By Bobby Narang- Photos by Lauren Gray
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PLAINFIELD – Football is a physical and demanding sport.
Sometimes, emotions can play a big part in a victory – or a defeat.
That was the case in Sunday’s 10U Plainfield Saints versus Algonquin Argonauts game at Plainfield Central High School.
Coaches from both sides were motivated to win the crucial game, leading to some heavy emotions by the players, coaches and fans in the stands.
Still, both teams managed to play a crisp and highly entertaining game that led to some big plays on both sides of the ball. The battle of unbeatens came down to one possession that factored into the scoring column. The two teams showed why they both came into the game with six victories in six games.
The host Saints scored a touchdown in the second quarter, played stout defense and kept their mistakes down in the second half to record a 7-0 victory over the Argos.
Plainfield quarterback Oliver Jeninga was the only player in the game to taste the end zone, scoring on a 1-yard sneak with 4:27 remaining in the first half for a 7-0 lead. The Saints converted the point-after-attempt via a pass from Bennett Towry to Anthony Ecklund. The Saints needed just a few plays to complete the scoring drive, aided by a pass interference penalty and an 11-yard run by Anthony Ecklund to set up Jeninga’s touchdown.
“I just had it in my mind to run through them with my shoulder to get the touchdown,” Jeninga said of his TD. “I wanted to score really bad. It felt amazing to end that drive.”
Offensively, the Saints were led by Jackson Hill’s 33 yards rushing. Bennett Towry added 21 yards on three carries for the run-based Saints.
The Saints (6-1) battled all game long to hold their lead, playing tight defense on the final possession to end the game when the Argos tossed an incomplete pass on fourth down.
“We lost a tough game a couple of weeks ago because we were short a couple of kids,” Saints’ coach Chris Rogos said. “Our goal was to be the toughest team in Pop Warner 10U, and I think we showed that today. We didn’t back down and played hard and played max level.”
Defense, Rogos said, was the key in the victory over the Argos. The Saints were flying all over the field, not letting the Argos build any momentum with extended drives or big plays on offense. Whenever the Argos had a big play, the Saints’ defense responded by snuffing out the threat with a key stop.
Algonquin Argonauts coach John Hopp said his team learned the value of playing a full four quarters against a quality team.
“Our defense was pretty strong,” Hopp said. “We can move the ball when we block. We just don’t block all the time. It takes us awhile to get going. We got a little momentum before halftime but ran out of time. We couldn’t get that momentum again.
“We now know what tough games look like and they have to play hard from start to finish because the playoffs are going to be just as tough as this. They will have to play a full game going forward.”
Argos’ quarterback Parker Hopp credited the Saints for their physical brand of football for keeping his team from scoring on Sunday.
“When I read the defense, I could see they had speedy guys and pretty good and they were able to get into our (backfield),” Parker Hopp said. “We have to do a better job blocking. The other team took advantage of that. We could’ve moved the ball better. We will.”
The Saints’ defense set the tone on the Argos’ first possession of the game, allowing just seven yards on the first three plays and stopping them on fourth down. On their second drive, the Argos managed just four yards.
The Argos did move the ball on their third drive, starting at their own 40-yard line. Running back Antonio Wilder-Douglas sparked the drive with a memorable 14-yard run on the second play, getting help from some great blocks by his teammates.
The key play was a highlight-reel 25-yard run Chase Konishi but the Argos made a few mistakes and the drive ended with an incomplete pass in the red zone for the final play of the first half.
Besides his play at quarterback, Jeninga was a force on defense. His strong play sparked the defense. He had numerous tackles for a loss, including a key tackle on third down on Plainfield’s second drive of the game.
He also had a tackle for a short loss on the Argos’ third possession and notched another tackle for a loss later in the drive to play a key role in stopping their best movement of the game.
“I kept using this one move by going one side, faking another and going that way to confuse them,” Jeninga said. “This feels really good. We wanted to show them that we’re a tough team.”
Plainfield Jayden Washington, a running back and linebacker was a big factor in the shutout victory. His aggressiveness and knack for getting into the backfield stymied the Argos’ offense all game long. On offense, Washington had three carries for eight yards.
“I felt pretty good running with a lot of speed,” Washington said. “We worked as a team to get our touchdown. The defense played amazing and we all worked together and flew to the ball. We played great.”
Plainfield’s Cameron Lamorte, a running back and defensive end, said the defense used to their speed to fly to the ball to stop the visiting team from gaining positive yards.
“I think we did good and gang-tackled and wrapped them up well,” Lamorte said. “Our speed was good and I always tried to go outside and help my teammates tackle.”
It was more of the same in the second half, as the Argos gave up the ball on four plays in their first possession of the third quarter. With the game slowing down and limiting possession and plays for both teams, the Argos started struggling moving the ball. They gained just three yards in four plays to open the fourth quarter.
Plainfield defensive end Cameron Cosme said the defense played locked down all game.
“The defense just played great,” Cosme said. “We worked hard and kept on doing it all game. They got through the line a lot, but we were right there. Overall, the defense just played really good.”
Down 7-0 with the ball and 3:42 left in the game, the Argos committed to costly penalties to hurt the drive. They couldn’t convert on fourth down, allowing the Saints to end the game with two Victory Formation plays.
“Every year, over the last three seasons, we’ve given up less than 20 points a season,” Rogos said. “We pride ourselves on forcing more punts than first downs. We have a swarming defense. We’re fast and athletic and tackle well. The big thing for us was offensive penalties and offensive turnovers. We got behind the sticks many games. We’re not a huge explosive team. We’re a grind-it-out and wear you down. We played a great game. The kids did what we asked them to do.”
The Argos had a few quality plays on offense. Wilder-Douglas had a 17-yard run in the first half but the Saints’ defense started to key on him and shut down his lanes. Wilder-Douglas paced the offense with 10 yards rushing after getting stopped on several runs for losses. Even so, his running, elusive moves and penchant for finding holds bodes well for the Argos.
Argos’ Crue Saylor, a tight end and defensive end, pointed to the big picture following the defeat. Saylor said the Argos can learn from the tough defeat. Saylor was a bright spot on both sides of the ball, even notching a 5-yard run in the second half.
“It’s just one loss, so we’re even with the other team,” Saylor said. “We have to just keep growing as a team and doing our stuff. We will be fine. The defense did really good. We have a lot of mistakes to fix and can figure that out to make it somewhere.”
Konishi said the Argos nearly pitched a shutout, but a few miscues hurt them, noting the pass interference penalty that led to the only TD of the game.
“I think we played really well on defense, and our linebackers and cornerbacks were covering,” Konishi said. “Our defensive line did good. We maybe gave them a little too much time in the pocket. I think if the pass interference wasn’t called on their (touchdown) drive, it would’ve been a whole different game. I think we just couldn’t move the ball on offense. We had to block better. They had some speedy guys on defense.”
Gabe Gutierrez, who played running back and cornerback, was on the field for most of the game.
“The defense played good, but that pass interference was a tough call that hurt us,” Martinez said. “We could’ve stopped them. Our defense was tackling too high, but I think we still did a good job.”
It was a total team effort in the hard-fought game, as the Argos also had quality showings from Jackson Blakey, Evan Ecker, Isaiah and Ricardo Martinez, Chase Murphy, Eddy Zamarripa, Braden Jackson, Dylan Sulinckas, Benjamin Reed, Alfredo Aguilar, Maxson Krupke, Brett Vance, Leo Young and Josh Skrodzki in the defeat.
The Mitey Mite Argonauts Cheerleaders inspired the football with their cheering. The team Nevaeh Amin, Nina Blakey, Elena Campobasso, Gabriella Campobasso, Daniella Falcone, Marissa Jensen, Emilia Loza, Colbie Lucas, Whitney Lucas, Michelle Rivera and Harper Savage.
For the winning Plainfield Saints, the contributions came from up and down the roster, including from Mason LaFountain, Tyler Bernabei, Jackson Hill, Camerin Jackson, Youssef Elmaaroufi, Landen Robertson, Caleb Cooke, Logan Zaleski-Lawell, Umir Henson, Chase Peszek, Kaiden Lingier, Tyler Jerry, Luke Rybczyk, Robert Hyde Jr., Brady Hayes, Maxim McBee, Cameron Marry, Tyler Thompson and Logan Leonhardt.
Cheering on the Saints were the Mitey Mite Saints Cheerleaders. They perfromed at halftime and entertained the home crowd. they include Riley Akin, Mila Banal, Aaliyah Becka, Olivia Boyd, Ivy Caruso, Graclyn Cervi, Hayden Duran, Arianna Gonzalez, Keira Gravelle, Ava Guzman, Lanasia Horton, Aria Ibarra, Audrianna James, Charlotte Martin, Brooklyn Moore, Skylar Morrice, Sylvanna Neace, Jennalee Negrete, Kara Olson, Addison Powell, Rylie Prude, Mariah Spears, Lucille Vore, Charley Wilson and Gabriella Zamora.
