By Francisco Avila- Photos by Lauren Gray
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New Lenox— The Illinois Jr. Celtics 11U opened their Chicagoland Pop Warner season in dominant fashion, shutting out the Belvidere Jr. Bucs 19-0 and setting an early tone for what the team hopes will be a successful season.
Celtics head coach John Vander Mey praised his team’s preparation, effort and ability to execute on both sides of the ball.
“I’m just proud of these kids. We have a lot of new players on the team and they all played hard. They prepared all offseason and put the work in and it showed today on the field. Just 11 guys doing their job. Great win. I’m proud of the kids. I’m sure they’ll do great work together.”
The Jr. Celtics came out of the gate with a clear mission, to establish control early and never let the Bucs find their rhythm.
Early in the game, Henry Richardson connected with Keaton Kasty’s to get the Jr. Celtics’ moving, with Kasty’s breaking through for a touchdown. The extra point was converted, giving the Celtics an early 7-0 lead.
“I found that the offensive line made a great hole, I ran around, juked a few people and I already knew I had it from the moment I got the ball,” said Kastys.
The Jr. Celtics’ defense quickly followed the offense’s lead.
Alexander Wallace and Michael Easthon recorded strong tackles during the next several minutes before Juan Guanajuato, known to his teammates as Sal, made a major impact with a sack with four minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
The sack forced the Bucs off the field and gave the Celtics’ offense another opportunity.
“He had a really good defensive performance. Sal’s a monster. He had a great game, and we’re hoping to continue on with it this season.” said Coach Vander Mey.
Back on offense, the Jr. Celtics continued moving the chains. Richardson connected with Patrick Clarke for a six-yards the hit Kastys for an eight more that moving the Jr. the Celtics up field..
Late in the opening quarter, Richardson then found Kastys on a pass that kept the Jr. Celtics moving. With seconds remaining in the first quarter, Richardson delivered another big play through the air, connecting with Clarke on a 38-yard touchdown pass to extend the Celtics’ advantage to 13-0.
“Patrick’s a gamer. He barely comes off the field. He does whatever we ask him to do. I’m proud of him.” added Vander Mey.
The r. Celtics were unable to convert the extra point, but they quickly moved past the missed opportunity and continued their defensive dominance into the second quarter.
Sal and Jesus Delgado recorded strong tackles to keep the Bucs’ offense contained. Midway through the second quarter, the Jr. Celtics returned to offense, and Coach Vander Mey again highlighted one of his defensive standouts.
“Yeah, he had a big game. He’s had a lot of big plays in practice and we’re excited to watch his growth throughout the season and hopefully watch him keep making big plays,” Vander Mey said of Delgado.
Sal then helped get the Jr. Celtics’ offense moving with a strong run. Richardson tried to keep his team moving with a paur of short passes before finding Kadtys for 23-yards.
Near Midfield, Richardson and Kastys connected once again, this time on a 42-yard touchdown pass that extended the Celtics’ lead to 19-0.
“It was supposed to be to the outside, I saw the hole up the middle, I cut through and I got that breakaway,” said Kastys.
With only minutes remaining before halftime, Wallace continued making plays defensively as the Jr. Celtics carried a commanding 19-0 lead into the break.
The third quarter began with the Jr. Celtics maintaining their intensity on both sides of the ball. The defense immediately made its presence felt. Sal recovered a Bucs fumble, giving the Jr. Celtics the ball.
Richardson and crew couldnt sustain a follow-up drive and were forced to turnover the ball on downs shortly there-after.
Despite the change in possession, the Jr. Celtics’ defense refused to let up. Delgado and Dylan Nemec delivered big tackles that helped maintain the Jr. Celtics’ shutout and forced the Bucs to punt.
Richardson returned to the field looking to generate another offensive drive. He connected with Clarke and Mason McKinney, but again, the Jr. Celtics were unable to sustain the possession. The Jr. Celtics still firmly ahead at 19-0 headed to the final quarter.
Richardson connected with Clarke for a short gain before finding him again for additional yardage, however, the Bucs’ defense intercepted the pass to end theJr. Celtic offensive drive.
Clarke responded with a strong tackle, while the Jr. Celtics’ defensive front continued to close down running lanes and prevent the Bucs from generating any offensive rhythm.
The Celtics’ defense took over in the closing minutes.
Ahmad Awad and Clarke recorded key tackles to keep the Bucs’ offense from gaining momentum. Just before the final whistle, Kastys delivered one final defensive statement with a huge interception to seal the shutout.
“I knew that it was a pass because it was the last play. I saw the offensive line dropping back at quarterback, so I already knew it was going to be a pass. He threw it, I let him go, I jumped and it was on his head and that was just an awesome opportunity to get that interception,” Kastys said.
The interception effectively ended the game, as the Jr. Celtics defense completed a dominant shutout and secured a 19-0 victory over the Belvidere Jr. Bucs, controlling the game from the opening minutes, combining an explosive passing attack with a physical defense that never allowed the Bucs to find the end zone.
Kastys was a major contributor on both sides of the ball, scoring two touchdowns while also making the game-sealing interception. Richardson and Clarke also connected for multiple big plays through the air, while the Celtics’ defensive unit consistently pressured the Bucs and forced turnovers.
With the season opener behind them, the Celtics 11U will look to carry the momentum of their 19-0 shutout and build a successful season one game at a time..
Other key contributors in the victory included Aiden Cesek, Max Sharpe, Braden Vander Mey, Jackson Aldworth, Lorenzo Aldworth, Chase Eddington, Marcos Gutierrez, Owen Brennan, Colin Petty and Logan Haavig.
