Pioneers dominate
Public League championship

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Jon Bracero is no stranger to championships.
And thanks to the winter season, he’s no stranger to losing in championship games.
Bracero, a senior at Frankford High School, helped the Pioneers’ wrestling team win titles in his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. He also won a baseball title during his junior season.
But during the winter, his Pioneers’ wrestling squad lost the Public League championship match to George Washington High School by one point.
Yes, it hurt.
But it also motivated a guy who really doesn’t need much motivation.
After all, Bracero always wants to win, and he expects the same of his teammates.
"Winning a championship is so special," Bracero said. "I knew you don’t always win, but when we lost in wrestling, it was tough. You go out and work hard with your team to be the best. Playing is fun, but the entire reason you play is to win championships."
If that’s the case, than the 2008 version of the Pioneers baseball team can finally be considered a success. After a fine season that included wins in all but one of their Public League contests, the Pioneers put an exclamation point on the season with a 15-5 win over Central in the Public League championship game at Campbell’s Field in Camden, N.J., on May 28.
The game was halted after six innings because of the "mercy rule," but it wasn’t that lopsided during the first few innings. In fact, in the third inning, Frankford trailed, 5-1.
But Bracero blasted a three-run double to get the Pioneers back in it, and slowly but surely the Pioneers scored 11 more runs to win the game. It was Frankford’s second straight title and its fifth championship in the past six years, but for Bracero, it was hardly just another championship.
"Everyone is special, but this was the most special," Bracero said. "You don’t want to leave without a championship in your senior year. I think a lot of people expected us to do well because we were good last year, but it’s tough to win championships, so winning them is special."
His head coach agreed.
"This senior class has done so much together," said Juan Namnun, who took over as head coach after last season. "These guys are a special group. They have talent, but they’re more than just that. They work hard, they play for each other, and they have a great time out there. It was a special group, and I’m happy they did it.
"It was enjoyable, especially after we got the big lead," the coach added. "After we got a nice lead, I was able to enjoy it. When you’re playing a team like Central, you have to think every pitch. After we had a lead, I was able to look around and enjoy it. It was nice."
Next year, Bracero hopes to continue his baseball career at either Delaware Valley College or Penn State University’s Abington campus. Wherever he ends up, that school will have a tremendous infielder who can hit and, just as important, be a leader.
"I’m not too loud, I like to lead by example," Bracero said. "But I’ll talk. I’ve been here for so long, I’ve seen how the older guys lead and I tried to do the same thing.
"No one is going to listen to a guy who just yells, so I try to teach, not yell," he added. "We have a lot of good leaders on this team; I just try to help out any way I can."
Bracero looks forward to playing baseball at the college level. Like every baseball player, he’d love to earn a paycheck playing the game, but he also has another career plan.
"There was a time when I was working on the field after it rained and we had to do a lot with the rake and fix it, get rid of the puddles and drag (the dirt between the bases)," Bracero said. "That’s when I decided I wanted to study and work in landscaping.
"I love being around the game, and that will keep me on the field,’ Bracero said. "I love baseball, I play it every chance I get, so it would be great if I could work in the field, too." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com