By Ed Muniz-Photos by Renee Kaspar
**Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p895518166 **
The Orland Park Pioneers entered week three of the River Valley Youth Football League season on the road for the second consecutive week.
Hosting their first ever home games, H-F United (merged H-F Kings and Jr. Vikings) welcomed the Pioneers, September 3 to H-F High School in Flossmoor.
The host were riding high after winning three of four games last week to open their season. They looked to continue their on-field success. While the Pioneers came in fresh off a sweep of the Blitz, winning all four games.
The Programs would split the 4-game series, each winning two games apiece.
The lighter levels went the Pioneers’ way, while the upper levels were captured by H-F United.
The Varsity Pioneers (1-2) had several chances to even or take the lead over the host H-F United (2-0), with twice being at or near the redzone in the fourth quarter, but pass completions eluded them by inches in some cases, with the last pass attempt never being thrown as time expired, costing them the 14-8 decision.
“I just think we’re not at the level of wanting it as other teams are,” said workhorse Vinnie Annel. “Other teams push in the second half and for us, it takes us a minute to get going, if we get ourselves going before the second half, I know we could win, we can’t take plays off.”
“Some of our mind-sets aren’t right, if we get down, seems like many of us hang our heads, even when we aren’t out of the game, lots to play still, it’s frustrating.
Annel complimented his teams’ passing game, he felt that was one part of the game the Pioneers did well and improved maintaining their blocks in the second half of the game.
“We definitely took a step forward from our performance last time we loss, we have to keep improving and convert and make those little extra plays.”
The Pioneers went on defense to start the game, making a great defensive play to put themselves in scoring position just a few plays in.
Dropping back into a linebacker position, Nick Shamma was in perfect position to step in front of a H-F pass and proceeded to head the other way, returning the interception 40-yards to the H-F 12-yard-line.
“He threw the ball inside where I was, I picked it off and I just ran,” said Shamma. “I don’t think I could have done anything better other than scoring; I was there to make a play for us.”
Shamma is also in a position offensively he has never played but has been outstanding as the teams center.
“It’s my first year as a center, it has become easier as the season has gone on but I’ve had a lot of help from my two guards. It’s a different game, I don’t have to do all the dirty work, I can help out on blocks, chipping on both sides.”
Jack Bullington would connect with Annel on the 12-yard completion for a touchdown to open the scoring on the ensuing snap.
Bullington converted the kick-after, adding two more points for the 8-0 lead.
The Pioneers’ lead shrunk after H-F United scored quick just two plays later, on a 53-yard burst to the endzone.
The host has a team of speed in the backfield, if they get going, they are difficult to catch and that was the case with their score.
Unable to convert their kick, the Pioneers held an 8-6 lead still in the first quarter.
The Pioneers gave up the ball on their next series, a Bullington pass was picked off and gave H-F an opportunity to take the lead.
H-F maintained control of the football for nearly the entire second stanza. Their offense kept adding yard after yard on their 12-play drive.
Tackles by Kyree Gills, Joshua McNeil, Taylor McDoniel slowed H-F United offense some, along with a pair of tackles by Dominic Gigliotti and three by Annel.
Unfortunately, those stops didn’t prevent the host from cashing in when they completed a 9-yard pass in the left corner of the endzone on fourth down. With the converted kick, H-F led 14-8 headed into half time.
The second half began with the Pioneers offense looking to take back the lead.
Six of the next seven plays saw Annel running the ball or attempting a pass. His lone pass near midfield fell into the host arms for the interception to end the drive.
H-F couldn’t do much with the ball and gave it right back just four plays later. Tackles by Ayden Toth and Mohammad Ghadban helped get the ball back to the Pioneers.
Starting at midfield, the Pioneers took over, concluding the third quarter and entering the fourth during their 12-play drive.
A mixture of runs and passes soon had the Pioneers at the United 22-yardline. The pass-play prior, saw Bullington thread the needle and Annel dive forward to snag the pass, for the 12-yard completion.
It was the best pass completion of the day on both ends.
A run stopped for no gain and three incompletions later, one just fingertips from completion, stalled the drive late in the game.
With about three and a half minutes left in the game, the Pioneers needed a stop to get the ball back for one more chance.
With help from penalties and use of timeouts and a terrible punt, the Pioneers would get their chances with 23-seconds left.
Without time outs, Bullington found Annel for 6-yards but was forced to spike the ball to stop the clock. The Pioneers next pass attempt on third down fell incomplete, leaving just two seconds left in the game. Bullington tried rolling right but couldn’t find a receiver and was tackled after a yard, giving the game to H-F United for the 14-8 win.
Fifth quarter saw several standouts during game action. Offensively, Thomas Elliot found his targets often, connecting with Nathaniel Owei for 23-yards, with Christian Czerwonka for 21-yards, with Dominic Rizza for 10-yards and three times with Logan Kondziolka 9, 22 and a touchdown from 31-yards out.
Defensively, the Pioneers were led by the tackling of Dominic Rizza and Ryan Almasri.
Several others contributed on the day and gave their all, which included Ayden Murphy, Ethan Vinson, Adrian Maldonado, Cash Phillips, Sam Basiorka, Rocco McCarthy, Athanasios Gatses, Eli Citlau, Adam Hoak, John Murray, Casper Piskurewicz, Will Beeler, Mark Grech-Lisula, Keegan Kirk, Shafik Yasin, Rami Agha, Andrew Wojtanowicz, Nimer Alamawi, Raymond Arredondo, Blake Wagner, Connor Ward, Ibrahim, Jaffal, Mostafa Mostafa, Brady Straka and Stephen Caxton-Idowu.
The Varsity Pioneer Cheerleaders also battled at H-F. While the game was on the field, during the second half, they too were engaged as they matchup in a friendly Cheer-Off against the host H-F United Varsity Cheer squad just beyond the south endzone.
Both alternated Cheering and displaying their talents and at the conclusions, greeted each other with handshakes and well wishes, it was a display of regimented and freestyling cheers that each group brought respectively. Quite entertaining, would love to see more of that at games.
The Pioneers Varsity Cheerleaders include Ayden Murphy, Taylor McDoniel, Ethan Vinson, Adrian Maldonado, Cash Phillips, Dominic Gigliotti, Rocco McCarthy, Ryan Almasri, Athanasios Gatses, Joshua McNeil, Eli Citlau, Adam Hoak, John Murray, Casper Piskurewicz, Mark Grech-Lisula, Nathaniel Owei, Shafik Yasin, Rami Agha, Andrew Wojtanowicz, Nimer Alamawi, Raymond Arredondo, Dominic Rizza, Blake Wagner, Ibrahim Jaffal, Mostafa Mostafa, Brady Straka and Logan Kondziolka.
