By Ed Muniz- Photos by Lauren Gray
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Homer Glen- The two remaining Orland Park Pioneers teams entered the Quarterfinal round of the River Valley Youth Football League with high hopes of continuing on to the Semi-Final round of the Playoffs with a win.
The Lightweights would take on a team they shut out during the season.
For Coach John Duckhorn, his Junior Varsity Pioneers would have to avenge a loss to the Jr. Warriors earlier in the year.
In that 7-0 loss, the Pioneer struggled to get things going while also committing mistakes that eventually cost them the game.
Holding Pioneers’ Enzo Angone to just 24 yards rushing, the Pioneers couldn’t get their vaunted ground game going as neither Angone of Snider manage to sustain a forceful running game.
Defensively, the Pioneers were stellar with Ryan Duckhorn leading that day’s effort.
Fast Forward to this playoff game. The incentive to avenge a loss had to have been on every Pioneers’ mind heading into this second chance with a win and move on scenario.
This encounter saw the Pioneers running attack break lose with Angone piling up yards and touchdowns and a defense that limited much of what the Jr. Warriors did, eventually winning and avenging an earlier loss with the 34-14 victory on November 2 in Homer Glen.
“It was a great game for us,” said Coach John Duckhorn. “Responding from where we were earlier in the season and what the kids have done, hoe hard they worked to become more complete, I couldn’t tell you how proud I am of these kids. Our coaches too have been unbelievable, the sacrifices they’re making in their time, they done a great job.”
“I think everyone of our players knowing their responsibilities and what to do played a role in our improvement. I think the confidence in my Quarterback was key in this game. I think Charlie (Enstrom) calls a really great game out there, he’s executing a really good game and the offensive line has been really good.”
“You have guys like of course, Enzo (Angone) and Ben Snider, Logan Hellman, Johnny Werner, Drake Ulaszek, Nicholas Peisker, all these guys are involved in our winning efforts along with others, they’re all involved!”
Coach Duckhorn also knows the next game won’t be an easy one. The Jr. Knights are a very talented, formidable opponent and he recognizes it.
“I think this next game there’s some things we need to answer, go back and look at some film of when we last played them and they had a heck of a game right before us. They’re a ver talented team.”
All season the Pioneers defense has been solid. They kept the Pioneers in games where their offense faltered. Several times the Pioneers defense has come through when needed.
The Pioneers struck first after taking the initial kickoff. A seven-play drive culminated with Angone going 44-yards for his opening score. His speed and elusiveness carried him quickly to the right edge and from there the Jr. Warriors were chasing the rest of the way.
Angone is the type of player that can score from anywhere on the field. He can get outside using his speed or hit the middle finding the smallest of openings and turn what should be a short gain into several yards or even busting through on a long touchdown run.
Angone went on to score three touchdowns on the day on 17 carries for 195 yards. He was beyond stellar but not perfect as on consecutive drives, he coughed up the football. As good as he is offensively, he knows how to finish a tackle defensively. The two-way star was on and played as if he wasn’t going to allow his team to lose.
“I was thinking I had to get back at when I fumbled,” said Angone. “I was so disappointed in myself, and I thought to myself I’m gonna do something to make it back. When I get hit, I try to keep my feet under me and keep moving is how I stay on my feet. “
“I honestly think ball security is one thing I need to get better at and securing the handoff. I think as a team everyone was out there to get back at them after we lost last time, obviously everyone did really well and when our offense gets going, it brings a lot of momentum for us.”
After the Pioneers took a 6-0 lead, the Jr. Warriors responded quickly. Two plays into the ensuing drive, they struck gold on a pass play that went 48yards and seem to catch the Pioneers by surprise. With the added conversion kick, the Jr. Warriors led 8-6.
The Pioneers fumbled mistake gave the football right back to the Jr. Warriors on the Pioneers first try.
Not panicking, the Pioneers defense went to work behind the play of Helman, Angone, Qais Naser, Hudson Doftert but still, the Jr. Warriors extended their lead after a one-yard dive into the endzone to up their lead to 14-6 on the first play of the second quarter.
The Pioneers would again fumble for the second consecutive time as the second quarter ticked away. Trailing, the Pioneers called on their defense to again step up and not give up another score. They did just that. With a block punt by Ryan Duckhorn after a three and out by the Jr. Warriors, a short field presented itself to Enstrom and his offense.
In just one play, the Pioneers and Angone scored for the second time, this time going 35-yards on a touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-12.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Pioneers found luck on their side. I miss kick bloop over the Jr. Warriors front line, an opportunistic Nicholas Peisker jumped on the loose ball and recovered what turned out to be a successful onside kick.
The Pioneer unexpected good fortune turn into another touchdown several plays later when Enstrom connected with Helman on the 6-yard touchdown pass. After failing on two previous attempts, kicker’ Brian Curran completed the conversion kick that gave the Pioneers a 20-15 lead headed into halftime.
The second half saw the Pioneers extend their lead with a touchdown in each of the third and fourth quarters.
Angone again busted loose again on a 25-yard pinball touchdown run, his third of the game, upping the lead to 28-14 after Currans kick and Enstrom called his own number scoring on a sneek from three yards out for the Pioneers final score an a 34-14 lead.
More stellar hard tackling from the Pioneers highlighted the secondhalf. Peisker, Naser, Angone, Snider, Ulaszek, Werner, and an interception by Werner, who returned it 26-yards, sealed the victory and advanced the Pioneers into the RVYFL Semi-Finals.
Qias Naser was a force in the second half. He assisted or came up with stops on several plays. His efforts were one of the reasons the Jr. Warriors were shutout in the second half.
“On offense I thought I was did a great job on staying and maintaining my block on the guy in front of me, defensively, we talked a lot in practice about having each other’s back during the game, I thought it worked great especially for me knowing I had help if I needed it. I thought we played realy well on both sides of the ball.”
Fifth Quarter play saw several players exhibit strong play during their time on the field. One who has shown vast improvements throughout the season is Panos Kyros. Not the fastest players but fast enough to find running room on nearly every rushing attempt for positive yards which occasionally had him busting for big gains.
Other players that also contributed on the days success included Maximus Streets-Pruitt, Marco Orozco, Gavin Loman, Dylan Butler, Anthony Baniewicz, Cade McNulty, Vinny Ficaro, Evan Lavelle, Luke Tonra, John Sweis, Finn Redmond, Carter Peluso, Karam Olyyan, Nick Mase, Zackary Salah, Gavin Connors, Maverick Vander Veer, Dyan Gavin, Jacob Hyla, Noah Maslowiec, Brock Lenzen, Nicholas Dertz, Adam Naser, Steven Mullins, Nicholas Herzog, Charlie Miele, Dylan Ahmer, Avery Vermilyea, Justin McNamara, Erik Baran, Jayden Spiotto and John Sutter.
Attending the game and performing at Halftime and along the sidelines during the first half were the Junior Varsity Pioneers Cheerleaders. The large squad showed their unity and timely team work while there in each cheer and stunt. They included Kaelyn Albright, Aubrey Baran, Brittney Blazys, Brooke Blazys, Aviana Briseno, Annabelle Briseno, Oliwia Burda, Hayden Campbell, Giulia Cangelosi, Avery Carroll, Ellyana Connors, Charlotte Day, Annabelle Deloya, Darcy Dorigan, Frankie Ficaro, Emma Golonka, Arabella Hernandez, Ariana Hinton, Leah Janota, Bianca Kapusciarz, Flora Lane, Brinley Laniosz, Malayna Marable, Addison Meyers, Serena Murray, Sofia Murray, Emma Overman, Gia Parisi, Emily Pastiak, Charlotte Raubolt, Maklaya Roman, Emma Ruisz, Luciana Rupp, Alyse Sparacino, Kamilla Ulaszek and Kassandra Vazquez-Gutierrez, Nora Velez.
