By Patrick Z McGavin-Photos by Kathy Jones
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Colin McElligott never gave up hope, or the ideal he could not find a way to make a play.
Every game is a test, especially the first game of the year where so many questions are naturally difficult if not impossible to really answer.
“I was just trying to help my team,” McElligott said.
“Whenever you get the ball in that kind of situation, you just have to give it everything you have.”
Late in the fourth quarter, the wide receiver broke down the right edge and hauled in a 33-yard pass from Ashton Brennan.
It breathed new life into a team eager to find its identity and place.
Time just got away.
The Junior Varsity of the Orland Park Pioneers suffered a disappointing 8-0 loss against the Mount Greenwood Colts in a River Valley Youth Football League game at Sandburg High School on Sunday, August 21.
The game was the season-opener for both teams.
“The ball didn’t really bounce our way today,” Pioneers coach Andy Rybak said. “We were unlucky, but I saw a lot of really good things out there, and we are going to build from this.”
The pass connection from Brennan to McElligott was the longest play from scrimmage for the Pioneers.
Orland Park had the ball at the 25-yard line. Brennan was forced out of the pocket on first down. A critical false start also doomed the comeback effort.
The game ended with running back Ben Snyder catching a swing pass in the left flat that he tried to score.
He ran out of real estate as he was tackled at the edge.
“I like running the ball, or having a chance to catch it,” McElligott said.
“This was just our first game, and we are doing great, even if we lost today. We are going to get better.”
The offense typically has to catch up to the defense at the start of the season.
The Junior Varsity defense was fantastic, especially during a dominant first half.
Defensive lineman Caden Votteler and Terrin Lovitt annihilated the Colts’ interior line.
The Colts ran seven plays from scrimmage without gaining a first down.
The Pioneers got caught in a hole in the second quarter with an errant snap on a punt attempt that gave Mount Greenwood a first down inside the 15-year line.
Lovitt, Votteler and McElligott closed the door by allowing just five yards on the Colts’ four-play possession
“We kept on tackling, and we played hard and kept going through the drills,” Votteler said.
“We made great reads on the ball, and we were just there. It takes a team-effort, and we just made the tackles.”
Lovitt was a one-man wrecking crew. He finished with seven tackles.
He had four of the Pioneers’ seven first half stops.
“I thought we did pretty well today, especially running the ball,” Lovitt said.
“My style is pretty hard-nosed. I like to hit hard, and put the other guy on the ground. I just didn’t want them to gain any yards. We did a good job with that.”
The foundation of the attack is the gashing running style of Snyder and Enzo Angone.
The two saw a lot of action last year, impressing with their ability to either create off the edge and break tackles in between the box.
Angone is shifty and elusive. Snyder is versatile and tough.
“I try to get to the open field, and use my speed to get outside, or even break tackles,” he said.
“This was our first game, and we are still getting our blocking down. The big thing now is learning how to create the holes, and get through them when they are there.”
Until the final possession, the Junior Varsity was at its best offensively at the start of the game.
They generated an 11-play drive, expertly mixing the running game of Angone and Snyder with the play-action passing of Brennan and Votteler.
Angone had two different runs of eight yards, and Syder did the hard work on the interior, driving forward with at least three different runs of three yards apiece.
Votteler caught a beautiful 15-yard pass.
The Colts’ defense stiffened, setting up a fourth and long that resulted in an interception.
Orland Park managed only one other first down in the first half.
Mount Greenwood scored the only touchdown with the opening drive of the second half.
Two 13-yard runs set up the score. The Pioneers were also unlucky on the second 13-yard run with the team unable to recover a loose ball.
After retaining possession, the Colts scored two plays later.
“That was a tough way to give up a score, but I don’t think we played on that drive,” Votteler said.
“It was good execution on their part.”
Orland Park continued to fight, again relying on the strong running style of Angone.
The game turned on a couple of plays. Working out of a special bunch formation that put four receivers on the right flank, Angone caught a swing pass and had an open field.
The last Colts’ defender slipped in and was able to make the shoestring tackle.
After the Pioneers forced a punt, Snyder appeared to break free on the return.
The officials ruled he stepped out of bounds at the 35-yard line.
“We just have to play harder and focus on our game,” Angone said.
Despite the loss, Snyder said the team is not discouraged.
“We have the chance to make some big plays out there, and we are going to make those big running plays once we get the timing down with the line,” he said.
In the Fifth Quarter, a 25-minute scrimmage, the Pioneers’ secondary players showed terrific hustle and determination.
Henry Byrne and John Werner had some big running plays. Quarterback Kyle Krokos also threw a touchdown pass.
Despite the disappointing 8-0 result, the Junior Varsity received strong play from its talented ensemble. Other players who played with passion and conviction were Ryan Beeler, Jude Doftert, Gavin Loman, Colin Kluever, David Kopec, Dylan Butler, Cade McNulty, Charlie Enstrom, Evan Lavelle, Mason Overmyer, Wyatt Heinze, Luke Rybak, Finnian Redmond, Logan Helman, Keegan Fogarty, Drake Ulaszek, Layth Zughayer, Nicholas Davis, Luke Makuch, Dylan Gavin, Nicholas Baniewicz, Michael Sraga, Luke O’Reilly, Ryan Marek, Brock Lenzen, William Reilly, Aida Rios, Qais Naser, Steven Mullins, Ryan Duckhorn, Nicholas Hertzog, Jack Bordelon, Justin McNamara, Erik Baran and Rhett Capps.
The cheerleaders also brought a passion and style to the game with their routines and excitement. The group featured Carys Atraje, Aubrey Baran, Keira Barrera, Brittney Blazys, Brooke Blazys, Annabelle Briseno, Hayden Campbell, Giulia Cangelosi, Avery Carroll, Elliyana Connors, Charlotte Day, Annabelle Deloya, Darcy Dorigan, Frankie Ficaro, Emma Golonka, Delaney Grenda, Arabella Hernandez, Ariana Hinton, Leah Janota, Bianca Kapusciarz, Ella Kluever, Brinley Laniosz, Malayna Marable, Emily Minard, Natalie Ocon, Emma Overman, Gia Parisi, Emily Pastiak, Makayla Roman, Emma Ruisz, Luciana Rupp, Alyse Sparacino, Kamilla Ulaszek and Nora Velez.
