Pioneers prevail
in the Public League

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

Four years ago, Steven Haynes was your typical freshman. He walked into Frankford High School not knowing one person. He kept mostly to himself. He did his homework. He dreamed of playing for the Pioneers’ basketball team.
“I went to Frankford because I wanted to try something new and get out of the neighborhood,” said Haynes, who lives in North Philadelphia. “One day I went to a Frankford (basketball) game and saw the team and coaches, and I knew I wanted to go there.”
The then 16-year-old made his dream a reality and suited up with the Pioneers’ varsity squad as a freshman. Although his debut year wasn’t monstrous — he scored seven points throughout the year — Haynes’ experiences took a big leap when he witnessed postseason play for the first time. The Pioneers finished with a 20-5 overall record and earned a chance to compete in the state playoffs, but they fell in the second round.
But another year brought another chance. Over the next two seasons, Haynes, a guard, consistently helped Frankford gain a spot in the playoffs, also boosting his offensive skills in the process.
“I started working out a lot more,” he said. “I practiced every day.”
That preparation has brought him to this point.
The mighty Pioneers concluded their regular season in the Public League B Division last week and qualified for the playoffs once again. Their final battle of the regular season, on Feb. 7, ended with a Frankford victory over Engineering and Science, 53-45.
As the Times went to press this week, the Pioneers were scheduled to play Edison High School in the preliminary round of the playoffs on Feb. 12. Frankford’s latest success on the court extended its winning streak to nine consecutive games, giving the Pioneers a 14-1 record.
“It’s going very good so far,” said Haynes, who has 223 points this season. “The team is working much harder.”
The Pioneers have always enjoyed a reputation for basketball dominance. They have been solid contenders in the Philadelphia Public League, qualifying for the playoffs for 16 consecutive years.
There has been just one significant shortcoming. Throughout that span, the Pioneers have failed to bring home the championship title.
They look forward to ending that misfortune.
“I want us to get there,” said Haynes. “This is the team to do it.”
Haynes, now a 19-year-old senior at Frankford, has helped the Pioneers compile a 49-6 record throughout his time on Oxford Avenue. He is one of the squad’s team leaders this season, guiding the Pioneers as co-captain.
But it wasn’t always like that.
“When I first got here it was tough because I didn’t know anybody,” recalled Haynes. “It was all right. I had to see how the teachers were. They helped me a lot.”
This year, he has volunteered his time as a peer group leader to help other Frankford students have a more comfortable adjustment to high school life.
“I help the ninth-graders out,” said Haynes, an honor student at Frankford. “I help them with school, tutor them with schoolwork. We give them activities to do. It’s like a mentor thing. Some of the students might not be explaining themselves to teachers, so we try to help them.”
Haynes, whose favorite class is math, plans to attend college next year to study business.
“I really want to get into real estate,” he said. “If I get into housing, there could be people out there who don’t have a place to go, and I could help them.”
Although Haynes is still researching colleges, he hopes to live on campus somewhere outside of Pennsylvania.
“I’d like to get away, instead of staying here,” said Haynes. “I want to try something different. I have to get my schoolwork done and practice and work out at the gym, so that after this I can go to college and study and keep playing basketball.” ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com