Quarterback Matt Thayer named inaugural George "Juice" Hall Player of the Game

This season, Running Back Coach Fred Rashaw kindly and generously donated a new award for the team- a championship belt bearing the new logos and image of the late Pioneer great, George “Juice” Hall. When asked about this award and what it means to him, Coach Rashaw said the following:

"This game is bigger than what happens on the field and Juice is, was and will always be the standard we measure any player on the Pioneers. Having their name associated with Juice after a game to acknowledge the effort, determination and relentless they displayed during the game is the highest honor a Pioneers player could strive for. That’s what this belt represents."

This new award will be given to the player the coaching staff selects as the most valued player after a Pioneer victory.

It is with pride, the Pioneers announce Quarterback Matt Thayer as the inaugural George “Juice” Hall Player of the Game. In his debut as starting quarterback of the Pioneers in the May 20th outing against the Newton Nite Hawks, Thayer put up an impressive 13 of 19 completions with 268 yards and 4 touchdown passes to four separate receivers. Coming into the game, Thayer spent a great deal of time studying for the game and preparing to lead the team. Head Coach Damien Rochon-Washington told the team that Thayer was studying so much that Damien got messages from the tight end turned quarter back at all hours of the day and night. Coach Rochon-Washington wasn’t the only coach Thayer reached out to either. Wide Receiver Coach J. Alfred Potter even spent some time in a Zoom call working on concepts and coverages with Thayer to prepare for the Nite Hawks of Newton, Iowa.

Thayer was asked how it felt to be the first Pioneer to receive this award, he said “You better believe that I'm not going to let this honor go to waste. Every single week, I'll continue giving my everything, proudly carrying the spirit of Juice and representing this awesome team. This award has only fueled my fire and made me even more determined to keep pushing boundaries and aiming for greatness.”

We at the St. Paul Pioneer have high hopes for Thayer and all our players and Staff. We cannot wait to see what Thayer does next and which of our stellar athletes are next to be the ones to hold this honourable title.