By Patrick McGavin- Photos by Lauren Gray
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p216685831 **
ORLAND PARK— Some games start out gradually and others with a furious string of events that foretell the end.
The Junior Varsity of the Orland Park Pioneers had an early test—and passed it with flying colors.
Redemption was the crucial part of the equation.
Adam Krokos had a rough start but more than made up for an early mishap.
“I just wanted to play defense, so I helped stop them,” he said. “We stopped them, got the ball back and scored.
“Then we stopped them again.”
Krokos caught the opening touchdown that sparked the Pioneers’ 26-0 victory over the Homer Stallions in Wednesday Night Football League action at Schussler Park on September 30.
Quarterback Jason Erwin was again spectacular by accounting for all of the Pioneers’ touchdowns.
He had touchdown runs of 52 and 55 yards and threw two scores for the Pioneers.
Some players talk a big game without quite delivering.
Erwin plays a big game, and then become almost nonchalant and shy about his exploits.
“We had great blocking out there, and our running was even better,” he said.
“Adam and I have been on the same team for a long time now, and know how to play together.”
With rain pounding the field throughout the afternoon and early evening, the conditions were sometimes treacherous.
The Pioneers faced a precarious situation right off the opening jump after Krokos was tackled for a 10-yard loss and had the ball slip from his grasp.
Confronted with the ball in the red zone on the opening snap, the defense sprang into action.
Erwin started the compelling sequence by chasing down a Stallions runner for a two-yard loss.
Gunnar McCarthy, Cooper Elslager Scott Gumienny and Krokos shut the door on any hope the Stallions had of the early score.
Krokos switched to linebacker from his previous spot at cornerback. He delivered some exciting hits.
Connor Kvelland stepped up with the crucial fourth down stop.
“It actually felt good to have that early adversity because the defense showed we could really make plays when we are needed,” he said.
The Pioneers also like to try to spring Erwin, the fastest player on the team, in space from a wide receiver or running back slot.
Kvelland sometimes alternates with Erwin at quarterback.
The switch enabled Erwin to blast around the left edge on a reverse for a 47-yard gain.
Two plays later, Erwin rolled right, escaped the pressure and found Krokos in the corner from 13 yards out for the opening score.
Playing for his father, coach Al Krokos, Adam had a score to settle.
“I got free on the backside and put my hand up, and Jason found me,” he said.
“I was wide open.”
The Junior Varsity held the lead, and began to assert a dominant tone. Players on both sides of the ball emerged, and seeded a bright outcome.
McCarthy was a one-player wrecking crew for the defense.
He finished with six tackles and a sack and created constant duress for the Homer offense, using his agility, speed and quickness to blow up running plays or get pressure on the quarterback.
“They were holding me a lot, and doing anything they could to stop me, but it didn’t matter,” he said.
“I just practiced my speed, and showed what I could do.”
Thomas Sutter, Nick Pomonis and Elslager all played magnified roles in the overwhelming play of the defense. They patrolled the interior and the middle attack, and allowed almost no breathing space for the Stallions’ playmakers.
Homer had a couple of quick backs. It really never mattered. Those two sucked the oxygen out of the Stallions.
“I was expecting them to find and run through the gaps, but we made some powerful hits,” Elslager said. “I was going low, and we did a great job of wrapping up.”
The defense was dialed in, and the offense played mistake free the rest of the game. Erwin took center stage with a dominant all-around performance.
Erwin flashed his next-level speed by braking around the right end and outracing the Stallions’ secondary. The Pioneers led 12-0 at the break.
Erwin showed all sides of his gifts, using his speed to create mismatches in space. When he was bottled up, he connected with his receivers like Michael Ordman and Krokos.
“I thought we did a great job of playing very hard and being physical,” Erwin said.
The second half was his own glittering showcase. He broke free for a 55-yard touchdown burst on the Pioneers’ opening possession of the second half.
Punctuating the victory, he connected with Kvelland on a wide receiver screen for a dazzling 30-yard touchdown. Kvelland set up his own score with a 19-yard run.
The early play of the defense set the spark, and the offense quickly followed suit. The combination was lethal. Just as important, the two sides merged seamlessly.
Kvelland and Krokos made huge hits playing defense, and followed with sharp plays on offense.
“Once we had the lead, we knew they were going to try and come back, but we fought back even harder,” Kvelland said.
The victory was the most satisfying type for the players and coaches alike. The entire roster saw time in the game as the Pioneers made repeated substitutions in the second half.
It all started with a defensive stand.
“Our defense is really good at making stops,” Kvelland said. “After that, they never got close again.”
The Junior Varsity had many key contributors, from Sunday starters who dressed to show support through the full roster.
They were Colton Gutkowski, Keith Piekarz, Thomas Sutter, Joey Zotto, Will Poore, Luke Krokos, Emmett Kane, Jackson Biskup, Ameen Musa, Ryan Lukas, Jase Enstrom, Patrick O’Boye, Talon Tyrakowski, Carter Erwin, Michael O’Connor, Lucca Morandi, Noah Cordoba, Christopher Medina, Andrew Richardson, Caden Kolodziej, Anthony LaPapa, Christian Paulson, Laith Hammami, Cody Godlewski, Dominic Gabriele, Dominic Lach, George Petraitis, Collin Valan, Bradley Patterson, Vincent Shervino, Jimmy Elsberg, Michael Galivan, Zechariah Torgerson, Jude Morrar, Rayder Slabenak and Owen Garrity.
