By Kevin McGavin- Photos by Lauren Gray
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MOKENA— The first play of the 7U Pop Warner football game was far from a positive harbinger for Chicago-based Oriole Park.
Operating out of a spread formation, Illinois Junior Celtics quarterback Sebastian Kouba directed a swing pass to backfield partner in crime Mezzo Funk. Sixty-five yards later, Funk had the first of five unanswered touchdowns for the Junior Celtics as the squad blitzed the Falcons 31-0 at Main Park.
The Junior Celtics were transcendent on both sides of the ball as the Falcons had neither any solutions for their opposite-number skill-position players nor were they able to muster a first down on offense.
It was the fourth consecutive victory for the Junior Celtics’ 7U team in the aftermath of a season-opening loss to Tri-City.
“We look for opportunities to catch teams off guard,” Junior Celtics assistant coach Joe Sanders said of the Kouba-Funk connection that proved to be the only pass the 7U youngsters attempted.
“(The touchdown reception) doesn’t start without the snap, it doesn’t start without the offensive lineman protecting the quarterback,” Kouba said. “It doesn’t start without the running backs; you need to start the play.”
“I was just looking forward to the touchdown and the reason I could get it,” said Funk.
The game-altering first play from scrimmage provided one of many vignettes to the Junior Celtics’ complete dominance on both sides of the ball.
There was no shortage of candidates on the Junior Celtics’ 22-man roster in providing signature moments in the one-sided contest.
Logan Cesek is a case in point. Also a running back, Cesek was in position to double the Junior Celtics’ early advantage as he rumbled toward the Falcons’ goal line on a 28-yard run.
But in his bid to gain extra yardage, Cesek was stripped of the ball in one of the few positive developments for the Falcons. Cesek was certainly undeterred.
Kouba called his own number in scoring on a 20-yard keeper to increase the Junior Celtics’ lead to 12-0 late in the second quarter. But it was Cesek who had his imprints all over the score as the Junior Celtics’ fullback delivered a crushing block–his unfortunate opponent literally lifted off his feet to his back–to usher Kouba home.
“I didn’t know what to do, so I just blocked him,” Cesek said. “I wanted (Kouba) to score the touchdown so we could win the game.”
Cesek said he had “revenge” on his mind after the lost fumble.
“We just focused on doing the little things all week in practice, playing our game no matter who we are up against,” Sanders said. “We work on open-field blocking and how to properly engage.”
The Junior Celtics (4-1) were far from content in taking their two-score lead into the halftime intermission.
With the second-quarter clock rapidly winding down, Funk took matters into his own hands. The Junior Celtics’ running back duplicated his game-opening 65-yard air reception with a ground score from the same distance. His only carry of the game, Funk was never threatened after taking a direct snap in giving the Junior Celtics an 18-0 lead at the break.
Eight different players in all ultimately shouldered the Junior Celtics’ running attack.
No ball-carrier had more than two running touches as the Junior Celtics’ torched the Falcons with 235 yards on 11 attempts.
Cesek finished with 52 yards on his twin attempts; Kouba had 28 in duplicating the number of carries.
Jackson Baker and James Dillon more than made the most of their lone moments to shine.
The Junior Celtics’ duo accounted for the final two scores of the game as Baker broke a tackle at the goal line to accentuate his 18-yard scamper; Dillion had a much-clearer path on his 21-yard score.
With the Funk swing-pass score factored in, the Junior Celtics amassed exactly 300 yards’ offense.
It was far from an offensive showcase, however.
Knox Kucala was omnipresent from his safety position. Kucala not only registered five solo tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage, but he also intercepted the Falcons’ only pass attempt of the game.
“I was keeping an eye on the receiver,” Kucala said. “I saw (the ball) coming at me and just ran and caught it.”
Ronan Gleason had three tackles for loss, accounted for the Junior Celtics’ second takeaway with a fumble recovery and complemented his defensive presence by adding the only successful conversion attempt of the contest on his sole carry.
“I was doing a trick to the (Falcons’) offensive line,” Gleason said. “It’s a spin move and a rip move. (On the conversion following the Baker touchdown) my blockers did what they needed to do; I just ran through the hole.”
Funk mercifully ended the Falcons’ fruitless offensive day with an eight-yard loss.
Ryan Sanders’ three-yard sack was yet another highlight for the Junior Celtics.
“I was trying to get sacks and fumbles,” Sanders said.
Brantley Fischer had a commendable defensive outing as well with two solo tackles.
“These are the types of games you like to have,” coach Sanders said. “We had an opportunity to get everyone in.”
“I am very happy,” Junior Celtics tackle Leo Christou said of his playing time.
Gannon Mathis, Camdyn Brigham, Grayson Erickson, Colin Frainey, Gavin Poulos, Clyde Miuccio, Cooper Surber, Luke Rockett, Liam Adent, Kaleb Cloutier, Camden Styx and Fitzgerald Blythe had no issues in meeting the mandatory 12-plays-on-the-field count.
