Angone and Pioneers Edge Falcons in JV Battle, 16-14

By Patrick Z McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill

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ORLAND PARK— The play known as “Pioneer Left 49,” has a beautiful order, structure and beauty. As a standout running back for the Orland Park Pioneers Junior Varsity,  Enzo Angone turns the play into high art.

“As soon as I got into that open field, I saw in my head that I had my chance,” Angone said. “I also saw how fired up everybody got.”

Angone scored two long touchdown runs in the Pioneers’ 16-14 victory over the Frankfort Falcons in a River Valley Youth Football League game at Sandburg High School on Sunday, October 20.

He finished with 14 carries for 187 yards in helping the Junior Varsity come back from two separate deficits.

The Pioneers featured many electrifying players performing at their peak, like kicker, Brian Curran, whose two kicks ended up being the difference in the game.

“Just before my first kick, the coach called time out, and I asked him if he was trying to ice me,” Curran said. “He said I needed to calm down.

“I just get excited out there. Then we scored the second touchdown, and I got the other kick, and we’re up four points already.”

Angone’s 58-yard burst in the closing moments of the first half erased the 6-0 Falcons’ lead.

The running back was the early workhorse, carrying the ball seven times on the opening possession by the Pioneers. The drive stalled inside the red zone.

Frankfort stunned the Pioneers with an 89-yard scoring pass on their first play from scrimmage. The combination of the fourth down stop and the long scoring pass appeared to leave the Orland Park program reeling.

With the team facing an early knockout blow, defensive end Logan Helman made the other major play that swung the early momentum. After the Falcons’ one-play scoring pass, the team recovered an ensuing kick. 

The Pioneers were struggling to find their bearings. Helman rode to the rescue with a spectacular interception from his left end position that stymied the Falcons.

“Usually whenever a team tries to pass it, I get into the flat,” Helman said. “When I saw the quarterback looking that way, I didn’t expect him to throw it.

“All of a sudden I saw the ball coming my way, and I caught it. I think it definitely helped with the energy of the game, and our whole team was fired up.”

The Falcons’ 6-0 lead appeared safe going into halftime until the Pioneers flipped the switch. Ryan Duckhorn alertly pounced on a loose ball in the final minute of the first half.

“I saw the ball, and I wanted to get it, so I jumped on it,” Duckhorrn said. “We forgot about that opening play they scored, and we just wanted to make it up.”

One play later, Angone took the handoff from quarterback Charlie Enstrom and broke left into the free and clear.

“I had the feeling they thought they were doing better, and they might have a bigger lead on us,” Angone said. “After that play, it completely changed my mind and I realized we were not only back in the game, we had a chance to win it.”

In a high stakes game, the volatile swings hit both sides. 

The Falcons appeared to seize the momentum one more time at the start of the third quarter. Taking advantage of a short kickoff, the Frankfort team put together a deft, sharp 6-play scoring drive.

Duckhorn again loomed large by blocking the attempted PAT kick.

That was just the window of opportunity the Pioneers needed to exploit in reclaiming the lead., A peculiar and unexpected string of events played a massive role in the game-winning touchdown.

Enright deftly used his running ability for a big 8-yard scramble. 

After a holding call put the Pioneers near midfield, the quarterback was drilled by a blindside hit that resulted in a 6-yard loss. More damaging, Enright was forced to come out of the game. 

Running back Ben Snider stepped in, and took the direct snap. The play, one more time, was the classic “Pioneer Left 49.” Angone ran to daylight from the left edge from 60 yards out with 2:34 to play in the third quarter.

“Even though Charlie was gone, it was good the whole team was keeping the momentum up,” Angone said.

“Ben came in, and we settled down.”

The first kick by Curran was actually short. Given a reprieve by the Falcons’ neutral zone infraction, he drilled the second chance opportunity.

“Last year with AJ Richardson, he was above me as a kicker,” Curran said. “The coach asked if anybody else could kick, and I said I could. I came in and started kicking. Come this year, we had nobody to kick. I just started and they brought me in here.

“We marched down the field a couple of times, and we didn’t score. Everybody was bummed, but we had those good plays where Enzo just runs and everybody is fired up.

Now up four, the Pioneers’ defense took hold, with some exceptional play by Qais Naser, Nick Peisker, Dylan Butler and Drake Ulaszek.

Justin McNamara and Ulaszek made back to back stops that created a turnover on downs. The Falcons had one last chance, starting their final possession at their own 41-yard line with 4:27 remaining.

After consecutive stops by Duckhorn and McNamara, cornerback Hudson Doftert made the play of the game. Off a halfback option pass on fourth down, he cut inside the taller receiver for the interception with 1:26 remaining.

The Pioneers ran down the clock to the final seconds before taking an intentional safety for the final scoring margin.

“I was looking for a trick play, or a long pass,” Doftert said. “It felt really good.

“I was really happy to come back from that play at the start of the game where they scored on us. I think our intensity changed after that. We just never gave up.”

During the Fifth Quarter, quarterback Max Streets-Pruitt ran the attack with authority. After strong runs by Maverick Vander Veer and John Sutter, Streets-Pruitt rolled right and found Zackary Salah in the back of the end zone.

“We run that play a lot during practice, so we like to use it during the Fifth Quarter,” Streets-Pruitt said. “Whenever we do, we execute it perfectly.”

Panos Kyros sparked during the defensive play with an interception.

“We all have a super good bond on this team,” Streets-Pruitt said. “If one of us is down, we all help each other out.”

The Pioneers’ Junior Varsity featured many standout contributors in the 16-14 victory. They included Marco Orozco, Hudson Doftert, Gavin Loman, Anthony Baniewicz, Cade McNulty, Vinny Ficaro, Evan Lavelle, Luke Tonra, John Sweis, Finn Redmond, Carter Peluso, John Werner, Karam Olyyan, Nick Mase, Gavin Connors, Dylan Gavin, Jacob Hyla, Noah Maslowiec, Brock Lenzen, Nicholas Dertz, Steven Mullins, Nicholas Hertzog, Charlie Miele, Dylan Ahmer, Avery Vermilyea, Adam Naser, Justin McNamara, Erik Baran and Jayden Spiotto.

The Junior Varsity Cheerleaders also brought greater energy and passion to their routines and artistic performances. Their members are Kaelyn Albright, Aubrey Baran, Brittney Blazys, Brooke Blazys, Aviana Briseno, Annabelle Briseno, Oliwia Burda, Hayden Campbell, Giulia Cangelosi, Avery Carroll, Ellyana Connors, Charlotte Day, Annabelle Deloya, Darcy Dorigan, Frankie Ficaro, Emma Golonka, Arabella Hernandez, Ariana Hinton, Leah Janota, Bianca Kapusciarz, Flora Lane, Brinley Laniosz, Malayna Marable, Addison Meyers, Serena Murray, Sofia Murray, Emma Overman, Gia Parisi, Emily Pastiak, Charlotte Raubolt, Maklaya Roman, Emma Ruisz, Luciana Rupp, Alyse Sparacino, Kamilla Ulaszek, Kassandra Vazquez-Gutierrez and Nora Velez.