By Ed Muniz-Photos by Renee Kaspar
**Additional Photos are available for purchase at justallsports.zenfolio.com/2022pioneers.**
The Junior Varsity Pioneers were a confident bunch when they met the Blitz at St. Rita on September 11 in Chicago.
They understood there was a good chance that many of the second and third unit players would see plenty of field time.
The Blitz are a second year program within the RVYFL and are learning as they go along. In some situations, they are clearly overmatched.
They do give their all but against a well-coached, seasoned team like the Pioneers, there certainly would be mismatches.
The Pioneers used their veteran, talented team and coast to a 22-7 win to up the record to 2-1.
The Pioneers were out in front quite early. On their second play, Pioneers running-back’ Mason Marable took a hand off and easily raced 65-yards untouched. Unfortunately, it didn’t count due to a penalty, but what it did was set the tone early of what fans should expect.
A couple plays later, running-back’ Kyree Gills ran around right end for 30 yards and set up the next play.
Not expecting a pass, Pioneer quarterback Jack Bullington lofted a pass to Vincent Annel which went 18-yards for the first touchdown. Bullington added the kick and brought the Pioneer lead to 8-0 just 2:20 into the game.
Nick Shamma picked up where he left off last week, grabbing tackles at the line or for losses. He truly has upped his game and it’s become more noticeable.
The Pioneer defense also produced a turnover on the Blitz first possession. Nathaniel Owei was so surprised at the football being in his hands he froze. It took encouragement from a teammate before he took off.
“I wasn’t sure as a striper if I could even touch the ball, really wasn’t thinking at that point,” said Owei.
Last year I only played offense but playing defense is more fun because I get to tackle. I think our team is improving really well. Last year I had a lot of fun, this year I think it’s going to be the same or better.”
After the turnover, t took the Pioneers just two plays to score and up their lead to 16-0.
Bullington found Marable for 21-yards to begin the series and followed that up connecting with Ayden Toth for the 9-yard touchdown. Bullington added the kick-after with about 3 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Try as they might, the Blitz offense was struggling just to get into the right formation.
Unusual in this game is that there were no kick-offs at all. Possession was given at the 35-yardline instead. Quite unusual at this level and the Blitz coaches remained on the field behind their team.
With some of the Pioneer starters now out, it gave others an opportunity to play big minutes in the game.
Defensively, Jude Doftert stepped up and continued to play hard, managing to secure two tackles back-to-back with a 3-yard loss included. Ryan Almasri again was getting through gaps and chasing down Blitz runner for the tackle.
Luke O’Reilly and Terrin Lovitt also added to the tackle tally forcing a turnover on downs.
Driving in the second quarter, the Pioneers used the run game to get to the Blitz 10-yard-line. Runs by Annel and Gills quickly had them on the verge of extending their lead. Gills did just that, racing in from the Blitz 10 for the touchdown. A missed kick saw the score now at 22-0.
“I like playing offense, who doesn’t like running the ball and scoring touchdowns? “said Gills. “I probably need to get to the outside quicker and be aware of where the defenders are, I’m working on it, guess practice makes perfect, along with experience.”
The first half concluded with tackles for losses from Doftert, O’Reilly and Alex Kantzavelos with the sack.
The Pioneers play hard and opened the third quarter giving very little to the host Blitz. Typical of their play, Pioneer defenseman Joey Driscoll fell trying to make the tackle, he quickly got back up and pursued the Blitz runner to finally make the tackle.
The Pioneers give their all, never stopping the entire game.
The Blitz stacked their offense with all eleven players nearly in a scrum formation. They’d take the snap, and you’d see bodies running left or running right. It was a blob of bodies trying to advance the ball.
Working through it were Lovitt, Driscoll, Dominic Gigliotti and Caden Votteler. Each providing a tackle.
There was a first down by the Blitz put that was snuffed when Nolan Burns recovered a fumble to end the Blitz hopes.
“I would say I had a pretty good game today on defense, “said Burns. “I had a forced fumble today also recovered a fumble. I think the team has become more disciplined from our first two games and I definitely want to be put on the defensive side of the ball more. I feel that’s where I excel and stand out.”
Ashton Brennan now went under center as Pioneer Quarterback, leading the Pioneers into the final stanza of the game.
The Blitz were moving the ball using the scrum formation and it worked enough to where they managed to move upfield towards the Pioneer end-zone.
Tackles by Ryan Beeler, Votteler, Brennan, Henry Byrne and Lovitt didn’t prevent the host from celebrating their 11-yard touchdown run around right end. It was a effort that had the home stands cheering loud and applauding.
The Pioneers would close out the game and leave the 22-7 victors.
The Pioneers also had contributions from Colin Kluever, Thomas Elliott, Ethan Vinson, Colin McElligott, Kyle Krokos, Mason Overmyer, Wyatt Heinze, Joshua Montell, Sam Basiorka, Christian Czerwonka, Matt Bullington, LaythZughayer, Nichols Davis, Ameen Rayan, Alex Kantzavelos, Eli Citlau, Nicholas Baniewicz, Mark Grech-Lisula, Santino Marrella, William Reilly, Jacob Oberman, Andrew Wojtanowicz, Dominic Rizza, Michael Sraga, John Curran and Brady Straka.
Alyssa Abed, Lily Carroll, Issabela Enriquez, Erica Gonsowski, Madeleine Heinz, Layla Jeffries, Madalyn Marable, Hailey McDonald, Liliana Minard, Lucy Moran, Avery Nugent, Maeve O’Connor, Paige Pomonis, Arianna Ramadani, Taylor Ruisz, Jordyn Shamma and Klaudia Willis cheered on the Junior Varsity in tough condition.
