By Francisco Avila- Photos by Renee Kaspar
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HOMER GLEN— Scoring touchdowns and making tackles may win games, but it’s the culture behind the scenes that creates champions. For the Orland Park Pioneers Varsity team, that culture is built on respect, brotherhood, and a relentless work ethic, and it was on full display in their dominant 30–8 win over the Homer Stallions in their final matchup before the postseason.
From the first whistle to the final snap, the Pioneers controlled the game in every phase, offense, defense, and special teams, powered by a group of players who have bought into something bigger than football.
“The Pioneer culture, it’s something I’ve known for eight years now. It’s built that way,” said head coach Andy Rybak after the game. “It’s all about finding the right personalities to lead, and when that kind of character spreads, it becomes contagious. The kids feed off each other. They love being around one another. That’s what makes a team.”
The tone was set from the very first play. Michael Stefancic delivered a bone-rattling tackle that sent a message; this game belonged to the Pioneers.
“I just wanted to make sure they don’t score at all,” Stefancic said with intensity.
Moments later, Michael Sraga followed up with another crushing hit, and Jake Marzullo shut down an early Stallions passing attempt by timing a perfect block.
“I saw the quarterback’s eyes; he was coming my way,” said Marzullo. “I got my guy, read the throw, and got the block.”
Later in the first quarter, Marzullo struck again, this time forcing a fumble on a Stallions reception, which was scooped up by Ben Snider, flipping the momentum completely in Orland Park’s favor.
“One of our guys almost had the pick. It slipped, and they caught it. I came up, punched it out, and Ben recovered it,” Marzullo recalled.
Capitalizing on the turnover, Snider immediately connected with Enzo Angone for a short 5-yard gain. After being pushed back a few yards on the next play, Snider and Angone came right back, this time linking up on a beautiful 35-yard touchdown strike to give the Pioneers a 6–0 lead.
“It got the momentum going,” Angone said. “We’d had some strong runs already, and that touchdown just made everything more intense and hyped.”
Yousif Dahdal added the extra points with a smooth conversion, making it 8–0.
“It’s always a team effort,” said Dahdal. “When the offense scores like that, it makes my job a lot easier.”
The first quarter ended with continued defensive excellence. Mohammad Abedalrahman, Snider, Ahmed Ali, and Marzullo all made key stops to keep the Stallions scoreless heading into the second quarter.
The Pioneers picked up right where they left off. Angone’s consistent running helped move the chains, and eventually, with seven minutes left in the half, Michael Sraga crashed into the end zone for the team’s second touchdown.
“I saw the ball, dove on it, and after I scored, everyone was all over me,” Sraga laughed. “I couldn’t even find the ref to hand the ball off.”
Another Dahdal kick pushed the lead to 16–0.
On the next drive, Snider showcased his dual-threat ability. With powerful blocking in front of him, he broke free for a stunning 49-yard touchdown run, widening the margin to 22–0.
“The line did their job. The perimeter guys did theirs. It gave me and Enzo room to make plays,” said Snider.
Despite a brief late-half drive by the Stallions, the Pioneers held firm and entered halftime firmly in control.
Orland Park didn’t let up in the second half. Just four minutes in, Angone broke loose once again, this time racing 39 yards to the house for his second touchdown of the day. Dahdal remained perfect, pushing the score to a commanding 30–0.
“I was just glad to do that so we could get some of the guys who don’t usually get Sunday reps into the game,” Angone said. “We were already crushing them; that touchdown just added to it.”
Defensively, the Pioneers continued to swarm the Stallions with Abedalrahman, Marzullo, and Ali, making sure the opponent never found a rhythm. But with four minutes into the fourth quarter, the Stallions finally managed to break through, converting on a 14-yard touchdown and the extra point to make it 30–8.
Still, the Pioneers didn’t back down.
Late in the game, Charlie Enstrom and David Burgert added short gains to burn the clock. Enstrom capped the day with a strong 17-yard run, a final stamp on a complete team performance.
While the scoreboard told the story of domination, Coach Rybak and his players pointed to something else just as important: the “fifth quarter.”
Not officially on the scoreboard, the fifth quarter gives younger and developing players a chance to get valuable reps, an essential part of building future starters and continuing the program’s legacy.
“We always look to do better,” said Stefancic. “Those experiences help us train for other games. Every snap counts.”
As the postseason looms, the Pioneers couldn’t have asked for a better performance to end the regular season. Offense, defense, and special teams clicked. But more than that, the culture.
Coach Rybak said it best:
“They’re just a pleasure to be around. And they love being around each other. That’s what you want.”
With momentum, unity, and belief on their side, the Orland Park Pioneers are ready to take on whoever stands in their way.
The Orland Park Pioneers Varsity side had many key contributors in the 30-8 win. The other crucial participants were Riley Atzman, Brock Lenzen, Gavin Loman, Dylan Butler, Cade McNulty, Sean Buer, Liam West, Evan Lavelle, Justin McNamara, Luke Rybak, Finn Redmond, Logan Helman, John Werner, Gage Cucci, Drake Ulaszek, Adam Naser, Maverick Vander Veer, Benjamin Schwarz, Ryan Duckhorn, Malcolm McGonegal, Gianluca Arceo, Brandon Castillo, Siego Aguilar, Steven Mullins, Nicholas Hertzog, Camden Czarnecki, Julian Trevino, Ryan Pempek, Erik Baran, Brian Curran, and Qais Naser.
