By Patrick Z McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
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PLAINFIELD— Every opponent creates its own set of challenges a team must try to decipher, break down or find the right way to achieve success.
The Plainfield Saints’ 13U Division 3 Gold team tried everything possible to unlock or find the right strategy or series of plays against the Joliet Titans.
The Saints admitted going into the game they were facing an extreme uphill battle against a very talented and imposing team.
Amid the adversity, the Saints were not going to back down.
The Saints’ dreams of a Homecoming celebration were dashed with the 26-0 loss in Pop Warner League play at Plainfield Central on Sunday, September 22.
No matter what equation they tried or the approach the team adopted, the Saints ended up with more questions than answers against the athletic and highly skilled Joliet team.
“The game ended up a lot more about what they were doing against us than what we were trying to do on offense,” Saints’ quarterback Lucas Bessette said.
“They were pushing off the ball really fast and hard, and we really struggled with trying to slow them down or do something against them.”
The Titans scored three first half touchdowns in jumping out to the 20-0 advantage.
The Saints tried valiantly to keep up. No matter how hard and capable the Saints played, they could not match the speed, quickness or elite individual playmaking of the Titans. The Joliet side was too big, athletic and fast.
The Saints responded with some strong and distinctive plays of their own. What they could not do was piece together enough positive plays to make a difference.
“I thought we played a lot better in the second half, but we definitely have some things we have to work on,” Bessette said. “We have to work on our blocking and getting our offense going out there.”
The Saints had sporadic success moving the ball, especially with Bessette getting outside the pocket, or getting the ball on jet sweeps to all-purpose talent Andrew Miroballi.
The near constant rain hardly helped matters for the Saints. A bobbled hold on an attempted punt led to a first and goal the Titans quickly took in for a score. The offense never seemingly had time or opportunity to get its running backs free or enough time for Bessette to find his receivers.
With the game getting away early, the hardest part was trying to stay engaged and not lose focus or desire.
“We have really good connections on this team, and everybody gets along and plays hard,” Miroballi said. “We tried very hard to keep our heads up and keep playing through the end of the game and never stop playing, even though we were down pretty big.”
The defense played better than the score indicated. The Titans took advantage of short fields to score their three touchdowns during the first half. Miroballi, Luis Valentin, Cooper Curry, Richard Schaeffer and Reece Wilson worked exceptionally hard to disrupt the athletic and explosive Titans’ attack.
“The score almost didn’t matter, and we were trying to get into the backfield, and do whatever we could to take away what they were doing, and then get positive plays of our own,” Schaeffer said.
Miroballi nearly had a third quarter interception. Curry and Schaeffer showed toughness, speed and skill containing the explosive speed of the Titans.
The Saints showed agility and resilience staying dialed in and composed mentally during a game that was getting away from them physically. The team has its pride and honor they were playing for.
“Even though the game was not in our favor and we got down big early, we had to keep going and try to play hard,” Curry said. “We were just trying to do anything out there to try and make a good or positive play, force a fumble or get a pick. We just had to keep going.”
The offense came alive at times during the second half. Miroballi had runs of 8 and 9 yards on sweeps around the edge. Bessette got loose a few times for positive yardage. Gavin Hollyfield and Maxwell Topps also stepped up and provided an offensive spark.
The Saints enjoyed their brightest offensive moments during the third quarter. Bessette rolled out right and found Miroballi for a 9-yard gain. The angular and lithe Miroballi followed with a 6-yard run, taking the ball to the Titans’ 34-yard line. It turned out to be the deepest drive of the day.
The Titans responded with back-to-back tackles for loss that ended the series.
No matter the outcome, the Saints looked to celebrate the day on their own terms and play with purpose and authority. Until the final snap, the defense showed toughness and spirit. Grayson Rizzo had a 6-yard tackle for loss.
The Titans scored a late touchdown that marked the only second half scoring.
For all intents and purposes, the Saints played the Joliet team to a draw in the second half. Regardless of the final margin, the team showed character and grit.
“We just have to get back to practice, and work harder, and hopefully get some better results,” Bessette said.
Despite the disappointing Homecoming loss, the Plainfield Saints’ 13U Division 3 Gold team showed spirit and enthusiasm. The Saints featured crucial contributors, including Noah Rauen, Julian Larrieu, Ishaan Shah, Gavin O’Shea, Chase Pocius, Ryan Schifo, Jesse Mayes, Hayden Yanko, Bentley Brown, Ethan Vidales, Amari Clarke, Eric Flores, Ty Davis, Reece Wilson and Amani Clarke.
The Pee Wee Cheerleading squad brought energy, enthusiasm and artistry to their routines. Their members included Phallon Brooks, Emily Cuellar, Makenna DeLuca, Chloe Duplessis, Sophia Kurczynski, Addison McNeal, Aria McNeal, Sydney Miene, Zoey Purviance, Rowan Semple, Grace Shannon and Angelica Tsipakis.
