By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at MOKENA— Pride in performance gets at the heart of the offensive lineman’s mentality and approach. The Jr Celtics 10U program offers a virtual highlight of breathtaking individual talent and gifted playmakers. As good as they are,
By Ed Muniz- Photos by Renee Kaspar ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p715219645 ** Mokena- Football, from college to youth levels has a yearly event that celebrates the return of former and current members of a community. Homecoming! It’s usually held in late September or early October, and includes
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p481252607 ** MOKENA- The bright and sunny optimism of a new season turned sour within moments. If the first game of any new season is always filled with more questions than answers, the Jr Celtics 9U
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 Weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p481252607 ** MOKENA— History sneaks up on football players quickly, especially young players discovering the beauty and power of the game. Being the upstart is always the greatest struggle, one step forward and two back, or
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p201251826 ** MOKENA— It was the hit heard everywhere, regardless of your place at the field or in the stands. The moment was so real and visceral it immediately changed the entire context of the larger
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p77866836 ** MOKENA— Nakhati Thompson is the supreme gift who keeps on giving. Every time he touches the ball, the running back seemingly bends everything around him to his own will. “I just have to give
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p167699314 ** MOKENA— When is the game more like an emotional rollercoaster that rarely lets up or waits for a quiet moment? The Jr Celtics 11U team experienced the full gamut in their season-opening game. At
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p95167781 ** MOKENA—A clean slate is just as it sounds, a chance to wipe away the cruel memories and an opportunity to remake the present. In a game where invariably the winners and losers are separated
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Kathy Jones** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p55926411 ** MOKENA—The most exhilarating part of carrying the ball is being chased by a defender who has no chance of ever catching up. For any running back, that is just pure thrill and elation, running free
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Kathy Jones** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase for 2 weeks at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p92819024 ** MOKENA— The most unsentimental of games provides the harshest personal lessons. The Jr Celtics 7U team faced something it had never done before, and the leap from one year to the next rarely felt so
