Tradition is easy to spot inside Messer Gymnasium. The successes, individual and team-wise, are embroidered on the banners that hang on the wall; a quick introduction to opposing schools that the basketball program is amongst the western Massachusetts elite over the past 25 years.
But recent postseasons haven’t been so kind to Pioneer Valley Regional School.
When this year’s edition of the Panthers takes the floor for tonight’s WMass. Division III Tourney’s preliminary round against No. 10 Hoosac Valley High School, they’ll be seeking a return to postseason glory. Hard as it is to believe for a program so steeped in tradition, it’s been eight years since Pioneer last won a tournament game. After winning tilts in four straight seasons from 2006 to 2009, the program hasn’t tasted D-III advancement since a 73-44 victory over Franklin County Technical School in the 2009 first round.
“We talk about all that kind of stuff,” admitted head coach Scott Thayer, whose team finished 16-4 overall in his first season at the helm, speaking of the lengthy postseason-win drought. “It’s been awhile since they won a playoff game here but we’ve talked a lot about not having a fixed mentality. We want to have a growth mentality. We don’t want to fix too much on how things were or used to be here. We want to keep growing. In the end, now we’re sitting here on the eve of the tournament and, where we are from where we started, we’re way further along than I ever anticipated.”
Thayer, who attended Pioneer before graduating from Northfield-Mount Hermon and served as an assistant coach from 1992-97 during the program glory years, said his team’s achievements after a 2-3 start to the season has been great to see.
“The fan support has been great,” offered Thayer. “The parents have been awesome. We’ve had a loud student section. You see we’ve had a DJ that comes in and plays … all of those things make it special. In the same token, I’ve reminded the kids that the gym is packed for a reason. You created this through your play — people want to come see that type of atmosphere and be a part of that. The pressure that comes with all that stuff, that’s a learning experience as well. I have a saying with them that ‘Pressure is a privilege.’ Enjoy what you’ve created. Enjoy that pressure that comes with playing well and having a gym full of people supporting you.”
The early-season troubles Pioneer endured were frustrating but not unexpected, according to Thayer. A new coach, new system and overall new way of operating took some time getting used to.
“I always talk to the team about how we have to learn to trust each other,” began Thayer. “At the beginning of the season, we talked about how you know of me and I know of you, but I’m still new here. I’ve been around but you don’t have that personal interaction with them. I kept really harping that the personal trust factor is only garnered through time. Almost ad naseum, I’m a communicative person. I want to know how you’re feeling. I don’t want to be guessing. So let’s put things out on the table, and they did a really good job with that. That was the key.”
Pioneer, the No. 7 D-III seed, will look to erase ghosts of postseasons past tonight against Hoosac in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal tilt in Northfield that saw the visiting Hurricanes pull off the road win and stop the Panthers a game shy of reaching Curry Hicks Cage at UMass/Amherst. Pioneer also lost in the 2015 quarterfinals to Wahconah Regional High School in addition to opening-round losses to fellow Berkshire County sides, the main culprits of futility, Monument Mountain Regional High School (2014) and Lenox Memorial High School (2010). The program didn’t qualify for the tournament from 2011 to 2013.
“I’m happy with where we’re at going into the (tournament),” Thayer oozed. “With the seniors, we’ve told them you’re now guaranteed only one practice and one game. From there, if we win, we’ll deal with the next step. But it’s a one-game shot now. A lot of times I feel they get pressured because they haven’t won a playoff game since they’ve been here but, really, just forget the pressure. Enjoy the moment, being in this spot. I hope the culture has changed a bit in that regard.”
The winner of the Pioneer/Hoosac game will take to the road for Thursday’s WMass quarterfinals against Drury High School in North Adams.
“I know (Hoosac coach) Mike Larabee a little bit, and I know they’ll be a hard, aggressive team to play against … dive on the floor, typical Berkshire kind of team,” Thayer explained. “It’s all about how you’re playing going into this time of year, and I really like where we’re at.”