By Pat Z McGavin-Photos by Lauren Gray
** Additional Photos are Avilable for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p909392924 **
FLOSSMOOR— The Orland Park Pioneers Lightweights put together a surgical first half composed of major and minor movements fused into a complete whole.
Running backs Taylan Morandi, Luke Bosack and Jordy Kolodziej proved elusive in the open field and tough running between the tackles.
Quarterback Gavin Garrity showed a flair for the big play.
The methodical and sustained play of the Pioneers was matched by the brilliant breakaway running style of the quarterback for Homewood-Flossmoor United.
In the end, the two forces evened out.
The Pioneers’ great first half was interrupted by three long touchdown runs by the home program in the bittersweet 19-19 tie in Wednesday Night Football League play at Homewood-Flossmoor High School on September 24.
“That first half, we were definitely fired up because we wanted to make the playoffs,” running back Luke Bosack said. “In the second half, we thought we’d win.
“That No. 3 for them kept running and running. We got dominated by that team in the Fifth Quarter when we played them a couple of weeks ago. It was like 18-0. Wednesday is different.”
Time is of the essence in the Wednesday Night Football League with the running clock format.
The Pioneers did everything right during a brilliant and riveting opening quarter that saw them charge down the field and keep the high-powered H-F attack completely on the sidelines.
Morandi went off tackle for runs of seven and nine yards. Bosack ripped off a 15-yard burst. Twice Garrity used creative sneaks on third or fourth and short for the first down conversions.
The biggest play was a fourth and long gamble that paid off brilliantly. Under pressure, Garrity rolled right and found the streaking Bosack on the sideline for the superb 25-yard completion that put the ball on the verge of the H-F goal line.
“Our line did a great job of blocking, and they opened up some really big holes for us to run in,” Garrity said. “The running backs ran really hard, and the wide receivers and tight ends did a great job of running out and getting catches.
“That set up the long pass play.”
Morandi completed the impressive drive with a two-yard dive into the end zone.
“The offense did a great job moving the ball and getting yards during that first half,” Morandi said. “Gavin made some great throws. My running style is fast and shifty, and I try to make guys miss.
“I saw the gaps in there, and I have to do my best to get through them.
A Garritty pass to tight end Bennett Kersten on the conversion was just out of reach.
The drive consumed the entirety of the first quarter. The defense responded with a three and out, sparked by a dominant series by linemen Dominic Gabriele and Ammar Abdelmuti.
Even when things seemingly broke down, like a botched snap on the center exchange, Garrity turned the play into a nine-yard gain. Bosack, Morandi and Kolodziej expertly pushed the ball down the field.
Playing for his father, coach Mike Kolodziej, Jordy Kolodziej scored his first touchdown of Wednesday action with the four-yard scoring burst.
“I’m fast, and I was able to get around the other guys trying to tackle me,” Jordy Kolodziej said. “That also helped me make my own tackles out there, and I also scored that touchdown.
“I just like how on the Wednesday games I get to play for the whole game, and have a lot of fun.”
The giddy excitement and enthusiasm of the perfect first half was defused when the H-F quarterback broke around the left end for a 66-yard touchdown at the start of the third quarter.
The Pioneers responded with another strong drive that ended on a controversial play when the officials ruled that Garrity lost the ball in a pile up on a third down play.
One play later, the H-F quarterback tied the game by reversing field and again breaking tackles for a touchdown run down the right sideline.
All of that strong first half play was null and void with the score suddenly tied at 12-12 to start the fourth quarter.
“There were some questionable calls against us, and we had some missed tackles,” Bosack said.
The Pioneers showed their backbone with another scoring drive that seemingly delivered the win. On third and long, Garrity executed a great fake and found Kersten wide open for a 54-yard touchdown pass.
“Nobody was on me, and the end just burst around me,” Kersten said. “The safety took the fake on the run, and that left me wide open. Gavin threw it right in the pocket.
“I caught it and took a peek behind me, and I saw that nobody was there, and I just trotted into the end zone.”
When Morandi dove through a mass of tacklers for the conversion, the Pioneers seemed in control with the 19-12 lead and just 6:40 remaining.
The picture appeared even brighter when Garrity, Morandi and Kolodziej forced a huge stop on fourth down that returned possession to the Pioneers with just 3:20 remaining.
A delay penalty and H-F United’s use of the timeout gave them one final possession. The quarterback made the Pioneers pay by again getting around the left edge and breaking tackles for a 72-yard touchdown run.
Like the Pioneers, the third conversion attempt by H-F was successful, forging the tie.
With one final possession in the closing seconds, Garrity was able to get a couple of passes off before the game ended.
“We want to make the playoffs, so we were fired up and made a lot of big plays,” Morandi said. “We played well, especially in the first half. We just had too many breakdowns.”
In the 19-19 tie, the Orland Park Pioneers Lightweights had many strong contributors and encouragement from the first team players who provided support. They were Jaweed Abuzir, Gunner McCarthy, Nate Abbs, Keith Piekarz, Thomas Sutter, Joey Zotto, Will Poore, Jackson Biskup, Sean Kikilas, Ryan Lukas, Zachariah Ballouta, Ellis Hubbard, Mike O’Connor, Martin Groark, Brady Higgins, Jason Erwin, Alex Kopec, CJ Hufford, Christopher Medina Jr., Shane Sternberg, Luke Holoubek, Brooks Foster, Michael Patterson, Arthur Slabenak, Anthony LaPapa, Paxson Leithleiter, Laith Hammami, Ian Frost, Jonathan Mizera, William Jordan, Jimmy Elsberg, Connor Kvelland, Luke McDoniel, Paul Rylan Davies, Amari Adigun, Dominic Maurella and Adam Krokos.
