NORTHAMPTON — The only thing that kept Pioneer Regional running back Bryce Dobosz from rushing for 200 yards for the third straight week was the scoreboard.
The junior running back rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns but was lifted after three quarters as the Panthers dumped Smith Vocational, 48-0, in a Tri-County League football game Friday night.
Pioneer (4-2, 2-2 TCL) has a shot at qualifying for the Western Massachusetts Division 4A postseason but has must-win game next week at Mohawk Trail.
Smith (0-6, 0-3) is still seeking its first win of the season.
Dobosz rushed for 213 yards two weeks ago against Palmer, and went for 201 yards in last week’s win over Pathfinder, giving him 685 yards in just four games this season, after he missed the first game of the year.
He was well on his way to the 200-yard mark again on Friday, as he rushed 19 times for 141 yards in the first half, and then carried the ball for 47 yards on five hauls after halftime. He took Pioneer’s first handoff of the fourth quarter for 7 yards to end his night.
“It’s all about the team and I’m glad we got the win,” he said. “Our offense is playing well right now. We’ve got a great group of offensive linemen, a great group of backs and receivers, and our quarterback Alex Tyson is playing great.”
The Panthers’ defense pitched its second consecutive shutout in dominating fashion. Smith Voke had 8 yards of offense in the first half. That number dipped to 1 yard after two possessions in the second half. The Vikings were able to move the ball late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, but finished with only 40 yards.
“I think the defense has really spoken for itself all year, even when we played Ware and Palmer,” Pioneer coach Paul Worth said. “We gave up two big plays in each of those games (both losses), but we held two really high-powered offenses to just 14 points in both games. I feel that we should be able to score more than 14 points as an offense, and if you can’t then you don’t deserve to win.”
Cam Van Buren led Smith Voke with 20 yards on six carries, while Dakota Blakesley had 15 yards on eight carries. Quarterback Jake Erali rushed 10 times for 5 yards, and was 1-for-9 passing for no yards and one interception.