SAN JOSE - Pioneer running back Anthony Logan languished for a long time after Friday night's game, exchanging hugs with one family member after another, including his father James Logan.
Tears welled up in the Pioneer star's eyes; and there was a lot to be emotional about. Logan had just run for 195 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries to lead the Mustangs to a 34-33 victory against visiting Piedmont Hills.
The Pioneer triumph, combined with Leland's loss to Independence, gives Pioneer the BVAL-Mt. Hamilton championship and a berth in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs.
"I'm very excited and happy for my team -- we deserved this win," Logan said. We've been working very hard and, honestly, I couldn't have done it without my line, without my quarterback, without my wide receivers -- everybody. It's a team effort and we did it."
Explaining his tears of joy, Logan said: "I've been playing this game since I was a little kid. Every year I look forward to it. I work hard in the pre-season to play with my brothers."
Exiting the field after the hard-fought victory, Pioneer coach Eric Perry was busy checking his smart phone, finally learning that Independence had upset Leland.
"I'm still kind of numb," Perry said. "It's real exciting to get a league title and win a big game like that."
Continued Perry: "Matt (Kiesle) has a heck of a team over there. We've been trying to stop (Piedmont Hills quarterback Anthony) McBride for three years. He's given us a lot of sleepless nights. He's a great quarterback and No. 4 (Isaiah Arnold-Stewart) can catch a football. I can't tell you how many times it looked like our guys were in position and No. 4 or No. 24 (Howard Butler) came out of nowhere to make the catch."
It's Pioneer's first league title since 2009 when Mark Krail (now the coach at Los Gatos) was the head man at Pioneer.
Besides Logan's heroics, the difference in the game was two blocked extra points by Pioneer junior cornerback Tim Geraghty. The second blocked PAT, early in the fourth quarter after a 1-yard TD run, allowed Pioneer to keep the lead 34-33.
"I couldn't have done it without my teammates," a modest Geraghty said. "It wasn't just me."
Pioneer (7-3, 6-1) took a 21-7 lead with 51.9 seconds left in the first half on an 8-yard run by Jeremy Iniguez. But then the Mustangs blundered, kicking off long to Butler, whose 98 yard kickoff return for a touchdown made it 21-14 and gave Piedmont Hills momentum going into the half.
Still down 34-27 with a quarter to go in the game, Piedmont Hills appeared ready to tie it when it mounted a seven-play, 60-yard drive that resulted in a short TD run. But then Geraghty came up with his timely block, preserving the lead for the Mustangs.
It was a tough way to lose for Piedmont Hills (7-3, 5-2).
"Little things can do that to you," Kiesle said. "High snaps and a breakdown in protection. We had our opportunities to get one in later and we just didn't pull it off. I told the kids they just dug themselves a hole in the first half and really, really played well in the second half. We're real proud of them."
Kiesle thought the difference in the teams was Pioneer's ability to move the ball on the ground.
"Their ability to run when they had to -- we don't really have that," he said. "We have to run to complement our throwing. When they wanted to make a first down, they could run the ball for four yards."
Quarterback Zach Silva backed Logan's big effort by completing 12 of 22 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown.
Sophomore Louie Coulombe had two rushing TDs for Pioneer, which also got a 25-yard TD reception by Matt Bloomquist from Silva.
Pioneer linebacker Patrick Richards had eight tackles.
McBride had a 65-yard TD run for Piedmont Hills and threw for two TD passes.
Both teams now await the result of Sunday's CCS seeding meeting before continuing their seasons next week.
