HOLYOKE — It’s safe to say Pioneer’s Kurt Redeker will have fond memories of the Panthers’ PVIAC Class D championship game against Duggan Academy. 

The senior entered the title game on Saturday sitting at 994 career points, and after being limited to one basket in the first quarter, Redeker got to work quickly in the second. 

He got to the rim for two points and with 2 minutes, 40 seconds to go in the half, Redeker drove to the rim and finished through contact to record his 1,000th career point. 

The 1,000th point helped Pioneer take a 21-8 lead at the time, and after going ahead 32-14 at the half, the top-seeded Panthers cruised to a 57-39 victory to take home the Class D title. 

“I didn't really think about it too much,” Redeker said. “I was just trying to play the game. The goal was to win this game and win a Western Mass. title but the big goal is to win a state championship.”

With it being a sectional title game, action didn’t stop after Redeker reached 1,000 points. His teammates did have time to celebrate with him however, as he was fouled on the play, allowing him to soak in the moment. 

“It really wasn’t anything crazy,” Redeker said. “I didn’t really realize it at first. The game just keeps going on but it felt great. We set the tone at the beginning. We didn’t do that the first game against them so that helped us out.

“I’m so proud of Kurt,” teammate Brayden Thayer added. “All his hard work in the offseason and in the season, it shows his dedication. He’s one-of-one and we wouldn’t be here without him.”

The sectional title was the seventh in program history and the first since 2023. After winning the Hampshire League South and now a Class D title, Pioneer enters the MIAA Div. 5 state tournament as the No. 1 seed with an unblemished 21-0 record. 

“This is what you dream about,” Panthers coach Scott Thayer said. “For whatever reason, you usually lose a game somewhere along the way but here we are. It’s a testament to the kids. They show up to practice and put in the arduous work and do it over and over again. Defensively it’s just about understanding the scheme and it’s energy and effort. We can miss all the shots in the world but if you can’t score, it doesn’t matter because I know eventually we’ll make some shots. That’s been the formula all season long and we’ll stick with it.” 

Both teams got off to slow starts offensively on Saturday. 

Alex McClelland opened the scoring with a free throw before Ben Werner swished a 3. Redeker scored inside and with 2:26 to go in the first quarter, second-seeded Duggan (18-2) got on the board after Allen Miranda scored inside. Pioneer went on to lead 8-4 after eight minutes. 

The second quarter was the main difference in the game. 

After Isiah Rodriguez scored the opening basket of the second quarter for the Jayhawks, Pioneer went on a 15-2 run that saw Redeker score a pair of baskets, Thayer score twice inside, Werner get to the rim for two while McClelland hit a 3 and scored a layup in transition that gave the Panthers a 23-8 lead. 

Jackson Glazier hit a 3 and got inside for two and Thayer hit a late 3 that helped Pioneer take its 32-14 lead into the half. 

Duggan came out swinging in the third, scoring a pair of baskets but McClelland halted the momentum with a 3-pointer. After the Jayhawks went on a 6-0 run that cut the lead to 36-24, McClelland once again hit a 3-pointer that cooled off the Duggan run. Thayer made a basket just before the buzzer that put Pioneer ahead, 41-26, going into the fourth. 

“It felt great,” McClellland said. “I didn’t think one of them was going in but it did.” 

It was more of the same in the fourth. The Jayhawks scored a pair of baskets to open the fourth and just when it looked like they would make a run to cut it to single digits, McClelland swished another 3. 

After Duggan cut the deficit to 44-33, Glazier drained a 3 before Thayer converted an and-one, giving Pioneer a 50-33 lead with a tick over four minutes to play. The Pioneer defense did the rest to seal a Class D championship. 

“Any time you need a 3, [McClelland] is going to make them,” Brayden Thayer said. “He hit a couple, Jack hit a couple and we were just rolling from there.” 

Thayer led the way with 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists, McClelland finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, Glazier and Werner each had three points while Will Glazier pulled down five rebounds in the winning effort. 

Redeker recorded an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double while adding five assists as well. Scott Thayer noted how proud he was of his senior for reaching 1,000 points.

“When he started with us as a freshman, he got hurt his fifth game in,” Scott Thayer recalled. “If he didn’t, he would have had this a lot easier. I know that was frustrating for him but he just stayed the course. I told him if we keep playing extra games he’ll get it and that’s happened. It’s pretty cool and I’m happy for him.”

Pioneer now awaits its opponent in the Div. 5 Round of 32, as it will face off against the winner of No. 32 Prospect Hill Academy and No. 33 Bethany Christian. 

“We’ll enjoy this one for a couple days but Monday or Tuesday we’ll get back to work,” Brayden Thayer said. “We had three goals going into the season which were win league, win Western Mass. and win states. We have one more to go now.”