By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
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MOKENA- The bright and sunny optimism of a new season turned sour within moments. If the first game of any new season is always filled with more questions than answers, the Jr Celtics 9U team was eager to find out what was available to the team.
The natural excitement turned harsh with a fumbled punt return followed by an injury to captain and two-way standout Holden Reid.
“That was a blow,” coach Gavin McCarron said.
At Main Park on Sunday, August 25th, the 9U team of the Jr Celtics fought a consistently uphill battle in their 12-0 season-opening loss against the Joliet Steelers.
The Steelers used the fumble recovery and the short field for a seven-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter. The dual bad fortune of the fumble and the injury to Reid meant the Jr Celtics spent the morning wondering what hit them.
“That did put us in a hole,” Gavin McCarron said. “We knew coming into this game that this team was going to be ready. We played them in the playoffs the first week, and they had a score to settle with us. We just have to be better. Every game is going to be like this every week. I knew they were going to come ready. They were more physical than us. We have some things we have to clean up, which is expected given this was our first week.”
The players had to reckon with what just happened.
“I don’t think the whole team was quite ready to play today,” Cohen McCarron said. “We just need time to play together.”
Despite the rough start, the Jr Celtics were in the game until the closing seconds. The Steelers tacked on a late touchdown run after a failed fourth down conversion. The result was disappointing. The level of engagement, activity and toughness was something to take note of.
“Even after we had that fumble and they scored, I still thought we could win the game,” quarterback Porter Ronk said. “Our offensive line was not really able to make the big holes against them. They had a lot of big guys. I still thought we progressively got better. The defense also played well.”
The offense is a work in progress. The loss of Reid was felt in every capacity, none more striking than the run game. The Jr Celtics struggled to find any offensive rhythm.
The team managed just one first down on a 15-yard pass from Ronk to Cohen McCarron early in the fourth quarter.
“I love making those passes,” Ronk said. “It was pretty good, and that was the best part of the game. Some of the runs we had were also good, but we just didn’t pick up enough yards that we needed.”
With the exception of the late 25-yard scoring run by the Steelers, the defense of the Jr Celtics was stellar, steady and kept the team afloat. Defensive back Keaton Kastys was sensational with five tackles. He was a whirling dervish, flying all over the field and not afraid to throw his smaller frame against the much bigger bodies of the Steelers’ running backs.
“In the beginning, I wasn’t sure how the game was going to go,” Kastys said. “When they kicked it and we had the fumble, I thought it might be a bad day for us. Then I realized they had a lot of fast runners who truck high, and I just had to come in low and tackle. I was able to get down about four of their guys. I think the key thing there is just go out, and tackle low.”
Austin Boyer was another standout performer in all three aspects of the game. He carried the ball four times for 16 yards.
“I just tried to get yards for my team,” he said.
Boyer also had four tackles on defense. His excellent punting also gave the Jr Celtics consistent field advantage, and forced the Steelers to work virtually the entirety of the contested space. His ability to rush the passer also prevented any sustained drives by the Steelers.
“I think my best quality is I’m a good power guy rushing the passer, and I also bring a little bit of speed,” Boyer said. “We faced a really big team, and we had a hard time tackling them sometimes. We just had to go low, and they were really big.”
With the offense struggling to get anything going, the defense found the means to keep the game tight.
Cohen McCarron, Zachary Obeng, Elijah Bogle and Boyer stepped up with a series of impressive defensive stops that turned the Steelers away in the third quarter.
Alexander Wallace also had a big tackle for loss. The Jr Celtics showed plenty of toughness and valor.
“I thought we did pretty great out there,” Wallace said. “Some of our little kids were able to get tackles on their big kids. That was some of the best stuff.”
The big completion over the middle from Ronk to Cohen McCarron breathed life into the offense. The team just could not sustain it.
The team dealt with adversity, and learned what it takes to win.
“The kids learned it’s next man up,” coach McCarron said. “If you lose your captain and your number is called, you have to be ready. They realize it’s their moment at any time. It could be their number. The spot is always open to fill.”
The Jr Celtics 9U team had many excellent contributors despite the loss on Sunday. Those players included Aiden Cesek, Zakai Obeng, Angelo Cameo, Caesar Kanu, Jesus Yepez, Quinn Collins, Parker Clay, Grayson Tadin, Leo Blythe, Camden Fitzgerald, Cayden Precin, Chase Eddington, Michael Salem, Henry Richardson, Zachary Val-Denton, Colin Petty, and Henry Bass.
The Mitey Mite and Junior PeeWee cheerleaders also brought tremendous energy and style to their routines. Their members included
Marlowe Kokolus, Olivia Richards, Annabelle Osborne, Calissa Kanu, Gabriella Bal-Denton, Lily Burke, Mariana Santoro, Harper Kloiber, Ella Pearson, Adrianna Magana, Briella Price, Emmy Holland, McKenna Smith, Lily Gotkowski, Valentina Santoro, Eliana Jones, Maya Varnado, Natalie Mellon, Brynn Kaplan, Reese Erickson, Sophia Eytcheson, Mackenzie Tunney, Lilly Pearson.
