NORTHFIELD — Usually when the Panthers win, fans of the Pioneer Valley Regional School football team go home happy. Such was not the case on Saturday.

The Palmer High School squad, also nicknamed the Panthers, took the long trip north and beat Pioneer, 40-20, in a game that was close early and largely determined by which team was able to overcome its mistakes

The Pioneer offense got off to a slow start, going three-and-out on its first two possessions, and the defense was very fortunate in between the two.

On Palmer’s third play from scrimmage, a second-and-10 from its own 25, quarterback Jeff Pardo dropped back to throw and found Joe Lombardi wide open out of the backfield about 10 yards down the right sideline. Lombardi picked up blockers and was inside the 5 yard-line before pursuit caught up and, instead of a touchdown, the ball ended up on the ground and rolled into the end zone. Pioneer recovered, and it was a touchback for the Panthers from Northfield.

Palmer (6-2, 4-2 TCL) opened the scoring on its next possession, a nine-play, 55-yard drive that was almost stopped in its tracks by a bad snap that sailed over Pardo’s head, but Palmer was able to recover on the ensuing scrum. Facing a fourth-and-33 from the Pioneer 36, Pardo let fly. When the pass came down in wideout Dan Ladue’s hands in the end zone, Palmer had the lead. Pardo then hit Lombardi for the two-point conversion, making it 8-0 Palmer with 2:16 left in the first.

Pioneer got things revved up on its next drive, which chewed up the remainder of the first period and the first 50 seconds of the second. Starting on its own 25, Pioneer marched 75 yards on nine plays, ending when Wyatt Keith blasted for a 10-yard score up the middle. Keith added the extra point with his foot, and the Palmer lead was just one.

Pioneer would get the ball back quickly. On the next Palmer snap, Pioneer defensive end Jake Comiskey crashed through the Palmer offensive line and put a big hit on Palmer’s Tyler Placanico, jarring the ball loose and then pouncing on it for the recovery.

Three plays later, capped by a 20-yard strike from quarterback Scott Perlberg to wide receiver Jake Wallace, Pioneer was back in the end zone. Keith again split the uprights, and Pioneer had the lead at 14-8 with just under nine minutes left in the half.

After the teams traded three-and-outs, Palmer got the ball at its own 28 with time running down, and went to the air. Pardo was 4-for-6 for 63 yards on the drive, including an 11-yard touchdown to Placanico. The two-pointer failed, and the game was knotted at 14 with 33 seconds left in the half.

Unfortunately for Pioneer, a tie at the break was not in the cards. On the kickoff, the ball short-hopped Keith and bounced away, with Palmer recovering at the Pioneer 26. Pardo connected with tight end Dylan Tenczar three plays later with five seconds left for 14-yard score, and then hit Placanico for the extra two and a 22-14 lead.

Things did not get better for Pioneer (5-2, 4-2 TCL) in the third quarter, as Palmer put up three scores and put the game out of reach.

The first came after a 51-yard punt return by Placanico set Palmer up at the Pioneer 11, leading to a 3-yard scoring run for Jacob Mastalerz making it 28-14.

Pioneer fumbled the ball away on its next possession and again Palmer would take advantage. Pardo led a charge that went 61 yards on four plays, picking up his fourth touchdown pass of the day on a 16-yarder to Lombardi.

The final dagger was a 26-yard interception return by Ladue on the very next play from scrimmage, making the score 40-14 with 2:27 in the quarter.

Pioneer found its bearings in the fourth frame, keeping Palmer off the scoreboard the rest of the way and adding a late score of its own, a 3-yard run by Keith, his second touchdown of the day. It would, however, be too little, too late.

“The kickoff at the end of the half gave them all the momentum,” said Pioneer head coach Paul Worth. “We were moving the football and playing right along with them, and then they were able to take advantage of our mistakes.”

The loss most likely takes Pioneer out of the Division VIII playoff picture, and with a bye next week, the Panthers will await to see who their opponents will be in two games to be assigned by the MIAA that will take place before their Turkey Day match-up with Franklin County Technical School.