By Ed Muniz- Photos by Renee Kaspar
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p457799683 **
Mentioned in the Pioneers annual Pre-season Preview, Coach Pat Richardson expected to continue the success of Pioneers Super Lightweight Level.
Losing 29 players to age from last year’s championship team, the expectations were still high.
After a season opening loss, the Pioneers were handily out-muscled, along with a lack of experience playing a factor in their defeat.
Since then, Coach Richardson and staff have seen their Pioneers go unbeaten in their next five games and win impressively.
The Pioneers since the opening loss have averaged over the last five game span, nearly 26-points while giving up just over 2-points a game.
The Pioneers now sit in the two-spot of the standings, with momentum building into the latter part of the season schedule, but still have stiff competition ahead.
During their games against the Homer Stallions, used Speed and Power by the offense along with a shutdown defense that swarmed every attempt their foes from Homer tried, resulting in a 25-6 throttling on September 23 in Homer Glen.
The opening quarter saw the Pioneers score just once simply because they only had the opening opportunity.
Speedy Jason Erwin out raced the Stallions defense to the far sideline and accelerated quickly past all, streaking 42-yards for the touchdown.
The Stalions did use ball control to maintain a drive in their first efforts but ultimately the tackling of Michael O’Connor, Laith Hammami, Logan Cohen, Thomas Sutter and three by Erwin, forced a turnover on downs to end the quick first quarter.
On the Pioneers next possession, after running 31-yards for the apparent touchdown, O’Connor’s score was called back due to a holding penalty.
O’Connor was called on again, powering to a clearing on his right and ran 41-yards before being brought down.
Efforts by Adam Krokos and Erwin netted just 4-yards, forcing the Pioneers promising drive to stall at the Homer 11.
After a sack by Cohen, Erwin found the loose ball, recovering a Stallion fumble, giving the Pioneers another chance.
The Pioneers added to their lead two lays later when O’Connor took a pitch and went 9-yards around his right end for the touchdown upping the Pioneers lead to 12-0.
The defensive pressure from the Pioneers was becoming a factor in the game. It wasn’t long before the Pioneers forced another miscue from the host.
Hammami recovered another Stallion fumble right before intermission.
The 12-0 halftime lead didn’t seem like a lot but the way the Pioneer defense was playing, it was more than a comfortable lead as they headed to halftime.
Homer responded after the 10-minute break and went on a 10-play drive to open the third quarter, but the end result was the same as it had been previously, the Pioneers forced another turnover on downs.
Tackles by Krokos, O’Connor, Hammami, a big tackle for loss by Chris Medina Jr., Aaron McCarthy, and Erwin caused the end of the Stallion drive.
The running combo of Erwin and O’Connor proved lethal again with the two picking up chunks of yards on the next series which ended with a 5-yard plunge into the endzone by Erwin for the Pioneers third touchdown to begin the fourth quarter.
O’Connor added 37-yards on the drive while Erwin ran for 18-yards including the score.
The Lead was now 18-0 and try as they might, the Pioneers were simply too much for the Stallions.
On the Stallions’ next possession, the Pioneers again upped their lead.
After stops by McCarthy and Medina Jr., the Stallions tried another run to their left, Erwin was there to meet the Stallion runner as others came to assist.
Erwin then ripped the ball from the Homer runner and took it 30-yards to the endzone with the defensive play of the game for the Pioneers and the touchdown. Ryan Lukas added the point after and gave the Pioneers a 25-0 advantage.
“They were blocking well for me today, I like being a runningback,” said Erwin. “When I play quarterback, it’s pretty hard taking snaps, so I like playing runningback much more. My hands were sweaty too when I played quarterback.”
“On the last score on defense, I just went up to the guy and snagged the ball from him and ran.”
The Stallions did add a late touchdown after starting as league rules require when up by 24 points or more, at the Pioneers 30 and starters needing to be held out. They took 8-plays and scored from 16-yards for the final score of 25-6.
Fifth Quarter action also saw several Pioneers contributing with their efforts.
The Pioneers struggled to get plays off as the snaps from center to quarterback were a difficult task with numerous fumble snaps. Runs by Thomas Richardson led the way, along with runs by Wyatt Kipper and Vito Cangelosi.
Defensively, the Pioneers saw numerous stops by several players. Brooks Foster, Lukas, Taylan Morandi, Luke Bosack, Dean Kassem, Nathan Abbs, Blake Nance, Jordy Kolodzeij, Peyton Barbee all had a tackle each.
“I just go through people to sack the quarterback and make tackles,” said a confident Alex Kopec. “I like breaking block, getting around then and getting the tackle. It’s not hard but it isn’t easy too. I guess I need to get better breaking the blocks.”
Jackson Biskup was also among the leaders of the Pioneers defensively; his efforts and speed saw him making impressive stops.
“I was following where the quarterback where he was handing it off, the follow where the runningback was going and trying to get through it,” said Biskup. “Sometimes it’s hard cause of the blocking, they block you. I think I get low and wrap is what I’m doing pretty good but it’s not easy.”
Another stand out defensively was Jonathan Mizera. He managed to contribute by assisting on tackles and recovering a fumble.
“This guy was trying to block me, and I got rid of him, I saw the quarterback handing it off and I forced the fumble and recovered it,” said Mizera. “I like getting fumbles and tackles, it’s why I really like playing defense.
Other Pioneers added to the successful day’s effort. They include Jaweed Abuzir, Keith Piekarz, Jack DuBois, Moddy and Zakariyeh Jaber, Sean Kikilas, Zach Ballouta, Seth Cobbs, Ellis Hubbard, Dominic Sopha, CJ Hufford, Shane Sternberg, Arun Mallavarapu, Gavin Garrity, Tyler Wilke, Arthur Slabenak, Anthony LaPapa, Dominic Gabriele, Jimmy Elsberg, Connor Kvelland and Dominic Maurella.
Cheering on the Pioneers and showing their talents during the game and at their halftime performance were the SLW Pioneers Cheerleaders which included Lea Barbee, Charlotte Dorigan, Anderson Foster, Alaina Holoubek, Clarke Jones, Callie Juarez-Radovanovic, Gianna Kipper, Grace Kvelland, Mia Mizera, Grace Poore, Elena Schmaling and Scarlett Sternberg.