By Patrick Z. McGavin-Photos by Gary Larson
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 Weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p225543590 **
NEW LENOX—Dominant on defense and electric on offense, the pieces all fit beautifully together for a Jr Celtics 10U team that appeared untouchable.
They smothered every offense they played, and moved the ball crisply and efficiently with their dynamic playmakers and strong quarterback play.
That script appeared again to have another classic edition against the Tri-City Wolverines after the Jr Celtics opened the game with a sharp and beautifully executed seven-play scoring drive.
Then the wheels came off. First slowly and then dramatically, and the Jr Celtics were not sure what just happened.
“I think we came out hot, and once we scored, I think we let up and thought it was going to be an easy game,” quarterback Rhett Johnson said.
The perfect season of the Jr Celtics 10U program came to a shocking halt in the 22-14 loss against the Wolverines in Pop Warner League play at Providence High School on Saturday, September 28.
The Jr Celtics opened and closed the game wondrously with bookend touchdowns on their first and last possessions. The fast, mobile and very aggressive Wolverines proved too formidable during the middle sections of the game.
That is where the game took a wrong turn.
“They were just better than us,” defensive tackle Camden Dvorak said. “They played better than us, and they wanted it more than we did. I think what we learned from this game is that just because we scored first doesn’t mean we’re always going to come away with the win.”
At their best the Jr Celtics offer a dazzling offensive attack with many intricate and overlapping parts. Johnson is cool in the pocket and throws the ball quickly and decisively.
Running backs Billy Guinea III, Tyson Gagan and Ryan Ripoli are quick, athletic and dynamic in space. The Jr Celtics work in different forms, showing off the quick play attack or the methodical build up.
As a change of pace runner, Brayden Ruth is a classic between the tackles runner. Just to mix things up, Ruth moves to the Wildcat. Ruth’s 6-yard touchdown run put the Jr Celtics up 6-0. The blocked kick was the first indication the game was not going to be a walk in the park.
“I thought after we got the touchdown, we let up, and thought it was going to be an easy game,” Guinea said. “I think that’s why we started getting down on ourselves.”
The Wolverines dominated the rest of the first half, taking their first lead at the end of the first quarter with a touchdown run and two-point kick. By contrast, the Jr Celtics lost momentum and their offensive rhythm.
An offensive line that dominated the interior struggled against the aggressive upfront pressure and athleticism of the Wolverines. Ruth, Dvorak, Guinea, Gagan, Liam Kruse, Rex Schultz and Jadyn Brigham showed out defensively, matching the toughness and versatility of the opposition.
Penalties and a broken pass coverage set up the Wolverines’ late second quarter touchdown pass that extended their margin to 14-6.
Making matters worse for the Jr Celtics, untimely injuries scuttled the comeback effort. Gagan and Guinea both took hard hits that required them to come out at the end of the second quarter.
Most damaging of all, Johnson suffered a leg injury on the final play of the second quarter. He was forced to the sidelines for the entire third quarter, replaced by Bryce Szczepaniak.
“I was kind of mad,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t really run during that third quarter. We kept trying to claw back and claw back. It just didn’t happen.”
The Jr Celtics generated three second half turnovers, an interception by Joseph Honkisz and fumble recoveries by Declan Kirk and Dvorak. The problem was converting those turnovers into points.
A stalled drive led to a punt, which the Wolverines partly deflected, giving them great field position at the 32-yard line of the Jr Celtics. They expanded their lead to 22-6 with the five-play drive.
“They were really good, a tough team, but we came out flat, and they woke up and they were more ready than we were,” Guinea said.
Johnson returned at the start of the fourth quarter. The Wolverines generated tremendous pressure, and he rarely had time to throw or find open receivers.
The Jr Celtics could not take advantage of the first two turnovers.
To their credit, the team played hard and fought until the final play of the game. If the result was disappointing, the effort was there. After the Dvorak fumble recovery, the Jr Celtics ended the game on an upbeat note.
Avoiding the pressure, Johnson found Guina cutting across the grain for a spectacular 70-yard catch and run that put the ball at the 10-yard line in the closing seconds.
The drive appeared stymied by penalties until Guinea came through with another superb 18-yard catch over the middle. On the final play of the game, operating out of the Wildcat, Ripoli fumbled the snap, but alertly grabbed the ball and scored from the 1-yard line.
“I thought we looked a lot better in the second half,” Johnson said. “We looked like we wanted to be there, and we started to try more.”
After encountering little resistance, the Jr Celtics 10U program knows how the other side felt being on the business end of those lopsided defeats.
“They just wanted it more,” Ripoli said. “They were aggressive, very big and fast. We really needed to get our bell rung. I think now we’re going to work harder, condition better and get mad for the next time we play them.”
Losing is hard but the long-term consequences sharpen a team’s instincts, and show what they need to work on. The Jr Celtics insisted they learned their lessons.
“I think we’re going to have good practices, improve and get much better,” Guinea said. “I think if we ever face them again, it will be a really good game, but we’ll find a way to come out on top.”
Despite suffering their first loss of the season, the Jr Celtics 10U team featured many standout contributors who played hard until the final play. Those players are Casey Gahan, Dean Copack, Gabriel Glover, Romeo Brooks, Easton Burch, Blake Schuler, Jake Tompkins, William Mikaitis, Vincent Bennett, Nixon Hazdra, Geno Vosholler, Brayden Luczynski, Cameron Richards, Luke Husenger, William Michael Lehnerer III, Brady Lindholm, Anthony Fitzpatrick, Grant Whitchurch, Michael Zanta, Rex Schultz and Dominik Brown.
The Junior PeeWee Cheerleaders also brought passion, energy and style to their routines and performance. The team consists of Mariana Santoro, Harper Kloiber, Ella Pearson, Adrianna Magana, Briella Price, Emmy Holland, McKenna Smith, Lily Gotkowski, Valentina Santoro, Eliana Jones, Maya Varnado, Natalie Mellon, Brynn Kaplan, Reese Erickson, Sophia Eytcheson, Mackenzie Tunney and Lilly Pearson.
** Our Apologies as Cheerleader photos fo rthis game were unavailable.**
