By Francisco Avila-Photos by Renee Kaspar
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NEW LENOX— As the regular season wrapped up, the Lightweight Orland Park Pioneers delivered a powerful message to the rest of the River Valley Youth Football League: they’re ready for the postseason. With a commanding 24-0 victory over the New Lenox Jr. Knights Red, the Pioneers ended their regular campaign on a high note, showcasing both offensive firepower and defensive resilience.
“The playoffs are a whole new ball game. Everyone’s record is 0-0 now,” said Head Coach Dan Kolodziej following the shutout win. “It’s good to finish strong and go into the playoffs with confidence, but we’re not looking past anyone. Round one, we’ve got to bring the intensity.”
The Pioneers wasted no time setting the tone. Quarterback Jason Erwin opened the game with a 5-yard scramble, followed by a perfectly placed 30-yard pass to Arthur Slabenak that brought the offense deep into Jr. Knights territory.
Just four minutes into the game, Erwin capped the drive with a 25-yard touchdown run to put the Pioneers on the board.
“I wanted to start the game aggressively,” said Erwin. “There was great blocking, I saw open space, and just went for it.”
On defense, Thomas Sutter helped preserve the early lead with a string of strong tackles, nearly forcing a fumble midway through the first quarter. With the Jr. Knights struggling to gain yardage, Adam Krokos helped flip field position with a strong rush to the 29-yard line.
Then, with three minutes left in the opening quarter, Erwin struck again, this time breaking loose for a 29-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 12-0.
“That was another play with great blocking,” said Erwin, who finished with three touchdowns on the day. “I saw the lane and ran hard.”
The second quarter saw the Pioneers’ defense fight even harder. Jackson Bicksup opened the period with a big tackle, followed by Krokos pushing the Jr. Knights backward on the next play. Defensive contributions from Brooks Foster and Sean Kikilas frustrated the Jr. Knights’ attempts to build momentum.
With seven minutes remaining before halftime, the Pioneers went on another offensive push. Kikilas moved the chains with multiple solid gains, while Connor Kvelland’s 5-yard run brought the ball to the 25-yard line.
On the next play, Erwin executed a perfect fake, freezing the Jr. Knights’ defense before racing into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game.
“We’d been practicing that fake,” Erwin said. “It worked perfectly. The blocking was there, and it gave me the lane.”
The Jr. Knights tried to respond before the half, but Kvelland sacked the quarterback on their next drive, forcing a punt. The Pioneers entered halftime with an 18-0 lead and total control of the game.
The third quarter mirrored the first two, with the Pioneers’ defense refusing to let up. A mishandled snap by the Jr. Knights nearly resulted in a turnover, and Ellis Hubbard followed with a key tackle to keep New Lenox on their heels.
Moments later, Slabenak pressured the quarterback into a hurried throw, a throw that Erwin intercepted, shifting momentum once again.
“I grabbed him by the jersey, and that forced a bad throw,” said Slabenak.
“He was kind of scared,” Erwin added. “That let me step in and make the play.”
The offense quickly capitalized. Erwin opened the drive with an 18-yard run, and Kikilas moved the chains with a first down to the 18-yard line. Then, backup quarterback Kvelland came in and delivered a perfect 18-yard touchdown pass to Sutter.
“I broke away from my defender and saw the opening,” said Sutter. “Connor threw it right where I needed it; that was my first touchdown of the season.”
“Coach called a go route, and I saw Sutter was behind the defenders,” said Kvelland. “I just put it up for him.”
The Pioneers led 24-0 heading into the final quarter.
As the clock wound down, the Pioneers continued to control both sides of the ball. Defensive stops from Bicksup, Joey Zotto, and Laith Hammami preserved the shutout, while on offense, Taylan Morandi, Gavin Garrity, and Bennett Kersten helped burn time with a steady drive.
Garrity then completed a series of short passes, including a 3-yard completion to Nate Abbs and another to CJ Hufford to reach the 43-yard line. Though the Pioneers eventually punted, the Jr. Knights were unable to make anything of their final possession, sealing the 24-0 win.
Coach Kolodziej also praised the team’s performance in the “Fifth Quarter,” where younger or developing players get valuable reps. He highlighted Garrity, who not only contributed on offense but also made strong tackles defensively.
“The boys came out and played well in the fifth quarter,” said Kolodziej. “We kept moving the ball, and defensively, we shut them down. Gavin’s been throwing the ball really well all season and continues to step up in key moments.”
The Pioneers now shift their focus to the playoffs, riding the momentum of a dominant regular-season finale.
“We’re proud of the way we finished,” said Coach Kolodziej. “But now it’s win or go home, and we’re ready.”
The Orland Park Pioneers Light Weight side had many contributors who contributed to the 24-0 win. The other crucial participants were Jaweed Abuzir, Gunner McCarthy, Keith Piekarz, Will Poore, Luke Bosack, Zachariah Ballouta, Mike O’Connor, Martin Groark, Brady Higgins, Alex Kopec, Christopher Medina Jr, Shane Sternberg, Luke Holoubek, Brooks Foster, Michael Patterson, Anthony LaPapa, Paxson Leithleiter, Ian Frost, Jonathan Mizera, Dominic Gabriele, Ammar Abdelmuti, William Jordan, Jordy Kolodziej, Jimmy Elsberg, Paul Rylan Davies, Amari Adigun, and Dominic Maurelia.
The Lightweight Pioneer cheerleaders were a large reason for the victory, which included Lucy Bohanek, Kaitlyn Minick, Alexandra Burda, Mabel Lukasiewicz, Elena Schmaling, Adaline Johnson, Zoey France, Emerson Schweikert, Eleanor Koehn, Stella Bristow, Brooklyn Loman, Eila Richter, Aaliyah Medina, Ava Janota, Molly McGeever, Skylar Shlepakov, Makayla Sotelo, Vera Joda, Kara O’Meara, Sophia Molina, Emily Okrasinski, Ainsley Moore, Maevry Harmatys, Marissa Gumuls, Madison Hedger, Morgan Collins, Aleena Badwan, Scarlett Sternberg, Sadie Griffin, Grace Poore, Kennedy Krokos, Olivia Ally, Liliana Holmes, Morgan Burger, Evelyn Byrne, Lillian Fudala, Alaina Holoubek, Anderson Foster, Selena Rios, Gwendolyn Moffatt, Margaret Moffatt, Evelyn Moffatt, Quinn Heinze, Callie Juarez-Radovanovic, Eloise Sarhage, Jenna Michalczewski, and Charlotte Dorigan.
