By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
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ORLAND PARK— It is one thing to simply dream and imagine making all the right plays on the field.
Carter Erwin of the Orland Park Pioneers went a couple of steps beyond, vertically and on the ground. In the frenzied final moments, the two-way standout strapped the team to his back. In the space of a few minutes, Carter Erwin made a leaping touchdown catch and answered by assisting in the goal line stand by Lucca Morandi in closing out two of the greatest opportunities of his young career.
“I just wanted to push him back, and not let him get in the end zone,” Carter Erwin said. “I could see it. The ball was right there. It was just inches away.”
Carter Erwin’s late-game heroics powered the Lightweights program to the 8-0 overtime victory over the New Lenox Jr Warriors in a River Valley Youth Football League on Sunday, September 7 at Sandburg High School.
After the teams played to a scoreless regulation, the Pioneers had the opening possession of overtime, where each team was given four downs from the 10-yard line.
The moment appeared perilous after a false start put the ball at the 12-yard line on third down. Carter Erwin and quarterback Luke Krokos went to work.
Operating out of the shotgun, Krokos bought some extra time and threw a high ball to Carter Erwin in the left flat.
“It was a great play call,” Carter Erwin said. “I went up for the ball, and the cornerback was smaller, and I wanted to use my size. I was able to make a catch. I knew I was going to get into the end zone.”
The offense of the Lightweights has shown steady improvement since the opening game of the season. The speed, athleticism and physicality of the Jr Warriors presented serious resistance.
The Pioneers turned the ball over on a fumble on the second play of the game. Nothing came easy. Michael O’Connor and Jase Enstrom juiced up the attack with their running. Jason Erwin ran hard and tough between the tackles for the Pioneers.
With the game on the line, Krokos and Carter Erwin made the play that truly mattered.
“I didn’t really say anything there,” Krokos said. “I was paying attention to the other side where Carter was, and the guy who was guarding him. I just threw it up, and I knew he’d be able to get it with his size over the cornerback. The offense is getting better every week. We practice throwing the ball a lot, so we have success in the game.”
AJ Richardson made the crucial two-point kick. That heightened the pressure against the Jr Warriors, who had to score and convert their own kick to extend the overtime period.
“Everyone was going crazy, and we knew they couldn’t kick a field goal,” Richardson said. “All we did was try our best to stop them.”
The defense rose to the occasion, even overcoming an encroachment penalty that pushed the ball four yards closer to the end zone on third down.
O’Connor, Carter Erwin, Cole Baldridge, Michael Galivan, Owen Garrity and Jude Morrar stepped up to the challenge. The defense has not conceded a touchdown this season.
“Our defense played great the whole game,” Baldridge said. “We were mentally locked in. We’ve been practicing hard, and we’re really disciplined and we have a lot of talent. We had a lot of confidence after we scored in overtime, because we knew we could stop them and win the game.”
Lucca Morandi, Baldridge, Richardson, Erwin and Morrar stood up the running back on third down. The final play of the game came on fourth and goal from the 2-yard line. With Baldridge and Morrar taking up the line of interior blockers, Erwin was the first defender to the running back.
“We’re fighting out there, and holding them and not letting them score,” Morandi said. “We had some mistakes or an incomplete pass on offense, but overall I’d say we were doing pretty well. It feels really good to win a game like this.”
The officials waited a few dramatic moments before signaling the running back down before he crossed the end zone.
The no-touchdown signal set off a wild celebration amid the special festivities and western-themed backdrop of Homecoming.
“Our defensive line gets good pressure, and our linebackers are really good and they get after their runners,” Erwin said.
Regardless of the outcome, every game is a chance for each player to create their own narrative of success and breakthrough. Richardson was a dedicated and intense performer on the defensive side.
He created pressure off the edge and ran down ball carriers. He finished with five tackles. He made a touchdown saving stop on the opening drive of the third quarter off a 23-yard reception by the Jr Warriors.
Baldridge and Richardson stopped the Jr Warriors on their deepest penetration of the game at the Pioneers’ 27-yard line.
“In our game last week, I did not play very well at all, and my coach told me if I did not play well in practice, I wouldn’t start,” Richardson said. “I just played so hard, and I got it. I played like a monster on defense. We got into overtime. Carter made a great catch over the guy’s head, and it set up for me to make the kick for two that helped us win the game.”
In the Fifth Quarter, Bennett Brown completed a long pass to Michael Oldman. Joey Zotto and Jackson Biskup also played well, and Laith Hammami blocked very well.
The Lightweights of the Orland Park Pioneers had many standout contributors in the 8-0 Homecoming victory over the Jr Warriors. Those players were Gunner McCarthy, Keith Piekarz, Thomas Sutter, Will Poore, Ryan Lukas, Vito Cangelosi, Noah Cordoba, Christopher Medina, Jr., Brooks Foster, Tyler Wilkie, Caden Kolodziej, Anthony LaPapa, Christian Paulson, Blake Nance, Scott Gumienny, Cody Godlewski, Dominic Gabriele, Nick Pomonis, Yousef Yasin, Samuel Horeluk, James Okrasinski, Dominic Lach, Collin Valan, Bradley Patterson, Jimmy Elsberg, Connor Kvelland, Rayder Slabenak and Adam Krokos.
The cheerleaders also brought great passion, energy and style to their special Homecoming routines. Those performers were Alexandra Burda, Morgan Collins, Madison Davis, Nora Dorigan, Emma Evans, Chloe Gaj, Kaylee Gaj, Lila Gavin, Madison Hedger, Quinn Heinze, Ava Janota, Margot Joda, Vera Joda, Adaline Johnson, Ella Kluever, Gemma Laniosz, Brielle Lenzen, Brooklyn Loman, Molly McGeever, Aaliyah Medina, Sophia Molina, Ainsley Moore, Annette Mullaney, Kayleigh Mullins, Emily Okrasinski, Kara O’Meara, Ayya Ramadani, Selena Rios, Sydney Scharpf, Avery Seliga, Maeve Smith, Addison Storrs, Peyton Tomasik, Molly Utz and Alivia Zawada.
