By Ed Muniz- Photos by Renee Kaspar
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p103842018 **
The Orland Park Pioneers were back at it offering Wednesday Night Entertainment.
Those that attended saw performances by the Super Lightweight and Lightweights that put on Offensive and Defensive displays of skill and talent in their one-sided matchups, while the Varsity was a “Wait and see who flinches First” encounter dominated by defensive play.
All toll, the Pioneers finished their performances victors in two of three games played in the Wednesday NIght Football League.
First up were Pat Richardson’s SLW Pioneers. Using a good running game and a staunch defense that gives next to nothing, the Pioneers prevailed 21-0 against the Homer Stallions for their third win in WNFL play, staying perfect.
Everyone recognizes the depth and quality of talent the Pioneers had at this level in the past; well, this year is no different.
From starters to back-ups, this is already a cohesive bunch. From start to finish, the SLW Pioneers are quite a show not only on the field but also on the sidelines.
The Whooping and Hollering during the game by those not currently in the game reaches high octave levels. The chants and cheers don’t dwindle down until instructed to, but just for a brief period. A play on the field starts it back up again.
“What a bunch of animals we have, just animals,” said Richardson as he walked by his sideline troops smiling.
The Pioneers not only can hit you quick with their offense but defensively, they are ridiculously good.
They quickly forced a punt to start the game. Tackles from Waytt Kipper and Zach Ballouta saw losses for the visiting Homer Stallions followed by a hard stop by William Jordan was enough for the Stallions.
Switched to offensive mode, the Pioneers used a running attack that soon had them up 7-0.
Runs by Zach Ballouta and Peyton Barbee grabbed chunks but a 24-yard shifty run by Jordy Kolodziej in his green spats, to the endzone put the Pioneers up. Barbee added the point after for the 7-0 lead.
Homer again struggled to move the ball entering the second quarter due to the tackling of Barbee, Zach Ballouta and Lorcan Redmond. Ballouta’s -9 yard tackle being the big defensive play.
The Pioneers concluded their next series with another score. Barbee plunged up the middle for the touchdown after four yards. Thomas Richardson added the extra point for the 14-0 lead.
During the second scoring drive, the Pioneers went 65 yards on 8 attempts behind the running of Barbee (37 yards), Zach Ballouta (25yards), Richardson and Kolodziej.
The Pioneers again stuffed the Homer offense, forcing another punt with only a few seconds left, with Jonathan Mizera and Alex Kopec doing all the tackling for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers were quickly trying to get plays off looking to score again from their own 45-yard-line. With only a couple seconds left, the most exciting play of the game happened.
Zach Ballouta took the ball, maneuvered through the Homer defense, got to the sidelines and was off, streaking towards the endzone with no time on the clock. Only one defender could stop him closing in, with a lunge, Ballouta was stopped just shy of the goal line to end the first half after running 50 yards.
The third quarter saw plenty of defense by both sides. The Pioneers were forced to punt on their open series after three efforts got them next to nothing.
The Stallions opened their second half with a steady drive that took up nearly the rest of the third quarter, but ultimately bogged down and saw them give up the football on downs.
The stingy Pioneer defense gave a little and a little but just teased the Stallions offense. Tackles by Ballouta, Kopec, Barbee, Kipper, Luke McDoniel and Mizera eventually ended the Homer drive.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Pioneers offense took just 5 plays before upping their score. Zach Ballouta rushed up the middle 26 yards for the Pioneers third touchdown of the game.
“It was most fun when I scored the touchdown, I should have scored on that big run too, but I got tackled,” said Ballouta. “I think I’m running into the hole really fast and when I see it, I go faster to get through it. When I get through, it’s hard for the other team to catch me but I have to use the stiff arm more.”
Richardson again added the extra point for a 21-0 lead.
The Pioneers were never threatened again. They rode their defense the rest of the game and saw backups on the offense use the rest of the clock. Among them were Sean Johnson, Lawson Capps, Moody Jaber, Vinny LaPapa and Martin Groark with Henry Wade finishing off the Stallions.
Defensively several players showed their talents, among them was Jonathan Mizera.
“I was getting through the O-Line a lot,” said Mizera. “It was challenging at times but I was exploding on the snap, but I can do a little bit better. I will next game,”
Also, a force defensively was Alex Kopec, his play was big on the Pioneers defensive effort.
“It was a little hard playing in the middle,” said Kopec. “I just try to come off the ball quickly and get through the gap to make a tackle. They were a little tough today. I like how we can score a lot of touchdowns on this team; all the running backs are pretty fast. And our defense doesn’t let them score.”
Others whooping it up on the sidelines or giving their all in the game included JJ Abuzir, Nate Abbs, Zakariya Jaber, Luke Bosack, Sean Kikilas, Xyan Bell, Scooby Ballouta, Brady Higgins, CJ Hufford, Luke Holoubek, Bennett Kersten, Michael and Dominic Maurella, Gavin Garrity, Michael Ramos, Arthur Slabenak, Paxson Leithleiter, Ian Frost, Quinn McCarthy, Ammar Abdelmuti, William Michael Sweis, Paul Rylan Davies, and Amari Adigun.
