By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
**Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p682575048 **
The superlatives come out fast and easy when trying to put the achievements of the Jr Celtics 13U team in perspective.
Call it “showtime,” “basketball on turf,” or a new kind of “space age,” but the natural reaction is leaving your mouth agape at the team did next.
The team worked its high-octane and exhilarating big play attack to perfection.
“We went through it this week in practice where we said put your foot down in the first quarter, first play, and then the second play,” Kameron McGee said.
“We took it to the house, and just kept our foot on the gas, and we stayed discipline.’
The Jr Celtics throttled the Algonquin Argonauts 40-0 in a Pop Warner league game at Main Park on Saturday, September 16.
The electric MeGee started the game on a fantastic note by taking a screen pass from Dominic Vita for the 41-yard touchdown down the right sideline.
“As soon as you score on your first drive, then the whole confidence of the other team just goes down,” McGee said. “It goes down by mountains.”
The Jr Celtics almost had as many touchdowns (4) as plays run (8) from scrimmage during a remarkable opening 12-minute stretch.
With McGee and Shea Wells locking down the Argonauts on their first possession, the Jr Celtics returned to overdrive.
Two plays later, Vita hooked up with Marshaun Thornton for the first of their two touchdown passes.
Thornton floated in the back of the end zone and made an incredible one-handed stab for the 29-yard touchdown pass.
After a fumble recovery set up another prime possession at the Argonauts’ 45-yard line, Vita threw an out route to the streaking Thornton for another breathtaking touchdown pass.
“That first touchdown, in the back of the end zone, their corners are not that big,” Thornton said.
“We were going to pick on him every time, and there was no way he was going to be able to get up with me.”
His second touchdown put the Jr Celtics up 32-0 with 8:05 to play in the second quarter.
“On the second one, their corners are pretty slow, and I was able to just run right past them,” Thornton said.
“With my style and the way I like to play, everything was about doing whatever was necessary to go out there, and catch the ball. I was going to do anything I could to get my team going, get our confidence going.”
The two Vita to Thornton touchdown receptions were grouped around a 24-yard scoring run by Wells.
The Jr Celtics preach playing at an accelerated tempo—on both sides of the ball.
Wells, Brooks, McGee, Kareem Crosby, Jayden Richter, Anthony Carter, Thomas Brown, DeAngelo Coates and Colin Slaney spearheaded the suffocating defensive pressure.
During one tackle, Wells lifted an Argonauts’ runner off the ground.
Welles understood the futility of the Argonauts in trying to slow down the Jr Celtics.
He is happy to be part of the team instead of a competitor.
“I played this team twice last year, and we got our butts kicked, like 43-0 or 43-6,” Wells said.
“I was the only one to score against them. Now ever since I joined this team, I have learned it’s all about how we all work together. We can’t yell at each other because we make mistakes.”
His arrival was like Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors, a great player making an imposing team even feel more invincible.
Vita, the quarterback and the coach’s son, also has an ideal perspective. He has the arm strength, savvy and poise to flourish in any system.
Having so many great players around him only amplifies his special gifts.
“We’ve got a lot of dogs on this team, and it’s great to be able to throw to many of them, or hand the ball off,” Dominic Vita said.
“We spent a lot of time off the field working together, like at camps and so forth, and that has really helped with the chemistry.”
Their work does not exist in a bubble.
“We also have to give a special shoutout to our lineman, who blocked so well,” Dominic Vita said.
“We wouldn’t be anywhere without our linemen.”
His father, coach Mike Vita, celebrated their worth and importance to the team. “The linemen are running tonight,” he said after the 32-0 halftime lead.
Jonathan Osborne was the primary beneficiary.
His 27-yard touchdown run closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter. Slaney and Paul DeRosa also had carries in the second half.
“It just gets me so excited to be able to touch the ball, and get recognized if I do something well,” he said.
“I was just trying to score as hard as I could.”
With members of last year’s national championship on hand, the game served as a way of looking backward and forward.
“When one man hits on this team, we all hit,” Coates said.
“It just shows how dominant we are, and how unstoppable we are to most teams.”
The Jr Celtics 13U team had many standout players in the 40-0 Homecoming victory. They included Adam Studenmroth,Ryan Studenroth, Nicolas Flores, Kareem Crosby, Jonathan Beaver, Kellan Breen and Christopher Santori.
The Junior Varsity cheerleaders also took part in the fun with their artistic routines and dazzling style. They are Raelynn Anderson, Vivienne Andresen, Kalista Balenciaga, Mia Calleros, Maleah Capadona, Grace Crowhurst, Ella Dobbelhoff, Alexis Firlit, Skyler Guinea, Emma Hamstra, Riley Hoffman, Audrey Larson, Roe Lubovich, Gracelyn Marienllo, Charlotte McDonald, Charlotte Ozinga, Giulianna Ramus and Elle Taylor.
