioneers were certainly not a one-man show. The front-court tandem of Beau Heyser and Brady Cole played very well tonight coming off the bench, providing a spark and finishing with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists between the two of them. 

Honorable Mentions: Isaiah Parido, Colesen Sheaffer, Tyler Burger. 

STAT LEADERS: 

Points: Tyler Burton, 27
Rebounds: Zed Baker, 9
Assists: Zed Baker, 6
Steals: Tyler Burton, 4
Blocks: Berkeley Wagner, 2
Turnovers: Zed Baker, 6


The JV game was a tight one, with the Pioneers prevailing by a score of 44-41. The Pioneers move to 3-0 on the young season and appear to be in the driver's seat on the hunt for a sixth straight Section 3 title. The Golden Mules don't have long to wait until their next game, as they head to Robesonia to take on the Conrad Weiser Scouts on Saturday. On Monday, the Pioneers will take the short trip over to Lancaster Mennonite for a non-league match-up with the Blazers.

- By Logan Moyer, LS News reporter
- Photos by Jonathan Klein, LS News Editor-in-Chief

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