By Patrick McGavin- Photos by Jenn Anne Gledhill
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ORLAND PARK— History was made on a radiant sunny day that honored the past and created the kind of personal memories nobody is likely to forget.
Two Orland Park Pioneers Lightweight teams—rivals, friends, classmates, former teammates, kids of the same ages—playing against each other for the first time ever.
It was momentous and consequential. The first question was when would somebody blink.
For that matter Jordy Kolodziej could not believe his eyes, or his fortunes when he got the ball and turned the corner.
“When I was looking and scanning the field, I saw the outside was open,” he said. “I just thought to myself, Oh my gosh, and I started running.”
Kolodziej broke free on a 29-yard touchdown run in the Red team’s 7-0 Homecoming victory over the Pioneers Blue in a River Valley Youth Football League game at Sandburg High School on Sunday, September 6.
The one-play scoring drive was set up by an interception by CJ Hufford.
The bifurcated team structure was brought about by a massive surge in turnout that saw 65 players—more than 20 above the normal 44-player roster—come into the program.
The Pioneers split the program into two wholly separate teams with different schedules.
The historic contest, playing out on the 50th anniversary of the program, featured a bit of everything—drama, fun, excitement, and some occasional trash talking.
“At times it got a little heated out there,” MJ Groark said. “There was extra intensity and excitement. I know I went as hard as I could.
“I got all the bragging rights. I tried my hardest, I was really excited, and I really wanted to beat them.”
Fittingly, in a game marked by community and pride, the game-winning play was delivered by someone truly vested in the program.
Kolodziej is the son of Dan Kolodziej, the head coach of the Red team. Dan directed the single-unit Lightweights team a year ago, and has coached many players from each program.
Jordy’s older brother Caden plays on the Junior Varsity squad.
The backdrop made for a surreal day, marked by pride and some amount of confusion. The 65 players practiced as one group for the first 10 days until they were split into separate teams.
“When we were warming up, we weren’t quite as hyped,” Jordy Kolodziej said. “We got on the field, we flipped the switch and started doing really well.”
The stakes were high, at the personal and team level. Neither team wanted to give in to the other. The personal drama accentuated what played out on the field.
“It was kind of weird, but in a different way,” running back Taylan Morandi said. “I was really excited to play this game today, with it being Homecoming, and going against the Blue.
“I think we’re starting to click with what we’re doing.”
The Red was also looking to atone for a disappointing 12-6 loss the previous week against Mt. Greenwood where the team failed to protect a lead.
Anger pitched with high emotion and desire made for the perfect backdrop.
The Red’s best two-way player, Sean Kikilis, started things out spectacularly with a 28-yard run off a sweep on their first play from scrimmage.
Quarterback Gavin Garrity was stopped on fourth and short. The point was made. The Red was going to hammer Kikilis into the line, and use the quick and explosive Morandi to get to the edge.
Garrity is the dual threat quarterback who has the size and power to smash into the line, and a solid arm to get the ball on the perimeter.
The first half was both tactical and direct, with the two teams playing off each other, sizing each other up, and trying to poke and prod in finding vulnerabilities and areas to exploit.
Each team had two possessions in the first half. The Red had the more consistent and dangerous drives. The Blue squad stood up to their physical game at the point of attack.
“We had some crazy good drives running down the field, with Sean really doing well,” Garrity said. “All of our running backs are really good.
“They’re gone as soon as they find a hole.”
As it was, the first half was a lot of sound, but not much fury. Kikilis had another big run on the second possession, going for 16 yards. The Red team stalled on each of those two first half drives.
Of course, each team was intimately familiar with the other side, and what they liked to run, and what players needed particular special focus and attention.
The Blue had two specialists—Lawson Capps and Luke Bostack—the Red had to always account for. The two proved especially skilled at throwing halfback option passes.
In the scoreless game midway through the third, Hufford saw his chance. On the preceding play, he blitzed Bosack and nailed him for a three-yard loss.
“We got to him, and he was on the ground,” Hufford said. “On the next play, I went back into coverage and I just saw the ball.
“I felt like somebody was behind me, but I just got it. That felt great. That was my first ever interception.”
Bosack took the pitch out wide right and tried to throw the halfback option. Hufford made a great read on the ball.
He appeared to nearly score on the return, though officials ruled against the Red for an illegal block.
“I felt like if I didn’t get that interception, we wouldn’t have had the ball in such great field position,” Hufford said. “Jordy wouldn’t have scored that touchdown.”
Garrity created a great sleight of hand, and used play action brilliantly to influence the action going left. Kolodziej came from the opposite side and took the handoff and broke free down the right sideline.
His score with 4:31 to play in the third quarter proved the only score.
The Red lined up for a two-point kick attempt. Morandi made a remarkable recovery of a broken snap, making a diving stop, picking up the ball and running right.
The left-hander threw against his body to a diving Bennett Kersten for the dramatic point after.
The Blue had a couple to answer. The Red defense was up to the challenge. Kikilis was a one-player tackling machine moving from the left edge.
Kikilis pressured Blue quarterback Thomas Richardson, and repeatedly disrupted the ball at the point of attack. Arthur Slabanek, Henry Wade and Garrity also did exceptional work in containing the Blue attack.
On the Blue’s final possession, the Red defense rose up and hammered the speedy back Peyton Barbee for three consecutive plays for loss that created a turnover on downs.
The Red team jubilantly ran the clock out for the victory.
“The interception changed the game, because after CJ got the pick, we were all hyped, and we kept going on from there,” Garrity said. “There was a lot of trash talking.
“The mood was we had to beat them.”
In the Fifth Quarter, running back Sean Johnson had some terrific carries for the Red, and reached the end zone on an 18-yard scamper.
“I just tried my hardest and wanted to do well, and I never gave up on any of the runs,” Johnson said. “I kept trying until I heard the whistle.”
The Homecoming pageantry was not the players alone to celebrate. The cheerleaders were a central part of the gorgeous mosaic. The girls put in several hours of practice a day during the busy week leading up to the football games.
“I love being loud,” Scarlett Sternberg said. “My favorite part is stunting. When you stunt, in cheer or football, you have to be loud, and really hyped when you’re in the air.”
Kara O’Mara had a dance background, and was eager to see the crossover potential.
“I wanted to try something new, and now this is my fourth year,” she said. “I really love it, and I won’t ever stop. All of the other girls are really nice and helpful, and the coaches are great. Everybody’s having a really good time.”
The Lightweights Red team of the Orland Park Pioneers had many key contributors in the historic 7-0 victory over the Pioneers Blue. They were Mahmoud Abu Alshaikh, Royal Ward, Nicolas Lang, Nicholas Vuolo, Anthony Lang, Ethan Brandofino, Zacharia Nofal, Jude Atieh, Shane Sternberg, Henry Simons, Taym Nofal, Austin D’Andrea, Jonathan Mizera, Mohammed Abu Alshaikh, William Sraga, Nathan Schultz, William Jordan, Thomas McCann, Luke McDoniel, Paul Rylan Davies, Yazen Nijem and Amir Haddad.
In addition to Scarlett Sternberg and Kara O’Meara, the other cheerleaders were Kennedy Krokos, Stella Bristow, Emerson Schweikert, Eleanor Koehn, Elena Schmaling, Isla Zelensek, Lucy Bohanek, Zoey France, Savannah Molina, Aleena Badwan, Vera Joda, Normandy Golden, Hazel Nichols, Mia Mizera, Maevry Harmatys, Mila Schweikert, Tessa Dunmore, Tessa Basek, Siena Lang, Callie Juarez-Radovanovic, Alaina Holoubek, Sadie Griffin, Lea Barbee, Ava Kolodziej, Eva Aubin, Sofie Annerino, Hailey Valan, Grace Poore, Eloise Sarhage, Anderson Foster, Meghan Shilney, Lillian Fudala, Rosie VanRaden and Giana Santos.
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