By Ed Muniz-Photos by Renee Kaspar
**Additional Photos are available for purchase at justallsports.zenfolio.com/2022pioneers.**
Homecoming, a celebration of returning home and welcoming back alumni and former members of your organization. A yearly tradition that has been enjoyed by many.
Week five of the River Valley Youth Football League saw the Orland Park Pioneers enter into its Homecoming Day filled with a theme and a slew of football games, Cheerleaders, parents and fans.
Kick starting the day would be the Pioneers Flag portion of teams.
Four Pioneer Flag teams would entertain the Frankfort Falcons beginning at 8AM with the White and Gray Pioneers games taking place at the same time at the host site of Sandburg HS on September 25.
In the Pioneer Gray game, the Pioneers offense saw them score five touchdowns, all scored by elusive speedster Bennett Brown.
Sporting the number 1 jersey, Brown was elusive and cunning, each time he ran. His ability to make the right cut creating a difficult task for the Falcon defenders to grab his flags, gave him just enough of an advantage to make long runs into the endzone.
Brown scored quick and early in series. He scored touchdown runs of 1, 40, 10, 15 and 4-yards. The Pioneers surely have a talent in their midst they aren’t letting get away.
Also making positive yards every time he got an opportunity was Mariano Velasco. Not as fast as Brown but elusive the same. He showed good vision running to openings and gaining as much as he could each time, with his longest runs providing 18 and 19-yards.
Also adding to the offensive tally was Liam Straka who also had a long run of 11-yards. The Gray Pioneer offense scored quickly.
Defensively, both Brown and Velasco were sure handed and featured good hands grabbing several flags for stops to lead the Pioneers. Their quickness paid off limiting the Falcons several times. Starka also contributed, grabbing a few flags himself.
Other Gray Pioneers countering the Falcons all game included Andre Cingrani, Will Dybas, Ian Frost, Dominic Gabriele, Luke Holoubek, Dean Leone and Aiden Sawyer.
The Gray Pioneers outscored the Falcons, 5 touchdowns to 3.
The White Pioneers were in a Battle against their Falcon foes.
The White Pioneers Offense was exceptional when the duo of Quarterback Connor Kvelland went under Center’ Colin O’Malley
Kvelland managed to move the offense well even scoring a touchdown on a 1-yard run. He also had runs of 14 and 17-yards. He was quick and easily out maneuvered the Falcon defenders, who found themselves chasing Kvelland most of the time.
O’Malley was stoic blocking for Kvelland after snapping the football. He gave his quarterback enough time to move outside and gain yards.
Several other Pioneers had success running the ball, including Dominic Sopha who added a long 31-yard touchdown run along with a run of 15-yards and several other short gains.
Joey Zotto grabbed 12-yards on one run, Jaime Abdallah, Birthday Boy’ Logan Aranda, O.Malley and Paul Bertucci also provide yards to the Pioneers offense.
The White Pioneer defense saw several players making stops. Hamza Doleh led the Pioneers, making stops with his ability to secure flags on Falcon runs. Also contributing with stops were O’Malley, Jackson Farnell, Kvelland, Abdallah, Sopha and Aranda.
Also showcasing their abilities were Ryan Bray, Sam Horeluk and Ameen Musa.
The White Pioneers showed a formidable offensive line that gave their backfield time to get plays off. O’Malley, Aranda, Fornell, Musa and Doleh all were solid during Homecoming.
Exciting Flag games kick-started the festive day.
