By Ed Muniz- Photos by Gavin Peterson
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MOKENA— When you put up a 42 Burger on your opponent and give up not a single fry of a score, more than likely, you did nearly everything possible correctly.
Now doing that in front of the home crowd during Homecoming Festivities, Well Now Youre Talking!
Coach Matt Cesek has something special, a backfield loaded with talent.
Cooper Surber and Logan Cesek are a duo to be reckoned with. What you get is a dose of power from one and elusive speed from the other.
Throw in the leadership and running abilities of Quarterback’ Sebastian Kouba and the running tallent of Mezzo Funk, you now present a difficult task for opposing teams.
Teams that face these Jr. Celtics will now have to deal with not one or two offensive threats but FOUR, four guys that can take over a game, thus making it impossible to focus on a single player. The task will be a difficult one for future opponents of Ceseks team.
The Painfield Saint found out how difficult facing these Jr. Celtics is, allowing six touchdowns and unable to find a solution to the Jr. Celtics defensive prowess in the 42-0 domination loss.
“100% effort was the goal today and the kids all achieved that,” said Coach Cesek, “They came fired up today, they worked good and worked good together all week to come out with a W. I dont think today, we could do anything better, not this game, not today. I’m pretty happy with how we played today.”
Surprisingly, in their opener a week before, the Jr. Celtics struggled. What a difference a week makes.
“It was great to get a good rebound after last week. This gets the kids confidence built up and excited for the next game.”
The first two plays of the game was sure indication of how the game was going to go.
Logan Cesek took the first hand off an powered his way for 25-yards after reaching the right sideline. That was followed by a sprint the other way by Surber that went 40 yards to the endzone for the opening score. With the point-after added by Funk, the Jr. Celtics led 7-0 early in the game.
All toll, the Jr. Celtics went on to score six times, converting every extra-point and allowed very little to the visiting Saints, all to the delite of the Homecoming crowd.
Touchdown runs by Surber total three with runs of 40-, 11- and 39-yards. Cesek scored once from 21-yards out and score an extra-point and Funk also scored from 12-yards out along with a point-after. Camdyn Brigham also found the endzone on the last play of the game. His 35-yard touchdown run was finished off by Clyde Miuccio adding the extra- point. Kouba added two points after scores while Liam Adent added a solo after a score as well.
In contrast, the Saints lost the ball on downs five of six possessions, their only series not forced to turnover the ball was due to timing out at the end of the first half.
The Jr. Celtics played more defense in this game than they did offense simpy because they scored quickly when they had the ball.
The defensive play was so dominant for the Jr. Celtics, 10 different defensive players made tackles with some gaining multiple stops.
A noticeable defensive standout for the Jr. Celtics was Ronan Gleason. His numerous tackles and assists led the Jr. Celtics defense. Gleason was steadfast in fighting off blockers or pursuing to assist or make the stop on several Saint tries.
“I was stuffing the run more in the second half,” said Ronan. “I was doing something different in the second half so I got more tackles. I was beating them on the snap, I was quicker. I like defense because I think I’m better at it. I think I can do better, get off the ball even quicker. I think we were pretty good today.”
Among those that also made tackles was Liam Adent, Cesek, James Dillon, Knox Kucala, Surber, Fitzgerald Blythe, Gannon Mathis, Kouba and Luke Rockett.
After the initial score by the Jr. Celtics, a couple of tackles by Cesek and a solo by Adent, the host were back on offense after the Saints loss on downs. Kouba rushed for 9- yards follwed by Cesek adding 14 more and finally Surber scoring from 11-yards out. The 14-0 lead carried the Jr. Celtics into quarter two.
Again, the stout defense made short work of the Saints offense after four tries. Back on offense, the Jr. Celtics took two plays to score again when Cesek rambled 21-yards for the hosts’ third touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
“When they would come down towards me, I would cut back to a wide open space,” said Logan. I like running outside and then inside and then back outside, I also like shouldering people and knocking them down, I run fast, then I shoulder them and they fall down and I keep going. They bounce off of me and I get big runs and score sometmes too.”
Three tackles by Adent on the Saints next series lasted four downs. Taking over after the turnover on downs, the Jr. Celtics wasted no time and upped their lead to 28-0 on Subers’ 39-yard romp into the Saints endzone and a 28-0 lead after Cesek scored the extra-point. That was Surber’s third touchdown.
“I got three touchdowns today,” said Cooper. “I like running to the outside because theres not much poeple out there. Sometimes you get tackled and sometimes when you have to get a first down, you have to run really, like, really far and stuff. It’s not easy most of the time even on fourth down. It was unusual to score three touchdowns because this is my first year playing. I like playing on this team and being a running back. its fun playing on this team.”
The second half started much like the first half with the Jr. Celtics defense dominant again. Tackles by Gleason, Kucala, Surber, and Blythe forced another turnover on downs by the Saints.
Back on offense, the Jr. Celtics drive used up the rest of the thrid quarter and carried over to the fourth. After a try through the air that fell incomplete, the Jr. Celtics went back to what they do quite well, run the ball.
First Adent added 20-yards on his run, then Cesek powered for 15 more. For good measure, Kouba grabbed 9-yards and finally, Funk raced into the endzone for the Jr. Celtics fifth score from twelve yards out. After Adent added the extra-point, the Jr. Celtics were up 35-0.
After a final stop of a Saints run by Mathis, the Jr. Celtics let Camdyn Brigham have a shot at running-back. He made the most of it going 35-yards for the touchdown. Miuccio added the final tally which left the Jr. Celtics enjoying the 42-0 victory.
A noticeable defensive standout for the Jr. Celtics was Ronan Gleason. His numerous tackles and assists led the Jr. Celtics defense. Gleason was steadfast in fighting off blockers or pursuing to assist or make the stop on several Saint tries.
“I was stuffing the run more in the second half,” said Ronan. “I was doing something different in the second half so I got more tackles. I was beating them off the snap, I was quicker. I like defense because I think I’m better at it. I think I can do better, getting off the ball even quicker. I think we were pretty good today.”
Also assisting in the huge win were several other Jr. Celtics, they included Brantley Fischer, Grayson Erickson, Colin Frainey, Gavin Poulos, Luke Rockett, Jackson Baker, Kalen Cloutier, Camden Styx, Ryan Sanders and Leonidas Christou.
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