Big Win for JV Pioneers Against the Jr. Knights; Hello Playoffs!

By Bobby Narang- Photos by Morgan Gonzales

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NEW LENOX – Maybe next year Enzo Angone can pick his own jersey number next season.

The Orland Park Junior Varsity star football player dons an odd number for star running back/cornerback – No. 37.

“I didn’t pick my number,” Angone said. “It’s my first year.”

If Sunday’s performance against the Lincoln-Way Central Knights is any indication of Angone’s ability to impact a football game, he might have be able to pick his own number next season.
The Pioneers had a wide number of contributions in Sunday’s road game, but Angone was the headliner in the game.

How big of a game did Angone have against the Knights in a pivotal game for both teams in the Junior Varsity League?

The tough-as-nail and fast Angone had 18 carries for 144 yards and scored three touchdowns to spark the Pioneers to a thrilling 20-13 victory over the Knights at Lincoln-Way Central High School on Sunday afternoon.

With the win, the Pioneers (4-4) advance to the playoffs, while the Knights (3-5) just missed the cut. The game had big stakes, indeed.

“We needed to win this game to get into the playoffs,” Orland Park Junior Varsity coach Andy Ryback said. “We knew this was going to be a battle. They were in the same boat as us. Both of us had three wins and four losses, so we finished with four wins and this will get us in the playoffs.

“I watched a lot of film for this game. We knew this was going to be a test. There were games they should’ve won and the same for us, so we were both in the same boat, but we came through with a win.”

Angone didn’t just dominate on the offensive end, he also made a potential game-saving play.

And he also scored the game-winning touchdown and point-after-attempt.

In a way, Angone did it all for the Pioneers, putting the team on his diminutive back and helping lift them to an inspiring victory. He scored a 10-yard touchdown on the first drive of the game, carrying the ball seven times for 42 yards to cap a long possession. Angone added a five-yard touchdown spurt in the second quarter off the left side to give his team a 13-0 lead.

On the touchdown drive, Angone brought the crowd to its feet with a fantastic 88-yard run before getting tackled on the three-yard line. He sprinted along the Knights’ sideline toward daylight until he was grabbed from behind.

“I really wanted to score, but I was running full speed for almost 60 yards and I got really tired at the end,” Angone said of his long run.

The Knights battled back with a pair of touchdowns to tie the game at 13-13 with 8:11 left in the fourth quarter. That’s when Orland Park quarterback Ashton Brennan showed off tremendous poise and veteran leadership to lead his team to the winning touchdown. Brennan finished the game with 59 yards passing on four completions.
Brennan was extra cool in the pressure-filled final minutes of the game, completing two key passes to standout receiver Jude Doftert. With the Orland Park coaches yelling “execute” before the start of the game winning drive, Brennan flashed his potential by executing the long drive to perfection.

The Pioneers started the drive at Lincoln-Way Central’s 48-yard line with eight minutes left in the game. On the fourth play, on fourth down, Brennan extended the drive by hitting Doftert for a 34-yard passing play to put the ball in good position. Two-plus minutes later, faced with a pivotal third down, the Pioneers went back to their Brennan-to-Doftert connection.

Brennan lofted a nine-yard pass to Brennan to put his team in a good spot, faced with a fourth down and goal at the Knights’ two-yard line with less than three minutes remaining. Doftert had two catches for 43 yards, both coming on the key ending drive.

“I normally overthrow (Doftert), so I made sure to get him the ball to catch it on those plays,” Brennan said. “The offensive line did a really good job of blocking today. We wouldn’t won this game without them. This was a really nervous game. We wanted to make the playoffs.”

His play on defense energized the Pioneers, as he made countless big tackles, including a pass deflection on fourth down in the third quarter.

“Once I caught it, I knew I had to run as fast as I could,” Doftert said of his first key reception on the final drive. “I didn’t see the guys behind me, so I thought was going to score. I’m happy to get those two catches and help the team. Enzo ended the game and drive. I was pretty nervous. I’m very happy. This gets us in the playoffs. The defensive line did a good job containing the run and shutting down their quarterback.

With the game on the line, that’s when Ryback and his coaching staff dipped deep into the playbook for the Angone special. Angone lined up under center for the Wildcat, taking the ball and darting to his left, then he made a nifty cutback to dive into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown with 2:41 left in the game.

On the point-after-attempt, Brennan tossed a completion in the end zone to Angone for a 20-13 lead.

“I knew I had to get in the end zone because the game depended on it, plus it was fourth down,” Angone said. “It was very important. I’m happy because that helped us win the game and get into the playoffs.”

Brennan said his main focus on the final play was to provide a key block to allow Angone to score on his two-yard run.

“I was split out wide and I knew I had to block for Enzo,” Brennan said. “Enzo is really fast, and I knew he could get in the end zone.”

But the game wasn’t over, not by a long shot. The Knights battled back to make things interesting, as fans on both sides of the stadium were thrilled by the fantastic ending. Lincoln-Way Central benefitted from good field position, starting its last drive at the 50-yard line. After gaining just one yard on the first three plays, the Knights were faced with a fourth down and nine with 1:40 left.

The Knights went to the air in an attempt to prolong the drive, but Angone sealed the victory with a deflection, right near the Orland Park sidelines.

“I didn’t want an interception, so I just tried hard to deflect it,” Angone said. “This is awesome and feels so big to win.”

Orland Park running back Ben Snider had a 13-yard run in the second half to uplift the team. Snider said it was a solid win for the Pioneers.

“This was a really fun game,” Snider said. “We played good on defense. We played hard and had some big stops. Our offensive line made some big holes and blocked well today. Our running backs ran really hard. Enzo was amazing. He did everything and was really good. The team blocked good for him. Once he saw the open field, he just ran fast.”

Brennan said the team had one of their best games of the season.

“When we held them on defense, I was so happy,” Brennan said. “We were able to go Victory Formation. I really like that.”

Ryback said the coaching staff had a simple decision on their key fourth-down play – get the ball to Enzo.

“That’s a play we have and like to run when we need it, we practice it a lot, and usually catch teams by surprise,” Ryback said of Angone’s Wildcat play. “Enzo ran really well today. He had great vision and making some great moves and was breaking tackles, so we knew to get him the ball at the end of the game and he would get the ball in the end zone. Jude also came to play, which was awesome. We need him for the playoffs. When he’s on and wants it, he’s a difference-maker. Defensives have to respect that.

“Ashton had a great drive, just to help us convert multiple fourth down conversions and put the ball in the air, in the right spot. He played awesome today. He’s been our leader all year. He’s got a lot of game and heart.

 The Pioneers kept up their solid season in the fifth quarter game to advance to next round.  Rybak said the fifth quarter team is playing at a very high level.

“We have our Wednesday Night Super Bowl coming up against this same team,” Rybak said. “The fifth quarter guys play in a separate Wednesday Night League. Our kids went undefeated this season, and this Wednesday night is the Super Bowl. They came out and played great today. Kyle Krokus has a big touchdown throw to Drake Ulaszek. It’s been a great connection all year.  We will need them to make big plays on Wednesday. The fifth quarter guys have been playing great all year, and today as well.”

The Pioneers head into the playoffs with momentum from Sunday’s epic victory, along with a season full of contributions from the entire roster. The team includes Ryan Beeler, Jude Doftert, Gavin Loman, Colin Kluever, David Kopec, Dylan Butler, Colin McElligott, Cade McNulty, Kyle Krokos, Charlie Enstrom, Ashton Brennan, Caden Votteler, Evan Lavelle, Mason Overmyer, Wyatt Heinze, Luke Rybak, Henry Byrne, Ben SNider, Finnian Redmond, Logan Helman, John Werner, Keegan Fogarty, Drake Ulaszek, Layth Zughayer, Nicholas Davis, Luke Makuch, Enzo Angone, Terrin Lovitt, Dylan Gavin, Nicholas Baniewicz, Michael Sraga, Luke O’Reilly, Ryan Marek, Brock Lenzen, William Reilly, Aidan Rios, Qais Naser, Steven Mullins, Ryan Duckhorn, Nicholas Hertzog, Jack Borelon, Justin McNamara, Erik Baran and Rhett Capps.