The Orland Park Pioneers Youth Football Organization accomplished something they hadn’t done before in the River Valley Youth Footbal League Playoffs. They had all four of their teams playing in the RVYFL Semi-Finals.
No other organization within the RVYFL had all their teams win their opening playoff game; Another first under the leadership of Pioneers Football President’ Jenny Czerwonka.
Kick-starting the roll of playoff games for the Pioneers were the Super Lightweights.
Their match-up showed they’d be facing a previous foe who had beaten them during the regular season. The New Lenox Jr. Warriors came into the game as the favorite ad top seed having not lost all season.
Pioneers’ Speedy runningback Maximus Streets- Pruitt puts distance between him and every Jr. Warrior on an early first quarter touchdown run during the Pioneers playoff game on October 30 in Tinley Park
In their previous game four weeks ago, the Jr. Warriors dismantled the Pioneers quite easily.
This Semi-Final proved differently in the way the Pioneers played, leding at one point in this game, but the outcome didnt change, as the Jr. Warriors again were too much for the Pioneers with the 26-13 victory.
It took the Pioneers just a couple plays before they jumped ahead. Runningback Maximust Street-Pruitt took a handoff from Pioneer quarterback’ Luke Krokos, ran towards the near edge, juked one Jr. Warrior defnder, got to the sidelines untouched, streaking uncontested 50-yards for the Pioneers touchdown.
The failed conversion play had the Pioneers ahead 6-0 a minute and a half into the game.
Momentum on their side with the Jr. Warriors appearing stuned at the score, the Pioneers continued an elevated play on defense. The Jr. Warriors are not a team use to beig behind.
John Sutter (27), Cole Baldridge (12) and Andrew Richardson (36) get to the line of scrimmage with Zackary Salah (83) set behind them during their playoff game against the Jr. Warriors on October 30 in Tinley Park.
After three tackles by Monty Mutch, John Sutter and Nicholas Peisker, the Jr. Warriors were forced to punt after gaining just 3-yards.
Things looked pretty good early on for the Pioneers. Using the speed of Streets-Pruitt for 8-yards and the grittiness of Zackary Salah, the Pioneers moved the chains. Throw in four more yards by Hudson Doftert, the Puoneers were dominated the play up front.
But all of a sudden, something clicked for the Jr. Warrior defense, they seem to have had enough and now gave the Pioneers next to nothing and forced a punt two plays later.
The Jr. Warriors used two plays to equalize the game. Their first carry of the second quarter went the distance of 49-yards and with the added extra-point, the Jr Warriors led 7-6.
The Pioneers were now finding running against the Jr. Warriors difficult, even going to a Wildcat formation with a direct snap to Streets-Pruitt but that too gained very little and when Mutch Fumbled, the Pioneers were calling on their defense to make a stop.
Michael O’Connor breaks free for the Pioneers on a long run in Fifth Quarter action against the Jr. Warriors on October 30 in Tinley Park.
With the short field, The Jr. Warriors took just three plays to add onto their lead. A 21-yard run off tackle added the second Jr. Warriors touchdown and upped the lead to 14-6 midway through second quarter.
Frustrated in the ack of success running the ball, the Pioneers tried to mix it up via the pass. Quarterback Ashton Brennan tried a pass but the intended target was nowhere near and the pass was intercepted.
With the second turnover, the Pioneers were desperately looking for a defensive stop. Two incomplete passes and a sack of 6-yards loss by Sutter forced the Jr. Warriors to punt.
Streets-Pruitt ability to make something out of nothing has been successful more than not. His ability to go one way then turn back and run the other way or spin or try to juke an opponent, can net big returns and has several times this year, but wave after wave of Jr. Warriors prevented any positive gains in this game.
Several Pioneers come to aide Michael O’Connor during his tackle of a Jr. Warrior on October 30 in Tinley Park.
One attempt after the Jr. Warrior punt, lost 12-yards and a reverse also went for negative yards. Mutchs’ 9-yard run wasn’t enouth and again forced the Poneers to punt.
The Pioneers defense kept them just a score down headed to halftime with tackles by Mutch, Peisker and Sutter closed out the first half with the Jr. Warriors ahead 14-6.
Another 50-yard score by the Jr. Warriors opened the second half. The Pioneers seemed to be caught still at half with noone able to touch the Jr. Warrior runningback up the middle. The touchdown now Elevated the Jr. Warrior lead to 20-6
Having all the momentum heavily now on their side, The Jr. Warriors could play even more aggressive and care-free, able to take risk with a two score lead. The result was a stifling defense that was suffucatig the Pioneer offense. a quick series of four Pioneer plays soon founbd the ball in the hands of the Jr. Warriors.
Pioneers Hudson Doftert (39) gives chase to a break-away Jr. Warrior during their playoff game on October 30 in Tinley Park
The ensuing play saw the Pioneers catch a break when Peisker came away with the New Lenox fumble.
The Pioneers went to Doftert for 8-yards trying to get back into the game, but one play later, Street- Pruitt lost the football in hs efforts to gain every inch he could. The fumble was recovered by the Jr. Warriors and they never looked back from then on.
The Jr. Warriors added another score in the fourth quarter to raise their lead to 26-6.
The Pioneers took some gratification when they scored their second touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter. It wasnt about making the score closer, it was about scoring again because all season the Jr. Warriors had not given up more than one score all season in any game.
That ended when Quarterback Krokos connected with runningback Doftert for the ten-yard touchdown catch and run for the games final score of 26-13.
Waiting for the direct snap, Max Streets-Pruitt (84) runs the offense out of the wildcat formation during the Pioneers playoff game against the Jr. Warriors on October 30 in Tinley Park.
“I was really nervous because all game we had tried that play,” said Krokos. “I wasn’t throwing it as far and I was afraid of being tackled. I tried to throw the ball farther and did. Its hard running our offense especially when guys get hurt. I think we will be back here next year.”
Receivng the pass was a happy Hudson Doftert.
“I broke some tackles and ran downfield,” said Doftert. “When they call that play I get really excited but I thought it would be overthrown so I jumped up tp catch it then ran into the endzone for the touchdown. It was exciting too because we broke their streak of not giving up two touchdowns. We broke that.”
The Pioneer defense improved all season and in this game, although they were doubled-up, they still marked improvments over last game.
Solid as they come, Pioneers’ Nnicholas Peisker (48) puts the finishing touches on his tackle of the Jr. Warrior runningback in their playoff game on October 30 in Tinley Park.
Heading their defensive play in the semi-final game, John Sutter was an example of just how much they had improved.
“I like playing defense a lot,” said Sutter. “I wasn’t guarded as much as last game and this quarterback last game kept cheap-shotting me so this time I kept getting through and kept tackling him, it was time to pay back.”
“I thought the way I played today would help us win because I kept getting to the quarterback and forced a fumble. We will be better next year, you’ll see but we have to improve our blcoking. We had some new kids this year.”
” We had marked improvement throughout the team,” said Coach Alan Krokos. “Great season, kids came a long way. From where we started three months ago to now, you could see from the game we played here was much better.
Pioneers’ Quarterback Luke Krokos (11) hands off and sprints opposite of runningback Hudson Doftert (39) in their playoff game against the Jr. Warriors on October 30 in Tinley Park.
The Fifith Quarter play also showcased plenty of talen. Offensively, Jase Enstrom had the Pioneers lone score when he raced 37-yards for the touchdown also playing well on offense was Anthony Baniewicz at quarterback and both Vincent Spizzirri and Nicholas Mase at runningback along with Michael O’Connor.
Defensively, several players were making stops which included Enstrom , Mase, Austin Flynn, Lucca Morandi, Jordan Uaszek, Michael O’Connor, Joshua Sundararaj, Aaron McCarthy and Blake Schuler but Kristian Willis stood out as the defensive leader with several tackles.
Other Pioneers who made big improvements throughout the season include Joey McCann, Cole Baldridge, Nick Pomonis, Gavin Wilkinson, Carter Peluso, Karam Olyyan, Andrew Richardson, Frank Wilkinson, Rayder Slabenak, Brian Curan and Nick Krokos.
Fifth Quarter quarterback Anthony Baniewicz takes off to his left for the Pioneers, during play against the Jr. Warriors on October 30 in Tinley Park.
From his cornerback position, Pioneers Austin Flynn (8) is ready for anything that comes his way during thgeir game against the Jr. Warriors on October 30 in Tinley Park.
Cheering on the Pioneers were Cheerleaders Delaney Grenada, Gemma Laniosz, Margot Joda, Mia Fregeau, Avery Seliga, Emma McDonald, Avery Carroll, Tessa Heinz, Amanda Mathis, Malayna Marable, Hadley Hanrahan, Brailey McDonough, Payton Tomasik, Hayden Campbell, Kamilla Ulaszek, Emma Ruisz, Elizabeth Dokey, rankie Ficaro, Kiera Barrera, Aubrey Baran, Vivian and Evelina De Priore.
Hamming up the sidelines for the Pioneers fans, the Super Lightweight Cheerleaders were entertaining throught the game on October 30 in Tinley Park.
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