By Patrick Z McGavin- Photos by Lauren Gray
** Additional Photos at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p1030076040 **
ORLAND PARK— Time is precious, and minutes are spread out and only so many players are able to see action.
The players who make up the Fifth Quarter have a special and connective bond among the Junior Varsity of the Orland Park Pioneers.
The players put in the time and effort, go hard at every practice, and support the team every Sunday. The passion burns brights.
“We don’t get to play that much, so when we do we are trying to make the most of it,” quarterback Ryan Lukas said.
Lukas scored on a dazzling 10-yard touchdown run that sparked the 7-0 victory over the New Lenox Jr. Warriors in an extended Fifth Quarter game at Schussler Park on Wednesday, October 28.
The Fifth Quarter is a controlled 25-minute scrimmage preceding the Sunday games that allows both teams equal opportunities to run their offense.
The Pioneers were excited about the format, mirroring the Wednesday Night Football League, featuring two 25-minute halves.
“This is our first time the whole season playing an actual game, so it felt great to be out there,” Liath Hammami said.
Lukas provided the offensive fireworks, and the defense was spectacular in the second half with three turnovers.
“We were having the time of our lives out there,” Lukas said.
The Jr. Warriors had three straight trips to the red zone in the second half, and the defense rose to the occasion.
In the first half, running backs Keith Piekarz, Emmett Kane and Jackson Biskup alternated running the ball. Given their opportunities, each stepped up to the challenge, getting in space and finding open running lanes.
”You have to trust your offensive line, find the holes and just run through,” Kane said. “You have to be really shifty and use your speed.
Lineman Will Poore was the architect of those openings, part of a sustained effort by the interior to give Lukas time and the running backs the freedom to create damage.
“It was amazing that we got this win, we were able to play in this game, and be part of this atmosphere,” Poore said. “We’re really good friends, close on and off the field. The offensive line protects the quarterback, and that’s what we did.”
Piekarz also made a big fourth down stop coming off the edge. Reacting to an errant snap by the Jr. Warriors, he pushed through and took the quarterback down.
Lukas took over from there for the game’s only score. He broke off two runs to set up first and goal.
He was a true magician out on the field, hard to contain, impulsive and free.
On the dazzling touchdown run, he reversed field twice, starting right and moving left, buying time and hoping to find his receivers. With nobody able to get open, Lukas took matters into his own hands, or feet.
He caught a huge block from Dominic Gabriele and broke free down the right edge for the score. He ran close to 60 yards just to gain the 10 yards from scrimmage.
“It was supposed to be a roll out and pass play, but the defensive end got right through,” Lukas said. “I saw the opening on the other side, and Dominic had a huge block and I was able to get around.”
Kane finished the scoring drive by blasting through for the conversion run.
In the Fifth Quarter games on Sunday, Lukas splits twice at quarterback with Connor Kvelland.
Against the Tinley Park Bulldogs in a first-round playoff game on Sunday, Lukas showed particular skill at the naked bootleg and using his speed to get to the outside.
“I just like to have the ball on every play, and trust my guys and be able to get them the ball,” Lukas said. “Whatever the team needs, that’s my mentality.”
The Jr. Warriors had the bigger moments and were more dangerous moving the ball during the second half. The Pioneers were more opportunistic.
Talon Tyrakowski and Piekarz combined for a touchdown saving tackle off a long pass play at the start of the second half. Collin Valan and Hammami stepped up with big tackles for loss that ended that threat.
“This was more than a regular Fifth Quarter,” Vallan said. “We had our game tonight, and we wanted to win it so badly.”
The Jr. Warriors ripped off big plays on three consecutive drives. Each time, the Pioneers had the answer.
“We just never gave up on the play,” lineman Patrick O’Boye said. “Everybody ran down there, and tried to make the tackles. We always stayed calm, even in big time situations and did our best out there.”
The Pioneers used takeaways to offset some of the explosive big plays by the Jr. Warriors. The Junior Varsity forced turnovers on the final three drives by the Jr. Warriors.
Joey Zotto provided a highlight by filling the hole on a tackle and ripping the ball out of the hands of the running back. That deprived the Jr. Warriors of their best scoring chance.
”I just took the ball out of his hands, and kept running,” he said. “I didn’t caught for a while until somebody brought me down.”
Hammami also got into the action with an interception.
“I knew the wide receiver was going to do a slant, so I just tried to read it,” he said. “He threw it, I focused on it, and all the pressure went out. The coaches gave us the fundamentals. No matter how much time you get out there, you just have to keep going and hope for the best.”
Defensive back Vincent Shervino made a couple of key deflections on passing plays. Anthony LaPapa put the finishing touches on the victory by forcing a strip sack on the final play of the game.
“I was just running so fast out there,” he said. “I was getting to the edge, and going after the quarterback.”
The Fifth Quarter players sustained the recent string of success. The Junior Varsity captured the Super Bowl of the Wednesday Night Football League.
The Pioneers beat the Bulldogs 8-0 Sunday in the playoff game. This game provided a special platform.
“Tonight was their night, and we wanted to make it as special for them as possible,” assistant coach Chuck Kakos said.
Called the “gold standard,” by the other coaches, Kakos works the closest with the third-string players, many of whom are playing tackle for the first time.
“It’s a long road, and the amount they’ve learned is incredible,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
With more than a third of the roster playing in the game, the Pioneers received many standout contributors. The starters and second-string players were also there in support. They were Colton Gutkowski, Gunner McCarthy, Thomas Sutter, Cooper Elslager, Luke Krokos, Ameen Musa, Jase Enstrom, Carter Erwin, Michael O’Connor, Lucca Morandi, Jason Erwin, Noah Cordoba, Christopher Medina, Andrew Richardson, Caden Kolodziej, Christian Paulson, Scott Gumienny, Cody Godlewski, Nick Pomonis, Dominic Lach, George Petraitis, Bradley Patterson, Jimmy Elsberg, Connor Kvelland, Michael Ordman, Michael Galivan, Zechariah Torgerson, Jude Morrar, Rayder Slabenak, Owen Garrity and Adam Krokos.
