By Patrick Z McGavin- Photos by Jenn- Anne Gledhill
**Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 Weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p894222116 **
PLAINFIELD— If football is the ultimate collective act with all the parts seamlessly flowing together, sometimes one great and significant individual talent just leaps out.
Giorgio Brown, Jr. has that kind of impact as an elite running back with the Plainfield Saints 11U Division 2 team.
Brown put on a scintillating and remarkable display of open field running, athleticism and speed. The young talent is not one to shy away from his goals and ambitions.
“I want to be faster than Usain Bolt,” Brown said of the Jamaican world record holder in the 100 and 200 meters.
Brown rushed for 214 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Saints’ 22-0 Homecoming victory over the Darien Swarm in Pop Warner League play at Plainfield Central on Sunday, September 22.
He ripped off scoring runs of 74 and 42 yards in powering his team to a commanding lead of 16-0 at halftime. Brody Rutkowski converted two two-point PATs in expanding the lead.
“My whole team was happy, and I feel great that I was able to encourage them out there,” Brown said. “Every time I run the ball, I just hold the ball tight to my body and run with all of my power.”
On each of his touchdown runs, he flashed next-level speed and explosiveness in breaking out wide left and simply outrunning the second and third levels of the Swarm’s defense.
Brown was virtually untouchable. His teammates are the first ones to speak up on his behalf.
“It’s just awesome,” quarterback Chase Duga said. “Everytime he touches the ball he scores. We fell down sometimes, and had a couple of drives that didn’t go our way. Gio ran the ball amazingly well, and that’s how we won.”
Duga orchestrated the attack with poise and confidence.
“When you’re the quarterback, my favorite part about the position is that you get to be the leader on the field, and you have all of these great players around you,” he said.
Brown was the catalyst and the offensive star, but the team had many standout players who performed admirably in the blowout victory. The ballhawking defense intercepted two passes, and linebacker Benjamin Wason was a tackling machine in registering six stops for the defense.
The Saints permitted just three first downs, and were never seriously threatened. After the teams exchanged possessions on their opening drives, Brown seized control by exploding around the left edge for a 74-yard touchdown.
“On the first touchdown, we call this play, and I went up to the line and I saw their defense and I knew I could score in that situation,” Brown said. “I just got the ball, and started running.”
Wason, Brown, Duga, Emmett Eloe, Brayden White, Krystian Blachut and Miles Sultan were part of a mobile, quick and disruptive defense that ran hard to the ball.
The Swarm rarely had time to throw the ball, or get into a consistent offensive rhythm.
Knox Shabala made a highlight reel athletic interception in the second quarter that set up the second Brown touchdown. He elevated high in the air, and took the ball in fighting the Swarm’s receiver for control of the ball.
“I saw the quarterback drop back, and I just went for the ball,” Shabala said. “I was able to get a step on the ball.”
Brown needed just one play to get to paydirt, dashing down the left sideline and outracing the secondary for the 42-yard touchdown run. “I just love getting hit and scoring touchdowns,” he said.
Sultan ended the Swarm’s last offensive series of the first half with his own interception.
“Mostly it’s about communication, and how we talk to see where they are lining up,” Wason said. “I have to contain, so once I see where they’re going I can just tackle them. You can’t wait. There has to be no hesitation. You just go do it. You have to have the confidence to go out and do it. You can’t ever be scared.”
As pointed out by Wason, defenses always flourish when playing with the lead. The Saints dictated the pace and tempo of the game, and played freely and aggressively.
“Getting the early lead really boosted us, and told us that now we have to stop them the whole game and don’t let them go anywhere,” Wason said. “When Gio scored the second touchdown, we just went out there and did what we were supposed to do and communicate. When we all work together, nobody can score on us. When someone makes a play, everybody on the defense gets excited, and we just keep building on that.”
With his booming leg, Rutkowski is the team’s special teams standout who provided the extra points with his accuracy. His big kickoffs also pinned the Swarm back deep in their territory.
“It really helps when we’re up by two scores, and we know the other team doesn’t have a kicker,” Rutkowski said. “It’s really important to get them far back on the field to get a kickoff so we don’t have to deal with them that much. It’s all about practice. You have to practice every day, and every week.”
The one-sided game allowed the Saints to play their entire roster.
Brown punctuated the victory with the longest play of a day on an 89-yard scoring run down the left edge in the fourth quarter. It was the perfect way to end the game.
“I’m still getting used to the offense, and my quarterback was helping me with the plays, and telling me what to do,” Brown said. “It feels great, because I really want to win the championship.”
The 11U Division 3 team of the Plainfield Saints had many standout contributors in the 22-0 Homecoming victory. They included Andrew Senica, Julian Torres, Matthew Bureiko, Dallas Duplessis, Kaden Quintero, Brayden White, Mason Gomez, Connor Freeman, Evan Messina, Bennett Vitacco, Mateo Castro, Dominic Saenz, Martin Wilson and Brady Morris.
The Mitey Mite Cheerleading squad also brought great energy and passion. Their members were Riley Akin, Mila Banal, Aaliyah Becka, Olivia Boyd, Ivy Caruso, Graclyn Cervi, Hayden Duran, Arianna Gonzalez, Keira Gravelle, Ava Guzman, Lanasia Horton, Aria Ibarra, Audriana James, Charlotte Martin, Brooklyn Moore, Skylar Morrice, Sylvanna Neace, Jennalee Negrete, Kara Olson, Addison Powell, Rylie Prude, Mariah Spears, Lucille Vore, Charley Wilson and Gabriella Zamora.
