By Pat McGavin- Photos by Jenn Anne Gledhill
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ORLAND PARK— The last thing the Junior Varsity side of the Orland Park Pioneers could afford was a sluggish or slow start that gave ammunition to the opposite side.
Coming off a disappointing result in the Homecoming loss against Tinley Park on Sunday, the Pioneers looked to make a clear and convincing opening statement.
The message was clear and unequivocal. Start fast and never look back.
The Manhattan Patriots suffered the slings and arrows.
“We wanted to pick up the starters from Sunday, and show what we could do out there,” quarterback Jason Erwin.
The response was loud and overpowering.
Erwin threw two long touchdown passes and ran for another score in the Pioneers’ 24-14 victory over the Patriots in Wednesday Night Football League action at Schussler Park on September 9.
With Erwin directing the attack, the offense was a machine, efficient, brilliant and overpowering. The starters only played about a third of the game.
That was all they needed to make their mark.
The Pioneers scored on their first three possessions, deftly mixing the big play vertical attack with the fast feet and quick movements of Erwin.
“I get to do a lot of stuff with the ball, and I get to either run or throw,” he said.
He delivered the goods with pinpoint accuracy and explosive running. The Patriots never had a chance.
On the Pioneers’ third play from scrimmage, Erwin dropped back, stood strong in the pocket and lofted a beautiful ball down the right flank to a streaking Michael Ordman.
The receiver raced past the two defenders and hauled in the 58-yard touchdown pass.
“I knew once I saw the ball go into the air, it was an opportunity for me,” Ordman said. “I just went up and got the ball. It set the tone, for sure. Everybody started getting hyped up after that play.
“We have a great bond out there. Every time Jason looks to throw the ball, he knows how to look for me.”
The two parts flow together, and a fast start at one end elevates the play on the other side.
The fast start put the Pioneers in a commanding place. The defense was also hyped, with Ordman, Scott Gumienny and Bradley Patterson showing out.
The Patriots were bottled up from the start.
“The offense gave us a huge start, and that really energized the defense and helped us come out really hard,” Gumienny said.
“We had great energy the whole game. We just came out wanting to score. We knew we were going to win it, and score those touchdowns. Having a great player like Jason really helps everything overall. It helps with our attitude, and puts everybody in a good mood.”
Erwin has excelled at every level he has played in the River Valley Youth Football League.
He is getting acclimated to the Junior Varsity game. His older brother Carter is a starting running back.
The threat of his passing opened up every avenue of his game. Picking up right where he left off, Erwin left two defenders and broke free around the left edge for a 44-yard touchdown dash down the left side.
“I knew I could beat the defender on the outside because he was running to the inside,” Erwin said. “Those plays really helped with my confidence a lot.
“I felt like I could do anything I wanted out there.”
It proved to be more of the same.
After the Pioneers’ defense again forced another change of possession, Erwin punctuated the night with another gorgeous pass.
This time he found Patterson over the top for a 57-yard touchdown pass. Talon Tyrakowski was 3–for-3 on two-point kicks.
The Junior Varsity again fused together all the parts beautifully. Patterson ran past the defender, and Erwin put the ball where only he could get it—without breaking stride.
Three possessions, three touchdowns and two-point kicks, for the perfect 24-0 start.
The key players like Erwin and his receivers such as Ordman and Patterson only played about a third of the game. Every player who was eligible to play saw time.
The Pioneers played three different quarterbacks, with Connor Kvelland and Ryan Lukas sharing five drives between them.
Kvelland had a 33-yard run, and running backs Jimmy Elsburg and Joey Zotto also ripped off two different 13-yard scampers.
The game turned out to be ideal on every front—a showcase game for the key players, a chance for WNFL game starters and their primary back ups to see plenty of action.
The Pioneers were not quite as sharp after the first three drives. An illegal block nullified another second quarter touchdown run, and the team lost a fumble in the second half.
The Patriots had a couple of long touchdown runs by its fastest player in the closing minutes.
Coach Al Krokos highlighted a special moment by Keith Piekarz in the closing moments of the game. He never gave up and chased down the speedy Patriots’ back for the touchdown saving tackle.
As it happened, Manhattan scored the next play. The point was clear. Piekarz made a selfless and never-quit play that reverberated throughout the team.
In the 40-6 win over Joliet Titans at Sandburg High School on August 30, Piekarz had an end of the game interception he returned 61 yards before being tackled at the one-yard line.
“I have a lot of pride, and I thought back to the game when I had that pick,” Piekarz said. “I didn’t want to let him score.
“We came out with an attitude of dominating both sides of the game. That’s what we did tonight. Everybody with this group gets along very well. We know how everyone likes to play.”
With the first-team players dressed and providing support, the Junior Varsity of the Orland Park Pioneers had many key contributors. They were Colton Gutkowski, Gunner McCarthy, Thomas Sutter, Cooper Elslager, Will Poore, Luke Krokos, Emmett Kane, Jackson Biskup, Ameen Musa, Jase Enstrom, Patrick O’Boye, Michael O’Connor, Lucca Morandi, Noah Cordoba, Christopher Medina, Andrew Richardson, Caden Kolodziej, Anthony LaPapa, Christian Paulson, Laith Hammami, Cody Godlewski, Dominic Gabriele, Nick Pomonis, Dominic Lach, George Petraitis, Collin Valan, Vincent Shervino, Michael Galivan, Zechariah Torgerson, Jude Morrar, Rayder Slabenak, Owen Garrity and Adam Krokos.
