By Francisco Avila- Photos by Renee Kaspar
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CHICAGO— Confidence can be a double-edged sword, and when you’re playing with a slim lead, one mistake can be costly. That’s exactly what unfolded for the Jr Celtics 9U on Sunday in a heartbreaking 7–6 loss to the Hamster Whip-purs.
Celtics head coach Tom Comise reflected on the tight game and the mental errors that ultimately cost his team the win.
“We let one slip away,” said Coach Comise. “We came out, we were running the clock, we were dominant, playing our style of football. We just mentally beat ourselves into making mistakes.”
The Celtics aimed to start strong in the opening quarter, but early offensive struggles held them back. With three minutes left in the first, quarterback Michael Comise connected with Hendrix Benard for a 15-yard gain, but the drive stalled short of the end zone.
On defense, John Skuzinski V delivered several big tackles to keep the Whip-purs scoreless, and the first quarter ended 0–0.
The second quarter mirrored the first, with offensive difficulties, but continued defensive grit. Jack Mackiney and Paxton Kirk stepped up with strong tackles, and with five minutes left before halftime, Ryder Dow turned the tide with a game-changing interception.
“I had the interception because I took my read, and then the quarterback just threw it to the receiver, but I was right there, so I intercepted it. My teammates were blocking so I could get yards,” Dow said.
That momentum swing paid off. With just a minute left in the half, Comise found Skuzinski for a 5-yard touchdown strike to put the Celtics up 6–0.
“We got our blocks, and I was able to cut in and score,” said Skuzinski. “There were smiles all over our place.”
The Celtics’ defense continued to impress heading into the break, with key tackles from Owen Miller, Corbin Caine, Vincent Venegas, and Joseph Paciorek helping preserve the 6–0 halftime lead.
The defense didn’t let up in the third quarter. Venegas and Paul Herring III kept the pressure on the Whip-purs, and just three minutes in, Venegas forced a fumble that Nash Surber recovered.
“I was just looking at the person who had the ball,” Venegas explained. “Then I got through, smacked the ball, and Nash recovered it.”
Despite the turnover, the offense couldn’t convert. Comise found Paxton Kirk for an 8-yard gain, and later hit Skuzinski again for 5 yards, but the team continued to stall in the red zone.
Surber made another big play with four minutes left in the third, his second fumble recovery of the game.
“He was blocking me, and I looked down, I saw the ball right there and just dove for it,” said Surber.
As the fourth quarter began, the Celtics looked to extend their lead and capitalize on their defense’s dominant performance.
“They’re definitely improving as a unit. You see that week to week. Both sides, and every single kid, everybody’s improving,” Coach Comise said.
But with just six minutes left, disaster struck. The Whip-purs intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards for the game-tying touchdown. They then nailed the extra point to go up 7–6, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
It was a gut-wrenching finish for a Celtics team that played hard, hit hard, and made big plays, but couldn’t overcome a few critical mistakes.
The Jr Celtics 9U will look to bounce back quickly, learn from Sunday’s lessons, and return to winning ways in their next game.
Key contributors in the game included Rocco Macaluso, Jacob Guisinger, Jack Sanders, Finn Ward, James Short, Caleb Partin, Aiden Samanich, Iacovos – Jack Christou, John Drabeck, Weston Surber, Tristyn Winke, and Ethan Hamideh.
