By Ed Muniz-Photos by Renee Kaspar ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p76694773 ** Some might think Coach Mike Vita has a problem among his 13U Jr. Celtic team. Bet most coaches would love to have that problem if he has one! He heads a team loaded with so much talent, in fact,
By Miles Toogo- Photos by Renee Kaspar **Additional Photos are available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p179086015 ** The Mokena Jr. Celtics were back at their home field of Main Park. Week six of the Chicagoland Pop Warner schedule would see several teams come to Mokena to challenge the Jr. Celtics. The eight-game weekend would feature tackle
By Ed Muniz- Photos by Renee Kaspar ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p129461014 ** The second game of the Saturday Night Lights on September 30 featured the 7U Jr. Celtics hosting the Aurora Gators. For Coach Tommy Comise and staff, it’s been a difficult season for their squad of Jr. Celtics. Struggling
By Ed Muniz- Photos by Renee Kaspar ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p134876451 ** Emotions ran high in the 8U finale of the Saturday Night Lights games held on September 30 at Mokena Maina Park. The hard tackling and physicality of the visiting Northwest Tide from Elgin was eye-opening not just for
By Ed Muniz- Photos by Morgan Gonzales ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p474602702 ** Mokena Main Park was the site of the Mokena Youth Athletic Association Annual “Flag Bowl”. Featuring three levels of competition, three Champions would be determined and leave sporting Championship Rings. The “Flag Bowl” was started 10-years ago. It
By Ed Muniz- Photos by Morgan Gonzales ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p369262759 ** The “Flag Bowl” championships were down to their last game of the day. Concluding the Mokena Flag Season would be the Unbeaten Wolverines taking on the Illini for the who enchilada. In their Semi-final games, each team took
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p1033495267 ** The margin of error for Bryce Kaplan and Lucas Gravitt was less than zero. About a yard separated the two standout defenders of the Jr Celtics 10U their end zone. Getting pushed in the wrong direction meant
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p931224914 ** The comeback is one of the great cinematic stories in sports. Playing technically solid and fundamentally sharp football sounds a little boring. It remains a very efficient way to play the game. “Scoring first the way we
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill ** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p749566101 ** Maddox Sperry dreams about his achievements as part of the perfect prelude. He is meticulous in his preparation, and thinks about the game, and how he might shape or influence the action. “I was feeling great,” he
By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill **Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p682575048 ** The superlatives come out fast and easy when trying to put the achievements of the Jr Celtics 13U team in perspective. Call it “showtime,” “basketball on turf,” or a new kind of “space age,” but the natural reaction
