By Patrick McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p345131858 **
CHICAGO— No matter the situation or the circumstances, the game is the game. Every weekend afternoon is an opportunity to show what a team or individual player is capable of.
Even when thrown a curveball, the Algonquin Argonauts’ 9U team never played down to the moment. They rose to the occasion, and played with imagination and focus.
“When we first got here, we were practicing okay and running pretty hard,” Tristan Fallico said. “Once we got onto the field and into the game, we were ready.
“We all started to lock in.”
The team made the long trek to the northwest side of the city, and came away justifiably proud of their efforts.
The Argos dominated each side of the line in a 14-0 victory over the Shabbona Park Saints in Chicagoland Pop Warner league play at Steinmetz High School on Saturday, September 26.
Technically the game was ruled a forfeit given the Saints were under the league threshold for available players. Shabbona Park dressed only 15 players, one fewer than the mandatory figure.
The game was played under a modified timing format. Rather than the customary four 10-minute quarters with clock stoppages, the game was played with two 20-minute halves featuring a running clock.
The Argos ran only nine plays from scrimmage in the first half.
The team was both efficient and effective during that brisk running time, showcasing a range of different running backs and sharp formations that threw the Saints out of whack.
Santiago Hernandez and Anthony Palermo alternated at quarterback. Their skill sets mesh beautifully together, with the speed and quickness of Hernandez blending just right with the size and versatility of Palermo.
Palermo is still recovering from a hernia procedure.
Most importantly, the Argos are a team with a multitude of options when it comes to carrying the rock. Hernandez and Palermo each have the ability to throw the ball into the flat or over the middle.
Jonathan Perez Jr. and Sylas Cole are the featured backs. In special moments, Fallico is the hammer who plasters the opposing defenses with his size and power.
Everything all worked out against the Saints.
“We were coming off a couple of losses before this game, and we wanted to come out hard and play really hard and strong and show what we could do,” Fallico said.
“During practices and training, we go very hard with our conditioning, and we don’t play around. We are very serious about the game.”
Perez and Cole did exceptional work getting to the outside and using their speed to bounce outside the Saints’ containment. The two took turns making big runs.
Perez punctuated the Argos’ only first half possession with a 19-yard burst for the opening touchdown. The two-way standout was also superb on defense.
He did a great job of coming hard off the edge and getting backside pressure to make tackles or harass the Saints’ quarterback. His speed sets him apart, and allows him to create big plays on both sides of the ball.
The Argos optimized his versatility and creativity, and Perez did the rest.
“I go hard at practice, and I like hitting people,” he said. “Getting the ball and having a chance to hit people are my favorite parts of the game.
“I love hitting, but I also love running the ball. It’s very exciting. The thing about this team is nobody messes around. We practice hard every day, and everybody gets along.”
Defensively the Argos limited Plainfield to just a handful of dangerous situations. Leonardo Rivera and Carlos Gamboa dominated at the point of attack.
They bottled up the Saints between the tackles. Rivera had a huge fumble recovery in the second half that helped secure the shutout.
“I’ve actually played with the Argos for three years now,” Rivera said. “It’s really fun and exciting, and my favorite thing to do is just going out there and making contact and getting tackles.
“I loved getting those fumbles today.”
The Argos made sure the Saints never developed any consistent rhythm or shape offensively. The team flew to the ball and repeatedly disrupted the attack.
With Bryson Stokes, Rivera and Gamboa patrolling the interior, Aummy Varda, Julius Reyes, Beckett Long and Ryder Dearing were free to roam and chase down the Saints’ playmakers.
Perez came hard off the edge and finished things off.
If the first half touchdown was mercurical and sudden, the second score was a model of execution and patience.
Taking the ball to start the second half, the Argos wove all the parts of their attack perfectly together, going inside and out, for the 13-play, 70-yard drive.
Perez ripped off runs of eight and nine yards. Fallico went up the gut for 10 yards. Hernandez was the perfect orchestrator who either kept the ball or handed off.
“We had great blocks on that drive, and everybody who got the ball really ran well.” Palermo said.
Hernandez completed the scoring sequence with a superb fake and 13-yard keeper around the right side to reach paydirt.
“I love getting to keep the ball and get the QB sneaks, and I was able to score a touchdown today,” he said. “I love being the QB, because you get to control everything.
“I get to run those sneaks and get a lot of other chances to run with the ball. It’s a lot of fun, and we have so many different players who get a lot of yards.”
Fallico scored both conversion runs out of the power formation, where all 11 players line up tight, and he uses his size and power to blast through the line.
“I like how I run the ball, and how everyone else runs the ball, because we’re able to get a lot of yards,” he said.
“It helps us score touchdowns.”
The Rivera fumble recovery ended the final Saints’ threat. Punctuating the victory, Hernandez threw a gorgeous pass down the right sideline on the final play of the game.
Palermo also saw time as he got back into full health after a recent hernia surgical procedure kept him out of action. His presence helped stabilize and diversify the offense.
The team was thrilled by his return.
“I missed a lot about not being able to come and play,” he said. “I missed scoring the touchdowns, and making the big tackles on defense. I just missed that feeling and excitement.”
The Algonquin Argonauts 9U team received contributions through its entire roster in the victory Saturday. Those players were Noah Jackson, Bowen Blischke, Connor Bell, Kyrie Harrison, Owen Prettyman, Asher Headley-Warren and Santino Gennell.
