By Ed Muniz- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p124530228 **
YorkVille— The Illinois Jr. Celtics had four teams earn spots in the Chicagoland Pop Warner Playoffs. The 8U Jr. Celtics earned the top seed in Division 2 while the 11u Jr. Celtics would compete as the fourth seed in Division two and both 12U and 13u would play in Division 3 playoff games.
Three of the four Jr. Celtic teams would take the field on October 19 while Dave Cercone’s Top seed 8U Jr. Celtics would begin play next week after a first round bye.
Of the three Jr. Celtics that played, only the 13U would advance as luck eluded the 11U and 12U Jr. Celtics.
For Coach Dave Brown’s 11U Jr. Celtics, their first round opponent would be a familar foe. Just a week prior, the Jr. Celtics had squeaked by the Algonquin Argonauts with a 8-7 comeback win. Now, here they were facing off in the playoff in a “Win or Go Home” situation.
For the Jr. Celtics, winning comfortably surely was preferred over last weeks close game while the Argos were looking for revenge after thinking all week of a game they let get away.
Last week the Argos jumped ahead and maintained the lead until the final quarter. In this game, the Jr. Celtics struck first, going ahead 6-0. It would be the only time in the game they would lead. The Argos offense showed determination and more grit in the 21- 6 comeback victory.
From the 5:35 mark of the first quarter and on, the Argos outplayed the Jr. Celtics on both sides of the ball.
Starting the game defensively, the Jr. Celtics showed they came to play with Jake Thompkins, Cordero Barry, William Guinea III and Jaxon Cullum all making stops and forcing a turnover on downs just this side of midfield.
It took the Jr. Celtics just two plays to score. Tyson Gagan seem to surprise the Argos defense by getting to the left edge and quickly eluding all the Argo defenders enroute to a 54-yard touchdown sprint and an early 6-0 Jr. Celtics lead.
After Kaiden Powell came away with a first-down tackle, the Jr. Celtics found themselves soon trailing. The next Argos play went 43-yards to the endzone for the tying score. a conversion-kick later had the Jr. Celtics trailing 8-6, jst over a minute after they opened the scoring.
A holding penalty opened the next Jr. Celtics series. Four plays later, the Jr. Celtics lost possession on downs unable to recover from the holdig penalty.
Cullum, Powell, Brayden Ruth and Tompkins did all they could to stop the Argo march but it wasn’t until Barry came up with an Argo fumble that Algonquin was stopped midway into the second quarter.
The Jr. Celtcs used Gagan’s elusiveness again to pick up 17-yards on a reverse immediately after the fumble recovery.
A heavy dose of Brayden Simon saw the Jr. Celtics moving the ball towards the Argos endzone. Seven of the next eight plays went to Simon. In the midst of a 12-play drive that started at their own 26-yard-line, the Jr. Celtics proceeded to reach the Argos 15. The drive bogged down as the r. Celtics were unable to gain another yard on three tries, so on fourth down, they attempted a 25-yard field goal, it was drastically short which ended the promising drive.
Two tackles later by Geno Vosholler and Tompkins, the opening half came to an end
The Jr. Celtics attempted to get their offense started to open the second half but after four tries, they had moved the ball short of a first down.
The Argonauts found scoring gold on their following drive. After starting with a fumble that lost seven yards, they regrouped and benefitted from a long run that saw them go from the 42 to the Jr. Celtcs 11-yard-line.
Seeing an opening between his center and guard, the Argo quarterback took the snap and ran up the middle into the endzone for the Argos second score of the game. Adding the extra-point via the pass, the Argos now led 15-6.
After the Argos score, the Jr. Celtics used Simons legs and Quarterback’ Rhett Johnson arm to try and get back in the game. They proceeded to move the ball upfield on their 10-play drive that took them into the fourth quarter.
Johnson connected three times via the pass with a 33-yard completion going to Ryan Ripoli as the big play of the drive, but after that big reception, the Jr. Celtics stalled unable to get annother yard on the next four plays, releasing the football on downs and ending the scoring opportunity at the Argos 7-yard-line.
The Argos didn’t sit on their lead. They pressed the Jr. Celtics defense moving the ball despite the defensive efforts of Jadyn Brigham, Cullum, Tompkins, Ripoli and Vosholler. Brigham came away with three solo tackles of his own but it only slowed the Argonauts. they eventually broke off a 35-yard run to the endzone and upped their lead to 21-6, essentially putting the game away in the Win column with 1:19 left in the game.
The Jr. Celtics last efforts came and went, ending their 2025 season.
Brayden Simon gave his all in the loss. he headlined the offensive effort for the Jr. Celtics. he pounded the ball or tried to use his ability to get ourside after avoiding defenders. It was just to large a task to ask one person.
“I feel good right now, not tired at all,” said Simon. “It was frustrating just in the crucial moments when they were in the redzone on those fourth down conversions, we couldnt stop them. We beat them last week. I was thinking just keep going when we fell behind, but in the end, it just fell apart. For me, I gotta be confident and keep going, it’s how I am. I try my hardest every play. I think we needed more tackling. We have to get off blocks too. You saw how they blocked us in the end on their last touchdown.”
Also doing his best was Tyson Gagan. Each touch he tried to get every inch possible and made it difficult for Argo defenders to get clean shots at him. His ability to get through the slightest opening and slash through them makes him a threat every time he touches the football. He provided the lone Jr. Celtics touchdown.
“I was running and I saw the outside and took off once I noticed it,” said Gagan of his long touchdown run. “I use my speed, I just think that someone is behind me trying to catch me but I feel once I’m in the clear, kinda hard to do that.”
“I just run as hard as I can. We definitely struggled tackling, seemed like everytime 32 got the ball, he went outside and our cornerbacks weren’t there; he got big runs. We couldn’t get off the block plus last week our defense was much better. We didn’t have that this week. I’m still happy with our seasson and making the playoffs.”
There were other Jr. Celtics that provide to the success of this Jr. Celtics team in this game and during the successful season. they include Blake Schuler, William Mikaitis, Vincent Bennett, Kadeem Singleton, MIchael Lehnerer III, Liam Kruse, MIchael Zanta, Rex Schultz, Dominik Brown and Camden Dvorak
