By Ed Muniz-Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
** Additionall Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p559145669 **
YORKVILLE— One of the 12U D3 Chicagoland Pop Warner playoff games on the docket featured Coach John Milovich’s Illinois Jr. Celtics matched up againt the Oswego Bears.
This playoff game would have two teams who finished the regular season with Identical won/ loss records of 6-2.
The strength of schdule favored the Jr. Celtics who came into the game as the #3 seed, while the Bears would compete as the 6th seed in the tournament.
After each team scored once, the rest of the game went the Bears way, pulling off a slight upset in their 24-12 victory and advancing to the league semi-finals next weekend.
The Jr. Celtics had their chances and at times look all the part of a winner but for some unexplained reason, they simply couldn’t finish, squandering excellent starts to drives and then collapsing after inabilities to execute when needed most.
Offensively, the Jr. Celtics moved the ball well behind the power-running of John Chucri and several speedsters that included Colin Bailey and Chris Robinson along with Quarterback Garrett Hansen.
Defensively, the Jr. Celtics came away with several stops but gave up a quick score or simply struggle to get off the field on crucial downs. alowing the Bears to continue their drive.
The opening quarter saw both teams limit the other. The Jr. Celtics began the game defensively. They quickly forced a punt behind the tackling of Chucri, Dayton Jackson and Jaxon Brown that saw the Bears go three and out.
Now on offense, beginning at mid-field, the Jr. Celtics first series saw them pounding the rock, using the abilitites of Bailey, Chucri, Robinson and Hansen to maintain the football.
Using their running game to advance to the Oswego 27, the Jr. Celtics were moving the ball in chunks and looked poised to score as Oswego struggle to stop the Jr. Celtics running game.
The only one stopping the Jr.Celtics as it turned out would be the Jr. Celtics. A mishandled snap dropped, a slip and a fumbling of the ball but finally recovering it, lost 10 yards without getting a play off.
That turned out to be a loss that they couldnt recover from after having all the momentum. Two plays later, the Jr. Celtics punted the ball away. The defensive stop gave life to the Bears entering the second quarter.
The very first play of the second quarter saw the Bears burst for 88-yards on a run to the endzone, jumping ahead 6-0. The extra-point try failed.
Now unexpectedly trailing, the Jr. Celtics settled in, looking to at least tie the game, and they did just that.
Again they went to their ground game. It showed that the Wolverines had no answer to the mixture of runs the Jr. Celtics were using. The pounding up the middle by Chucri produced 33-yards on four carries for him. Also adding to the rushing tally was Bailey who added 19-yards on three tries, ending with a 4-yard sprint into the endzone, tying the game at 6-6.
Lofting a kickoff just beyond the front line of the Wolverines, the Jr. Celtics came up with what turned out to be an onside kick after Bailey beat everyone to the live ball.
Chucri was again picking up yard after yard each time he touched the ball. His first rush went 11 yards followed by 8 more on his second carry. He was punishing the Bears with his power-running style with opponent bodies spilling away from his impacts. A fumble followed then a penalty and finally a rush for three yards by Hansen whch caused the drive to stall and reliquish the football on downs.
With 41-seconds left in the first half after Bryce Kaplan made a stop, the Bears connected on a pass, ending once the receiver reached the endzone for a late first half touchdown from 55-yards out, extending the Bears lead to 12-6 after again failing to convert the extra-point try.
An immediate interception followed on the next Jr. Celtics pass attempt just before half time. Two stops later by Kaplan and Chucri brought closure to the opening half.
The Jr. Celtics came out a bit flat on their first possession of the second half. After a couple of plays which included a penalty, pushed them back deep in their own territory, they set up for a punt and surprised everyone with a fake. Hansen gained 11- of the 19-yards needed for a first down., resulting in a turnover on downs at their own 23-yard-line.
It wasn’t long after that the Bears scored on a 26-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead to 18-6. The two-point conversion kick was blocked by a penetrating Dayton Jackson.
The Jr. Celtics next possession lasted all of two plays after a run of 10-yards by Hansen turned into a fumble lost with Oswego grabbing the loose ball.
Tackles by Lucas Gravitt, Bryce Kaplan and a pair by Chucri slowed the Bears but it didnt prevent them from paddig their lead. A 43-yard completed pass went the distance and jumped the Bears lead to 24-6 on the first play of the final quarter. Jackson once again blocked the conversion kick for the Jr. Celtics.
The Jr. Cektics kept trying despite being down by three scores and put together a small drive before an attempted pass was intercepted by the Bears.
After taking possession, the Bears did little with their three plays as tackles by Carter Bellik, Jaxon Brown and Hansen forced an Oswego punt.
With just under three minutes to play, the combo of Hansen to Chris Robinson hit gold on the reception that saw Robinson go 51-yards for the touchdown, cloisng the score to 24-12.
A short series by the Bears resulted in a turnover on downs and a last couple of tries by the Jr. Celtics produced nothing, ending the game at 24-12 with Oswego moving on and ending the season for the Jr. Celtics.
Offensively, the Power running of John Chucri was the main threat for the Jr. Celtics. Chucri’s ability to plow for 7 to 8-yards or more on his carries was impressive and worked well everytime he touched the ball. His rushes moved the Jr. Celtics up the field consistantly and maintained control of the football. He was a difficult stop for the Bears on every run he made. There was no finesse of his running style, much Like Larry Czonka, he got the ball and plowed the road running opponents over for big chunks of turf.
As successful as he was running the ball in the first half, he unfortunately didn’t get a single touch in the second half. Possibly because his team was down by multiple scores.
“I feel I was used the right way,” siad Chucri. “I’m ok not getting the ball in the second half, I’m fine with others trying to get yards and helping out is all I cared about. I think my speed and my power was working well for me. I was looking to score and also trying to get first downs on every carry. I think in my opinion, I’m better playing offense. I think I played at an “A” level all year. I’m a little disappointed in the loss but we tried our best.”
Another Jr. Celtics player that may be overlooked is Dayton Jackson. This 12-year old is the biggest player on the team. Big and burly, he can be a wrecking crew all by himself. He plays the line both ways but in this game he also got a chance to run the ball on short yardage. His defensive porwess and size had the Bears mostly running away from or to the outside of him. Twice he penetrated and blocked a kick too.
“They were putting two or three guys on me all at once, all game,” said Dayton. “I’m kind of still learning the game but I’m happy with what I’m doing and improving. I want to improve on my speed. It’s fun running the ball, it would be nice to do that but I prefer being a lineman because I like hitting people. I like playing defense and making tackles. I want to work on my quickness and on my weight but im happy on how I played today. I got two kicks blocked because I was quick so I’m going to work on that more, get quicker on the snap.”
Other Jr. Cetics giving their all in this playoff game included MIcah Barnett, Gavin Collins, Easton Breen, Nathan Flynn, Elliot Bodine, Nikko Triolo, Chris Robinson, Nathan Quiroz, Austin Crites, Colin Bailey, Colin Guisinger, Adeyinka Bobade, Lorenzo DeCarlo, Jackson Shannahan, Broderick Wallace, Charles Fletcher, Matthew Curry, Kristian Willis, Kaleb Kastys, Aiden Losieczka and Sten Fleck.
