By Miles Toogo- Photos by Lauren Gray
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p241310036 **
NEW LENOX— Heading into the 2026 season, the Orland Park Pioneers football organization faced a problem they hadn’t encountered before.
At the Lightweight level, the interest and want to play football was bigger than ever before. Previously, the Pioneers had a waiting list of boys wanting to play but had not been allowed as RVYFL rules allowed a max of 44-players to a team.
Each year the Pioneers had boys that couldn’t participate mostly at the lower levels due to the limits allowed.
For the first time ever, the Pioneers felt it was the right time to split at the Lightweight level because they had in place enough coaching and enough number of players to have two teams in one division- thus giving more boys the opportunity to participate in the sport.
Spliting the teams evenly was the goal with the mindset to be competative while also affording more boys a chance to play football as the main reason for the split with little to no concern about the Win/Loss columns.
Combine after six weeks of competition, the Pioneers are 4-7 at that level with Red at 3-2 and Blue at 1-5.
The Pioneers Blue have faced a slightly more difficut schedule but have been very competitive. Their losses has seen them within one score for the most part, while continuing to develop their mostly new, inexperienced team.
Coach Adam Maurella’s Pioneers ran into a buzz saw in their lastest outing, succumbing to a tough Jr. Warriors team on September 27 in New Lenox. Although the scoreboard displayed a 27-0 loss, the Pioneers never quit even when the game was in hand.
The Pioneers defense was tested early and often. Some defensive mistakes may have cost the Pioneers in the first half, but the host Jr. Warriors themselves were simply more advanced then the visiting Pioneers.
Early on, the Pioneers saw the difference between the two teams, so playing perfect and mistake free was the only way the Pioneers would stay in the game, Unfortunately, turnovers and coverage issues would cost the Pioneers on both sides of the ball, especially in the opening half.
The games first play saw the Jr. Warriors rumble 24-yards, setting a tone for what would follow. Tackles by Thomas Richardson, Dominic Maurella, Ethan Hamideh, Noah Radzikowski and Johnny Waliczek kept the Jr. Warriors from scoring initially, but the 8-play drive would eventually see the Jr. Warriors score from three yards out then add the point-after, putting them up 7-0.
The Pioneers defense was back on the field a short time later after the Pioneers offense went three and out, gaining just a pair of yards on three tries, then punting.
The Pioneers defense now had the task of preventing falling further behind. They worked hard throwing several bodies to the ball on every Jr. Warriors attempt. Tackles were piling up for the Pioneers as the Jr. Warriors again moved the football up field.
A tackle for loss by Ammar Abdelmuti pushed the Jr. Warriors back 5-yards. Tackles by Luke Bosack, Hamideh, Peyton Barbee, Richardson and Maurella showed the Pioneers were doing all they could to stop the Jr. Warriors but the host wouldn’t be denied.
A pass completion saw the Jr. Warriors nestled at the Pioneers 7-yardline. From there, on their 10th play of the series, the Jr. Warriors increased their lead to 14-0 after dashing around left end into the endzone. With the successful point-after, they now led 14-0 with seven minutes left in the half.
Two plays into their next offensive series, the Pioneers tried to fool their opponents by running a reverse. The handoff exchange to go the other direction was dropped and recovered by the Jr. Warriors.
The Pioneers deficit grew on the very next play. A Jr. Warriors run went the distance of 41-yards after several missed tackles , expanding their lead to 20-0 with just under five minutes left in the second quarter.
The Pioneers were trying to recover from their own mistakes and took to their offense. Three attempts on the ground by Bosack and Maurella gathered just 5-yards. A penalty put them at fourth and 10 from their own 40. The aggressive defensive Jr. Warrior rush made it an easy choice to punt for the Pioneers.
Things were getting even tougher for Coach Maurella’s team. A big punt return nearly went the distant, finally being stopped at the Pioneers 5-yardline. From there, the Jr. Warriors capped off their first half scoring with a touchdown run around the left edge and with the added extra-point, now led 27-0 heading into the break after one last Pioneers incompleted pass.
Beginning the second half with a running clock because of the large deficit, the Pioneers offense started at the Jr. Warriors 30-yard line. After a 5-yard loss, quarterback Luke Bosack heaved a pass that was hauled in by Thomas Richardson for 20-yards on the reception. Unfortunately, that was all the offense the Pioneers could muster as that was follwed by an incomplete pass, a run for no gain, a 2-yard run and a sack that loss 13-yards, forcing a turnover on downs.
The Pioneers defense did stop the next Jr. Warriors offensive series. Tackles for loss by Abdelmuti and Maurella got the ball back to their offense.
Now opening the final quarter with the ball, the Pioneers tried advancing the football via the run. The 5-play series did produce a first down but four plays later, the Pioneers released the ball on downs. That turned out to be their last possession of the game.
The defense kept playing hard with Rasheed Williams Jr., Brady Higgins, Cade Rucinski and Luke Holoubek coming away with tackles of their own, however, the host maintained control of the ball until the final whistle ended the game. The Pioneers walked slowly to midfield and lined up to congratualte the winners after the 27-0 defeat.
Offensively, Lawson Capps showed off in both the fifth quarter and the regular game. He is a speedster that can get to the edge quickly and had his moments. Although he was kepted in check by the aggressive host defense, he still gave his all that afternoon.
“Personally myself, I wasn’t doing that great on running, I couldn’t get past that many people,”said Capps. “But one thing I did well at was passing and getting the plays off and giving the handoff to my teammates. Another thing my teammates did was our defense, tackling and block and other stuff. I thought we did all we could, we just beileved in ourselves, we beileve no matter what that we can do it. I think we can probably tackle better and maybe getting into our positions quicker, but that was a very good team. They ran the ball well and had a good defense.”
The Pioneers also saw great effort from lineman Ammar Abdelmuti. Defensively, he was solid inside, getting into the backfield several times or plugging holes at the line for the tackle or assist. His play led the Pioneers defense, something the Jr. Warriors now know of his abilities.
“I was able to get through a lot on defense and I was able to find my block when I was on offense, that’s what I feel I did well today,” said Ammar. “I think I am better on defense because I like to hit a lot. Offense is fun but I like getting through the line, pushing guys around or out of the way and getting into the backfield, also firing off the ball and ripping through. I practice at home too. Football is one of my favorite sports, I want to be really good at it. Today wasn’t our best but we had some moments even though we lost.”
Fifth quarter action also saw some exciting play by the Pioneers on both sides of the ball. A nifty spin move excuted by Wren Rucinski saw him run for 8-yards. Capps bolted around left end for 17 and also connected on a pass with Isaiah Holmes for a touchdown. Also adding to the offense was Joey Guest and Paxson Leithleiter who pounded for 11-yards on one run.
On defense, Jayden Enriquez, Wren Rucinski, Luke Holoubek, Guest and Higgins each came away with solid tackles.
Several other Pioneers did theor best in this game. They included Jaweed Abuzir, Landon Lawler, Paul Bertucci, Harrison Ramirez, Luke Lawler, Quinn McCarthy, Zachariah Ballouta, Sean Mendoza, Lorcan Redmond, Noah Radzikowski, Ian Frost, JOhnny Waliczek, Cade Rucinski, William Speck, Moody Jaber, Noah Hall and Amari Adigun.
