By Patrick McGavin- Photos by Jenn Anne Gledhill
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ORLAND PARK— Familiarity brought an edge, swagger and competitive fury to a game that broke all of the rules.
A new precedent was set with the first ever game between two teams from the same Orland Park Pioneers program—the competing Lightweight teams made up of friends, rivals, classmates and former teammates.
The Blue team was ready to stand for something. Close friends were in the way.
“It was my new teammates against my old ones, and we all knew each other,” two-way standout Luke Bosack said. “Sean Kikilis is an absolute beast on the field for them.
“It was a really good game. We fought back and forth, back and forth, until the Red team pulled away.”
The Pioneers Blue showed exceptional toughness and valor despite the 7-0 Homecoming loss in a River Valley Youth Football League game at Sandburg High School on Sunday, September 6.
Jordy Kolodziej scored the game-winning touchdown on a 29-yard reverse with 4:31 to play in the third quarter. CJ Hufford set up the score with an interception.
The bifurcated team structure was brought about by a massive surge in turnout that saw 65 players—more than 20 above the normal 44-player roster—come into the Lightweights’ program.
The Pioneers split the program into two wholly separate teams with different schedules.
Playing out on the 50th anniversary of the program, the historic game featured a bit of everything—drama, fun, excitement, and some occasional trash talking.
“It kind of felt like we had to beat them,” running back Peyton Barbee said. “We didn’t, so we have to work even harder the next time.
“We’re still trying to piece everything together. We’ve been playing hard. We just haven’t been winning. That’s going to change.”
The game had its own blood lines, and part of the intrigue and drama was the game within the game that pitted sons with their fathers against rival family connections.
Receiver Jordy Kolodziej is the son of Red coach Dan Kolodziej. His opposite number, two-way Blue star Dominic Maurella, is the son of Blue coach Adam Maurella.
That only added to the intrigue.
“Some of it got a little heated out there at times today,” Dominic Maurella said. “I think both teams have things they need to work on.
“With us, we just have to get our offense going, because I think our defense is perfectly fine.”
The first half was devoid of points but not fine play and excellent effort. Kikilis hurt the Blue team with a couple of long runs.
The Blue defense stiffened, gathering exceptional support and athleticism from Ethan Hamideh, Quinn McCarthy, Johnny Waliczek and Bosack.
The Blue defense made a superb early stand by denying Red quarterback Gavin Garrity on a keeper on fourth and short.
The Blue offense has definitely been a work in progress.
In the Blue’s 13-6 loss against the Frankfort Square Wildcats on September 30, Barbee opened the game with a gorgeous long touchdown run that showcased his elite breakaway speed.
“Our linemen did a great job of blocking, and so did the other running backs, and that helped me get that long run,” Barbee said.
Luke Lawler also emerged as the top receiving threat for quarterback Thomas Richardson. Defensively, Ammar Abdelmuti, Bosack, Richardson and Maurella are the foundation.
One of the Wildcats’ touchdowns came on a disputed fumble Frankfort Square recovered in the end zone.
Luke Lawler had a great run and catch that yielded a big gain by Maurella that set up a first and goal for the Blue late in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats stopped the Pioneers four times inside the 10-yard line.
“The line blocked really well, and that allowed me to get some really good yardage,” Maurella said. “I think we just have to play more, and get more time together.”
Thomas Richardson is also a huge part of the family connection for the Blue. His father Pat coached players from both teams when he directed the Super Lightweights program.
He is now a top assistant coach on the Junior Varsity squad. His older brother Anthony is linebacker and kicker for that team.
“We couldn’t get lots of yardage the way we like today,” Richardson said. “Their defense stopped us a lot. Sometimes we didn’t run the plays right.
“We have the talent. We just have to start hitting the holes, follow our blockers, and get the blocking down.”
The first half was both tactical and direct, with the two teams playing off each other, sizing each other up, and trying to poke and prod in finding vulnerabilities and areas to exploit.
Each team had two possessions in the first half. The Red had the more consistent and dangerous drives. The Blue squad stood up to their physical game at the point of attack.
The Blue feature two specialists—Bosack and Lawson Capps—who are skilled playmakers and running backs with a talent for throwing the halfback option pass.
Reduced to the elemental, the game turned on successive plays midway through the third quarter that doomed the Blue. The Hufford interception off an attempted halfback option play put the ball deep in Blue territory.
Kolodziej scored one play later on a 29-yard reverse for the winning touchdown.
“I don’t know what happened,” Barbee said. “The play action made our defense go the other way, and Jordy made the play.”
The Blue had a couple of more possessions in an attempt to answer the Red score. The squad simply could not string together the necessary first downs.
The Blue worked hard to try and spring Barbee in space. The Red stuffed those plays, and ran out the clock.
Despite the loss, the Pioneers Blue team saw enough positive actions to remain increasingly optimistic about the balance of the season.
“We’ve only been together two weeks, maybe three, and the offense just needs time.” Bosack said. “I think once we have more time, we’re going to start jelling together.
“Once we do that, we’re going to be unstoppable.”
The parts are definitely in place. The offense has playmakers, and the defense is athletic and disruptive. Waliczek is the rarity, a newcomer who made an instant impression.
He used his size to excellent effect, roughing up the offensive line of the Red team and getting penetration to the quarterback or Kikilis.
“I’m new this year, and I don’t really know the other guys,” he said. “I just know my teammates. I think I’m just able to get off those blockers and get to the runners.
“Once we get it together with our team, we’re going to dominate.
I just think we need more offensively.”
Defeat is always bitter. The closeness of the two programs is going to take time to process.
“It definitely felt a little different,” Bosack said. “We know all of those kids, and now they have the bragging rights.”
In the Fifth Quarter, running back Joey Guest was a bright spot for the Blue team.
“My offensive line did a great job of blocking for me whenever I got the ball, and that opened it up,” he said. “On defense I was also able to get in there on blitzes and make some plays.”
Despite the 7-0 Homecoming defeat, the Pioneers Blue squad had many standout contributors. They were Jaweed Abuzir, Landon Lawler, Paul Bertucci, Harrison Ramirez, Zachariah Ballouta, Isiah Holmes, Wren Rucinski, Sean Mendoza, Brady Higgins, Rasheed Williams Jr., Luke Holoubek, Lorcan Redmond, Jayden Enriquez, Paxson Leithleiter, Noah Radzikowski, Ian Frost, Cade Rucinski, William Speck, Ethan Hamideh, Moody Jaber, Noah Hall and Amari Adigun.
The Homecoming pageantry was not the players alone to celebrate.
The cheerleaders were a central part of the gorgeous mosaic. The girls put in several hours of practice a day during the busy week leading up to the football games.
“I love being loud,” Scarlett Sternberg said. “My favorite part is stunting. When you stunt, in cheer or football, you have to be loud, and really hyped when you’re in the air.”
Kara O’Mara had a dance background, and was eager to see the crossover potential with cheer.
“I wanted to try something new, and now this is my fourth year,” she said. “I really love it, and I won’t ever stop. All of the other girls are really nice and helpful, and the coaches are great. Everybody’s having a really good time.”
In addition to Scarlett Sternberg and Kara O’Meara, the other cheerleaders were Kennedy Krokos, Stella Bristow, Emerson Schweikert, Eleanor Koehn, Elena Schmaling, Isla Zelensek, Lucy Bohanek, Zoey France, Savannah Molina, Aleena Badwan, Vera Joda, Normandy Golden, Hazel Nichols, Mia Mizera, Maevry Harmatys, Mila Schweikert, Tessa Dunmore, Tessa Basek, Siena Lang, Callie Juarez-Radovanovic, Alaina Holoubek, Sadie Griffin, Lea Barbee, Ava Kolodziej, Eva Aubin, Sofie Annerino, Hailey Valan, Grace Poore, Eloise Sarhage, Anderson Foster, Meghan Shilney, Lillian Fudala, Rosie VanRaden and GianaORLAND PARK—
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