By Patrick McGavin- Phptos by Jenn Anne Gledhill
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ORLAND PARK— The game truly does change in the blink of an eye.
The Orland Park Pioneers Varsity squad was the wrong kind of beholders.
The team felt an electric sensation crash through each player after they grabbed its first lead of the season. It proved temporary, and the mood sank and with it the attendant negative sense of dread.
“I feel like in every single game we’ve had so far, when the other team scores, we tend to get really sad and down,” Luke Tonra said. “Everybody walks slowly onto the kickoff team.
“That’s what it felt like after they scored.”
The Varsity could not sustain their early fortunes in the 26-8 Homecoming loss against the Tinley Park Bulldogs in a River Valley Youth Football League game at Sandburg High School on Sunday, September 6.
Beset by a wave of injuries, the Varsity side is trying to find its equilibrium and fight through the early adversity.
Two of the top playmakers, two-way standouts Cade Judeh and Anderson Matthews, were both on the sidelines wearing walking boots.
The team’s speed merchant and best breakaway threat, Max Streets-Pruitt, provided a jolt of electricity with a 62-yard kickoff return.
That optimism crested moments later after quarterback Hudson Doftert saw his pass get caught high in the wind and was intercepted.
“If something goes wrong, the mood changes, and we get down on ourselves,” Zachary Salah said. “We have to focus on getting better.
“It was definitely great fun playing on Homecoming, and seeing all the former players come back, and all of the fans watching us. We could look at what we did right, and then what we did wrong and then get better at it. For the games coming up, we can get better.”
Coach Adam Sutter has emphasized depth to offset the inevitable injuries that happen during the course of the regular season.
That “next-man up,” mantra proved a silver lining given the injuries. Panos Kyros is relatively new to the game. He’s long, agile and lanky, and has a bright future.
He just needs playing time. Taking advantage of Judeh’s absence, he thrived operating from the edge. Kyros had a pass deflection and posted two tackles for losses.
“When the coach called for the next man up, I wanted to take advantage of my opportunity because I don’t really get that many,” he said. “When I got it, I just tried taking it.
“I wanted to show who I am.”
Every game features a crucial stage that breaks down the essentials. That moment arrived midway through the second quarter.
The Pioneers responded in kind after the Bulldogs utilized a 33-yard. Doftert was the show, for all practical purposes.
He stayed in the pocket, and took ferocious hits that resulted in a couple of roughing penalties that extended the drive.
Every time his receivers were covered, the converted running back showed off his elusive running abilities.
A six-yard run by Streets-Pruitt was followed by his own six-yard run. He punched home his second rushing touchdown of the season with a two-yard burst.
Brian Curran hammered the two-point kick for the 8-7 lead.
Daniel Ramirez has been another bright spot. He had two tackles for loss, and finished with six stops at right linebacker. He is new to the position, and playing with energy and passion.
“This game is all about mentality,” he said. “If you come to the game with the right mentality, you can push your mind to tell yourself I can do this, or I could make that tackle.
“Cade couldn’t play today, and I had to step up for him. I feel like I could have done better. I need to focus more on the plays, and what’s happening with the game.”
Ramirez kept the momentum afloat with a five-yard loss on the Bulldogs’ opening play. The mood was definitely rising. The air quickly evaporated.
On the next play, a Bulldogs’ pass play just missed the outstretched arm of a Pioneers’ defensive back and turned into a freak 61-yard play.
Tinley Park went up 13-8 on a short touchdown run two plays later. The Pioneers never got any closer in the balance of the game.
“I noticed when we got scored on, everybody’s walking to the sidelines with their heads down,” Ramirez said. “One touchdown shouldn’t get us down that much.
“If we come back with the right mentality, we’re going to be back in the game.”
Winning is a state of mind. When the bounces fail to go the Pioneers’ way, the team tends to sulk or get caught up.
“As soon as we got that touchdown, we were all happy and jumping on the sidelines,” Nolan Byrne said. “As soon as they scored, we got sad, and we got down.
“I feel like we can definitely turn things around. We have to focus on the simple stuff. That’s where they are beating us.”
Making matters worse, the injuries mounted during the game. Streets-Pruitt was forced out late in the first half.
The Pioneers have a strong nucleus of veteran and gifted players with two-way standouts Nicholas Peisker and Noah Maslowiec, Doftert and Streets-Pruitt.
Dylan Ahmer also showed out as a quality receiving option. Doftert, Peisker and Maslowiec are all playing their offensive positions for the first time.
The team is learning on the fly.
“With the injuries and the changes, everybody has to fill positions that they’re not comfortable with,” Tonra said. “That’s throwing everything off.”
The Pioneers never mounted another serious scoring threat. The defense was up to the challenge though spent too much time on the field.
The bright spots, like Kyros and Ramirez, were evident. They are getting invaluable experience and playing time. The growing pains hope to yield something down the line.
“In the future, the coach said we’re going to be a different team,” Kyros said. “Every loss is making us stronger.
“In my case, I hope to be able to start. Cade was hurt, and that messed up and sometimes it was hard to get the new guys into our rotation. For myself, and everybody, we just have to focus on plays and concentrate better.”
In the Fifth Quarter, Rodney Vincent started off brilliantly with a long touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage.
“It was really euphoric, especially coming on the first play,” he said. “I saw a linebacker coming towards me, and I was thinking I’d get like five yards.
“Instead I ran right past him, and I got past the cornerback.”
The Homecoming ceremonies also put a vital and necessary spotlight on the role of the cheerleaders. Their energetic, graceful and beautiful work helped contribute to the terrific atmosphere.
“A bunch of my friends were doing this, and they said it was a really good experience and I decided to join them,” Charlotte Day said.
“I love how everyone comes together, and how everyone has fun together. I just love the environment and society. My favorite part is the dance, because I get to make a bunch of facial expressions.”
Oliwia Burda calls cheerleading a perfect group sport.
“I’ve always loved working together as a team,” she said. “Being part of Homecoming is very exciting. I think we bring a lot of energy and passion to what we do. Sure there are times we like to goof off, but in the end, we always listen to our coaches.”
Despite the Homecoming defeat, the Varsity had many standout contributors. They were Rayan Ghabayen, Louai Suleiman, Vinny Ficaro, Mohammad Ashkar, Jude Daghlawi, John Sutter,Dylan Enriquez, Aleksandar Tosev, Marquise McMorris, Jacob Hyla, Carter Peluso, Leonardo Luciano, Thomas Lynch, Karam Olyyan, Nick Mase, Muhammad Kassem, Aws Khalil, Edward Follis, Gavin Connors, Ryan Kenny, Daniel Malacina, Faris Hussein, Abdelkarem Shuaibi, Julian Mika, Rodney Vincent, James Okrasinski, Nicholas Hertzog, Dylan Ahmer, Avery Vermilyea, Joseph McCann and Issam Abulaban.
In addition to Oliwia Burda and Charlotte Day, the other cheerleaders also brought terrific energy and style to their work. They were Gia Parisi, Brinley Laniosz, Leah Janota, Addison Meyers, Violet Fino, Giulia Cangelosi, Natalie Brown, Aviana Briseno, Annabelle Briseno, Frankie Ficaro, Aubrey Baran, Natalie Kehoe, Ellyana Connors, Aviana Martinez, Keira Barrera, Annabelle Deloya, Brittney Blazys, Brooke Blazys, Kaelyn Albright, Luciana Rupp, Nora Velez, Giuliana Bertucci, Lily Hahn, Perla Boulus, Gabriela Alonso, Sonia Carlan, Hailey Camargo and Marguerite Ryan.
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