By Ed Muniz- Photos by Renee Kaspar
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ORLAND PARK- Orland Park’s newest sports facility, Schussler Park, was the site for the Orland Park Pioneers latest Wednesday Night Football League games on September 11.
Featuring two spanking new turf football fields lined upped side by side, lights, a set of bleachers along with an announcing booth, the Park offers the Pioneers an alternative home field.
There’s ample room between the two fields, the Pioneers could easily host two games going on at once.
Schussler Park offers plenty of room for multiple teams and is currently used by the Pioneers four teams to practice on.
With some excitement, the Pioneers hosted the Tinley Park Bulldogs in a set of games at Lightweight and Junior Varsity levels, and have their inaugural first two official games held at the new park.
After an evening of football, the Pioneers settled on winning once and losing none. Victory was seized by the Lightweight Pioneers in a 6-0 defensive, back and forth encounter while the JV played to a scoreless tie. The WNFL does not play an overtime period to settle a winner during the regular season games but does during their playoffs.
The opening game of the evening saw Al Krokos Lightweights use a third quarter score and hold on for the 6-0 win.
Although they won and continued unscathed in four games, the vaunted running attack of the Pioneers struggled against the beefy play of the visiting Tinley Park Bulldogs defense.
Defensively, the Pioneers are an impenetrable regiment. In seven games this year, during the regular scheduled games and the WNFL games, the Pioneers defense has allowed no one to score.
The depth of talent the Pioneers defense has is amazing and is their strength. They simply refuse to give up a score.
One of the WNFL Pioneers defensive leaders is Thomas Sutter. A lanky framed player whose edge play has paid off numerous times for the Pioneers defense. He was at it again and was key in shutting out the Bulldogs.
“I was just getting tackles today,” said Sutter. “I was beating the linemen, but it gets harder as we get older because they get stronger too. Our offense works pretty good, especially passing. I think that works for us a lot.”
One player that gives his all is Gunner McCarthy. Not a flashy player, you won’t see him on a 60-yard touchdown run and he won’t be making that spectacular catch. No, what you get from McCarthy is tough as nails, in the trenches, never give in battling.
Whether on defense or offense, his M.O. doesn’t change, he’s in there digging for an advantage for his Pioneers teammates. Stout and stocky, he’s no pushover and the Pioneers coaches recognize that playing nose guard.
In this win, he was another who gave nearly nothing to the Bulldog offense.
“I thought getting through the line worked really good for me, which is usually kinda hard,” said Gunner. “I was breaking people’s arms, chopping them down and that helped me get through their line. I prefer going through Leo (left gap). I think I can improve by not going offsides and remembering the snap count too.”
The first half was mostly and bevy of punts back and forth by both teams with neither willing to chance giving the other a short field and a chance to jump ahead.
Bennet Brown’s passes were falling incomplete and the backfield of Adam Krokos, Bradley Patterson and Michael Ordman that was phenomenal just a week earlier was having a rough go with the Bulldogs defense.
Quick hitters up the middle by Krokos were stuffed and even lost yardage at times and the speed to the edge by Patterson and Ordman were closed on quickly.
The Pioneers did grab a couple first downs but soon lost possession on downs. The big play of the first half for the Pioneers came off a pass from Brown to Connor Kvelland that went for 16 yards on the completion. Unfortunately, it was the last play of the first half and well short of the endzone.
Defensively, tackles by Christian Paulson, Krokos, Nick Pomonis, Scott Gumienny and Patterson led the first half Pioneers surge of stops that kept the Bulldogs offense with negative yards, keeping Tinley Park scoreless at half.
Sutter and McCarthy opened the second half each with a tackle for loss eventually forcing another Bulldog punt.
After a penalty saw the Pioneers punt on their opening series of the second half, the Pioneers defense manufactured the break each team was waiting for, recovering a fumble just 39 yards from paydirt. Ordman secured the loose ball for the Pioneers.
With 1:25 left in the third quarter, on the ensuing play after the fumble recovery, Brown took a snap, dropped back and flung the perfect pass to Michael Ordman who caught it in stride after racing by the two Bulldog defenders.
Ordman easily scored on the 39-yard touchdown connection and gave the highly coveted 6-0 lead to the Pioneers.
Ordman would again be key defensively, The Bulldogs were driving and got to midfield after completing a pass. A few plays later after tackles by Pomonis, Paulson and a pair by Brown, Ordman stepped in front of the errant Tinley Park pass and intercepted the wounded duck throw.
The Bulldogs final offensive series was a showcase of Nick Pomonis’ defensive prowess. Pomonis sealed the win grabbing two big tackles with the final one a sack that lost 9 yards for the Bulldogs.
“I would wait to see where the ball was and then react to it,” said Pomonis. “I have good vision and stay focused on the QB and the snap. I prefer playing defense because I like tackling people and making a play. “
Pomonis did make several plays during the game and with help from other teammates, the Pioneers notched another shutout win.
Others adding to the stellar effort at the new Schussler Park facility were Keith Piekarz, Joey Zotto, Cole Baldridge, Will Poore, Jackson Biskup, Ryan Lukas, Jase Enstrom, Vito Cangelosi, Carter and Jason Erwin, Mike Oconnor, Lucca Morandi, Chris Medina Jr., Tyler Wilkie, Noah Cordoba, Andrew Richardson, Brooks Foster, Caden Kolodziej, Anthony LaPapa, Blake Nance, Laith Hammami, Cody Godlewski, Domonic Gabrielle, Samuel Horeluk, James Okrasinski, Dominic Lach, Collin Valan, Michael Galivan, Jude Morrar, Luke Krokos, Rayder Slabenak and Owen Garrity.
