By Ed Muniz-Photos by Kathy Jones
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p355908001 **
Is there anything harder than maintaining a winning streak? Maintain the high level of play that produced it? If you start the season and after a few games you remain unbeaten, is that difficult to continue?
Great teams will find a way to win but not without some adversity. In order to truly become a champion, at some point in the season, you must face some adversity. Maybe it’s injuries, or a close, white-knuckle game or a difficult opponent that just won’t yield. Great team will experience it but overcome it.
When you’re unbeaten, your opponents will always give you their best effort. You carry a target on your back and are coveted by opponents. They want to be the first to knock you from the ranks of unbeaten.
8U Jr. Celtics Head Coach Gavin McCarron and his players are on the verge of experiencing a special season along with difficult tasks that could lie ahead.
After defeating the Plainfield Saints, 13-7, Coach McCarron has his Jr. Celtics unbeaten and riding a 3-game win streak, remaining unbeaten in 2023.
“We came together at the end, since week one, we have been working on our conditioning, here we were able to grind a little bit harder,” said Coach McCarron. “We’ve transitioned a little bit more on conditioning. When you have short weeks, especially with 8-year-olds, you have so many hours to learn the game and add the conditioning to it.”
That team we played today was a good team, we knew coming in we had to go whistle to whistle, that was our biggest plus, we were able to out-grind them.”
McCarron also added his team need to improve getting off the ball, getting off the snap, we were still a little bit slow. He also mentioned his team has a lot of good athletes and having that pays off in the league against the better talent.
The Jr. Celtics may have been caught off guard when the Saints opened the game with a 30-yard run. Keaton Kastys was finally able to corral the break-away Saint runner for the tackle.
With the wake-up call, the Jr. Celtics recovered, also benefiting with a holding penalty, and held the Saints to negative yards with tackles from Mason Akileh, Holden Reid, Henry Bass and Cohen McCarron.
Taking over at their own 26, Quarterback’ Camden Fitzgerald was ready to guide his team down the field.
With a steady dose of runs and some offsides penalties, the Jr. Celtics were able to go on a nine-play drive behind the rushing of McCarron, Reid and Quinton Collins.
It was McCarron who opened the scoring when he dashed 40 yards up the middle a minute into quarter two. Reid powered in for the added extra-point, giving the Jr. Celtics a 7-0 lead.
“I was thinking I was going to be caught because of all the guys chasing me,” said Cohen. “I thought after I scored, they would slow down but they didn’t, there was a lot of guys behind me. Our running the ball and blocking was good today. On defense, I was working hard to make the tackle.”
Although the Saints fell behind, they didn’t panic and proceeded to go on their own drive. It took them seven plays to knot the game at 7-7.
During the scoring drive, the Jr. Celtics defense saw several players notch tackles. Leading the way was McCarron, grabbing three of his own. Fitzgerald, Collins and Reid also made a tackle each prior to the 30-yard touchdown run by the Saints.
After a penalty pushed the Jr. Celtics back, Reid would deliver the best run of the day. His 30-yard run saw him break six tackles, leaving Saints trailing behind him until he was stopped..
On the run, Reid was met straight on, powering his way past each attempt, refusing to be stopped. Saint after Saint dropped by the wayside.
With 24-second left before half, the Jr. Celtics were sitting at the Saints 32-yard-line. Collins zipped for 13-yards. A time out and one play later, Reid took the handoff at the Saint 18 and swept left, he got to the edge and rambled into the endzone with 1.3 second left.
As halftime arrived, the Jr. Celtics held a 13-7 advantage with a half to go.
Several penalties highlighted the Jr. Celtics opening second half series. Runs by McCarron, Collins, Kastys, Reid and Fitzgerald couldn’t overcome the three penalties Mokena committed, resulting in a turnover on downs.
Reid was a force defensively. He was finding gaps and stopping plays in the backfield.
“Making the tackles, I kept thinking work hard and wrap up and get there,” said Reid. “I was reacting off the snap. Running the ball, I was just trying to stay up, trying to get into the endzone and following my blocks. I like our guys; they are all nice guys and following the rules and try hard too.”
With two tackles for losses on the Saints next series entering the fourth quarter, Reid led the way. Collins and Bass also contributed with each making a stop, forcing the Saints to relinquish the football.
The Saint’s defense wasn’t giving up much now. Down a score late in the game, they worked hard defensively and looked for one more try to even the game.
Limiting the Jr. Celtics next to nothing, the Saints made the stop and began their quest to even the game or even win it.
However, the Jr. Celtics also increased their pursuit knowing a touchdown and extra-point could lose the game.
McCarron, Bass, Fitzgerald, Reid and Michael Salem stepped up their game, making stops and sealed the win when Reid came up with the tackle on the Saints fourth down, short of the first down marker.
It took McCarron converting a first down to finally give the hard fought 13-7 win to the Jr. Celtics and remain unbeaten at 3-0.
The Jr. Celtics also saw contributions in the win from Zakai and Zachary Obeng, Angelo Cameo, Zachary Bal-Denton, Mason Miller, Daxton Radja, Alexander Wallace, Porter Ronk and Colin Petty.
The Mighty Mite Jr. Celtics cheerleaders worked their magic again in the 8U game . They kept fans in the game and led in being positive for the fans of the home team, they include Gabriella Bal-Denton, Madelyn Breymeyer, Lily Burke, Julianna Capadona, Leah Doman, Lucia Garofalo, Shea Kelly, Annabelle Osborne, Lily Pearson, Emma Price, Olivia Richards, Ellie Roberts, Rylie-Ann Runia, Tessa Taylor and Lilliana Wood.
