The Lightweight Pioneers had quite a challenge awaiting them in the Semi-finals of the River Valley Youth Football League playoffs.
Their foe was the heavily talent-laden Homer Stallions, who romped through the season, disposing of opponent after opponent.
The task at hand appeared daughting, but the Pioneers welcomed that challenge. They too had been a victum of the Stallion onslaught on the season earlier in the year.
Taj Browne (19) puts on the brakes prior to heading the opposite way during play against the Homer Stallions on October 30 in Tinley Park.
This time, the Pioneers came in with a chip on their shoulders and dersvingly so, after avenging an earlier loss, by defeating the H-F Kings a week earlier in dominating fashion.
Their thoughts if it happened once it could happen again.
The Stallions were having none of that and like before, they went on to defeat and eliminate the Pioneers with a 26-6 dominant performance.
The difficulties that faced the Pioneers with an opponent like the Stallions was evident from the start. The Stallions are a cohesive group that has played together for four years including this past spring season.
Their play is familar to each other and play in teamwork fashion. They share the wealth and are good at it on both sides of the ball.
Behind the blocking of Nakahti Thompson (7), Pioneers’ Quarterback Ashton Brennan (12) is about to pass downfield during their semi-final game against Homer on October 30 in Tinley Park.
Still the Pioneers felt they had enough to make a game of it and tried, but it was tough going.
The Pioneers trailed 20-0 and didnt score until the fourth quarter. the running attack of Nakahti Thompson and Ben Snider was hed in check Throughout the entire game. the big runs each had produced through the season ceased to exist with the Stallions heavy line play and speed of their linebacking crew.
After a first series that ended with a out after four downs, the Pioneer defense worked hard each play trying to stop the Juggernaut offense of the Stallions.
Pioneers Drake Ulaszek runs against the Homer defenders during their semi-final playoff game on October 30 in Tinley Park.
Tackles by Thompson, Colin McElligott and Ashton Brennan slowed the Stallions slightly but big plays did the Pioneers in all game and Homer was able to execute them often. A 26-yard run set up the first score of the game, a 2-yard run had Homer up 6-0 after the Pioneers stopped the extra-point try.
Snider and Thompson did all they could to gain yards on the Pioneers next series but the Stallion defensive quickness was penetraing the Pioneers offensive line and stopping most Pioneer efforts before they could get started.
The Pioneer saw little success on the ground and went to the air, but that too failed as a Brennan pass was intercepted.
The short field took the Stallions just four plays to move 26 yards for the second score, upping the lead to 13-0.
Hitting his best Heisman Impression, Pioneers’ Ben Snider runs against Homer in their semi-final playoff game on October 30 in Tinley Park.
A quick three and out by the Pioneers had them punting again with a stifling Homer defense keeping them at bay. Closing out the first half, the Pioneers defense was determined not to give up another score and they held off Homer heading into half.
Tackles by Brennan, McElligott, Caden Votteler and Thompson forced a turn over on downs to end the first half.
Opening the second half, the Pioneer defense was workig hard to force a stop but the Homer offense was headed to the endzone and wasn’t stopping until it reached it.
They did but along the way, they took hits from Enzo Angone, Snider, Thompson, McElligott and Luke Rybak.
Luke Rybak (20) of the Pioneers battles his Homer foe during their semi-final playoff game on October 30 in Tinley Park.
With the Stallions up 20-0, the game reached a running clock mode which stopped only for scores, timeouts and injuries.
The ensuing Pioneers drive would finish off the thrid quarter and enter the fourth as they went on a nine-play offensive possesion which ended with Thompson using hos speed to get outside and rush into the endzone from 16 yards out.
The touchdown made the score 20-6 after the Pioneers faied to convert the point-after.
The Stallions added another score shortly there after and again led by 20 points with the score at 26-6.
The Pioneers couldn’t get much going after the Stallions last score and time ran out on the Pioneers season.
Pioneers’ Colin McElligott has a tight hold on the Homer runner during their playoff game on October 30 in Tinley Park.
One Pioneer did have an outstanding game with multiple tackles and being part of the biggest play the Pioneers had all day.
“I feel we had a really good year but this team was just better than us,” said Colin McElligott. “I thought we improved a lot but in this game our defense didnt guess the right gaps and Homer did find the right gaps. I feel there wsnt much size different, they just ad a better game plan than us. For me, I felt I improve running the ball along with my tackling. We need to get better at shootung through gaps and wrapping up.”
Fifth Quarter play saw plenty off action on both sides of the ball. Drake Ulaszek, Charlie Enstrom , Taj Browne, Logan Helman (26 yard run), Kyle Krokos and Justin McNamara all contributed offensively.
Pioneers’ Quarterback Charlie Enstrom looks to his sideline during play against the Homer Stallions on October 30 in Tinley Park.
Defensively, the Pioneers saw tackling from Browne (3 tackles), Brandon Kalman, Ryan Beeler, Ulaszek, Wyatt Heinze, Michael Stefancic, Qais Naser, Layth Zughayer and Ryan Almasri.
“Our execution in the pass game was not working very good, we had some players earlier on that we just couldnt connect,” said Offensive Coordinator Tim O’Reilly. “Its hard when you get down early, you want to try to score quickly. We moved the ball here and there on the running plays but they are big and strong up front and its hard to get through holes, its a grind when you get down , its ard to come back agains atema like they have.”
Logan Helman lines up for the Pioneers during their RVYFL semi-final playoff game against Homer on October 30 in Tinley Park.
Head coach Andy Rybak also added about his team;
“These boys got better as a team, we got better as a coaching group. We weren’t an easy team down the stretch to beat and I think we are going to continue to improve. Our guys are gonna grow, they’re gonna grow mentally and physically and we’re gonna see these guys down the road and we’re gonna keep swinging. We improved the most defensively and helped us win games.”
“It’s absolutely invaluable having the help we had this year. Tim O’Reilly brings years of experience with him and it hes us all especially what he passes on to the boys. We have an awesome group of coaches and you need that those guys to be successful and acomplish all we did this year. I’m extremely grateful to have them with me.”
Christian Flores gets off the line as a Stallion defender is tight on him during their game on October 30 in Tinley Park.
Evan Lavelle gets his line measurement correct during Fifth Quarter play against Homer on October 30 in Tinley Park.
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