Posts Tagged ‘Jeff Gschwender’
Inability to get Warriors’ offense off field leads to district championship loss for Pirates
WARRENTON, Mo. — Fourth-down conversions can be momentum boosters or momentum zappers. Unfortunately for the Hannibal football team, the Pirates were on the wrong end of too many of those momentum-shifting plays Friday night. Warrenton tilted the scales in their favor with five fourth-down conversions that led to 21 points in its 42-28 victory in…
Read MorePirates brace for opportunity to experience deja vu and end Warriors’ undefeated season
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Same round, same foes. For the second straight season, the Hannibal and Warrenton football teams will clash for the district championship. “We expect to be in this position every year,” Hannibal coach Jeff Gschwender said. Gschwender and the Pirates hope it’s deja vu all over again. A year ago, Hannibal took a…
Read MorePirates look to continue trend of being locked in both offensively and defensively against Bulldogs
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Seventh-seeded Mexico beating No. 2 seed and previously undefeated Kirksville in the Class 4 District 5 football quarterfinals may have looked like a significant upset on paper, but Hannibal coach Jeff Gschwender did not necessarily see it that way. “I can’t say that I was super shocked,” Gschwender said. “Mexico is a…
Read More‘Landyn Essig is really fast’: Essig returns two kickoffs for touchdowns, scores four times in Pirates’ rout of Spartans
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Landyn Essig’s encore performance was just as impressive as his opening act. With the Hannibal football team leading Moberly 41-18 at the start of the fourth quarter of Friday’s North Central Missouri Conference game at Porter Stadium, Essig had already run the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, rushed for a touchdown…
Read MoreTigers hand Pirates rare NCMC loss by ending 26-year drought with one-point victory
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — For the Hannibal football team, it was a game of what-ifs. For Kirksville, it was a game of emphatic statements. The Tigers notched their first victory against the Pirates since 1998 by grinding out a 16-15 victory Friday at Spainhower Field. “We earned some football fans tonight,” Tigers coach Gregg Nesbitt said.…
Read More‘He really expects us to be that good’: Early-season challenges bringing out best in Pirates
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Sometimes a team’s record doesn’t tell the whole story. Hannibal football coach Jeff Gschwender believes that is the case regarding the Pirates’ 2-2 start to 2024. “I feel like we’re a little better off than where I expected to be,” Gshwender said. Gschwender’s positive outlook stems from not only the Pirates’ lopsided…
Read MoreCountdown to kickoff: Pirates ready to ‘make a path for ourselves’ with array of talent
Coverage of the Hannibal football program brought to you by: HANNIBAL, Mo. — No Aneyas Williams, no problem. This is the prevailing attitude within the Hannibal football program. “With Aneyas or without Aneyas, we’re still going to win,” senior running back Mike Ferreira said. As Williams, who rushed for 4,255 yards and racked up 3,249…
Read MorePirates get right back down to business, bulldoze way into district title game
By Don O’Brien HANNIBAL, Mo. — The ebb and flow of the Hannibal High School football season was interrupted last week thanks to an opening-round bye in the district tournament. As the undefeated No. 1 seed, the Pirates certainly earned the break. Hannibal’s coaching staff could tell they had a monster on their hands during…
Read MorePursuit of excellence gives Pirates edge, while experience pushes them forward
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The pieces are in place for the Hannibal football team to harbor legitimate championship dreams. A skilled quarterback with a complete grasp of the offense. An NCAA Division I talent who can play a variety of positions. A bookend left tackle. A dynamic defensive end. A bulldog middle linebacker. A make-plays-everywhere safety. …
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