By Patrick Z. McGavin-Photos by Gary Larson
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CHICAGO— The Jr Celtics 12U team began the year on their own self-styled revenge tour looking to avenge the bittersweet memories of a four-overtime loss in the state championship game.
Up and down the roster, the players were primed, eager and ready to show what they were capable of—a lightning fast and devastating offense and a free-flowing and capable defense.
The early signs were promising, like putting up 45 points the first game of the season. The team almost lost sight of the objectives.
“I felt like we might have gotten too overconfident from what we did last year, because we were really good and beat pretty much every team we played,” Hunter Guisinger said.
A season that seemed open to unlimited possibility was offset by a devastating string of injuries, fatigue, and a talented though physically undersized team that often was forced to punch above its weight class.
By the end, the team was a shadow of its former self.
The Jr Celtics 12U team suffered a 44-0 season-ending loss to the Darien Swarm in a Pop Warner League game at Marist High School on Sunday, October 13.
The Swarm broke off a long 51-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage, and never looked back. The team scored five first half touchdowns for the 37-0 lead. The Jr Celtics were left to ponder what happened, and try to pick up the pieces.
“This year we moved up a level, and I just feel like we were too confident in ourselves,” Guisinger said. “We were just thinking we were just going to beat every single team. We’re undersized as a team. Most of the teams we go up against are much bigger.”
The injuries left the team reeling and decimated, in most cases without enough healthy bodies to practice during the week.
The loss of timing was evident in the turnovers on offense and special teams, and the inability of the defense to create any turnovers or offer any true resistance at the point of the attack. The team showed heart and valor despite the overwhelming disadvantage on the scoreboard.
“We just didn’t want to give up,” said linebacker and receiver Antoni Stefos. “We had to keep going. The game is not going to end just because they were way ahead of us. We had to keep going and try to make something good happen, and try to come back. It was really tough by the end of the season, battling with injuries. A lot of bad stuff happened, but we still kept our heads.”
Stefos had the offensive highlight, a 28-yard catch from quarterback Michael Brown down the right sideline at the start of the third quarter. It proved the team’s longest play from scrimmage.
The team’s other most reliable offensive threat, running back Nakahti Thompson, could never get untracked. Every time he touched the ball, the Swarm had multiple defenders awaiting him.
The injuries touched all sides, from the skill players to the interior of the line. The lack of depth took a toll. The Jr Celtics sought their own sanctuary, finding toughness and grace in how they dealt with an exceptionally difficult end of the season stretch.
“Not a lot of people have the opportunity to do this and play football, so I feel grateful and privileged to do that,” running back Andrew Lowry said. “This organization is so good to us, and the parents. One of the things I’m going to take away from this experience is playing with my teammates.”
The special bond and dynamic among the players allowed them to find silver linings and develop a special awareness and chemistry in their shared outlook.
“We had talks, and we just did whatever we could to pump each other up and stay confident, talk about how there’s always next year,” Lowry said. “We knew this season wasn’t so great, or up to our expectations.”
The Jr Celtics played hard until the closing moments, mourning another drive that ended inside the red zone as time expired. Thompson worked hard to get free. Brown made some nice throws. Lowry ran hard between the tackles.
Lineman Lincoln Lopez was another hungry and tough player who personified the never-say-die attitude of the team.
“Towards the end there, we had made an effort, and we really tried to get that touchdown,” Lopez said. “We wanted to try anything just to have some positive memories of our last game. Even if it’s towards the end, we still had our pride and we focused on trying to score touchdowns, up until the last few seconds.”
No matter what happened, the offensive highlights are something the team is always going to remember. It was a window into what was possible when the team was fully healthy.
“We scored a lot of touchdowns this year,” Guisinger said. “Our offense was pretty good, but we weren’t able to make a lot of stops on defense. All of the other teams had bigger backs and bigger wide receivers. They were overpowering us. This was a learning year for us. I feel like we have to get bigger, lift weights and work harder.”
One bright side to the injuries was the remaining players had a chance to try out new positions and just do anything necessary to help change the fortunes of the team.
The Stefos’ catch illustrated the point. He began the year playing only defense. The injuries threw him into an expanded role on offense. He emerged as a capable and gifted two-way player. That is precisely the kind of development the team needs going forward.
“Now I’m playing all the time, and it was a big step up from last year,” Stefos said. “This was like our transition year, and next year we’re going to get back into the playoffs. We have to fix some things beforehand.”
A season that ended prematurely and not in the manner the team imagined humbled the players. It did not wreck their spirit or resolve. The players were down, but never out.
“We’re going to need to hit the gym, and be more organized as a team,” Lowry said. “We’re going to have to know the plays better and block better. No matter what happened this year, I’m always going to look back and remember playing with this team.”
The Jr Celtics 12U team saw its players compete to the very end. They included Brayden Firlit, Nolan Purtill, Frank Vosholler IV, Christian Taphorn, Thomas Walsh, Dominick Bennett, Ethan Vargas, Caden Russell, Bryce Robinson, Dominic Nenchausky, Kyle Tompkins, Jackson Shanahan, Robert Hauck, Jaxon Brown, Adrian Friscia, Caleb Jablonski, Carter Gericke, Maximus Dukups, Graham Salvador, Kaiden Alexander and Logan McGrtath.
