By Ed Muniz-Photos by Kathy Jones
**Additional Photos are available for purchase at justallsports.zenfolio.com/2022pioneers.**
The Super Lightweight Pioneers are a team that uses its defense to win games.
Sure, you need to score and have more points than your opponent, but what the Pioneers do under Coaches Al Krokos and Adam Sutter, is create short fields for themselves often.
Several times this year, the Pioneers have been so dominant defensively, their tackling results in several yards loss by opponents.
At the Super Lightweight division, teams begin at their own 30-yard-line. The RVYFL does not allow kickoffs at this level.
With the defensive surge the Pioneers have put on teams this year, at times, opposing offense lose several yards and even with a punt, the Pioneers are likely to begin their offense in opposing teams’ territory.
In their Playoff opener, five of the seven offensive possessions began in the Jr. Knights territory creating short fields.
To the Jr. Knights credit, they only allowed the Pioneers to score twice. However, they couldn’t dent the Pioneers stellar defense in the Pioneers 13-0 quarter-final win.
The first half was a battle of defenses.
The Pioneers used the running of Michael O’Connor, Jase Enstrom and Carter Erwin to begin the game with a 10-play drive.
Unfortunately, a third and five from the Jr Knights 35 was fumbled by O’Connor, forcing a Pioneer punt from their own 37.
Lucca Morandi and Frank Wilkinson made sure the Jr. Knights were limited to just three plays forcing a punt after each made stops for no gain.
The Pioneers next began at the Jr. Knights 37-yard-line. Beginning beyond mid field is always a plus for teams, including these Pioneers.
Jason Erwin replaced Enstrom in the backfield, and it paid off the rest of the game. He took the first two handoffs from quarterback Luke Krokos and moved the Pioneers 17-yards to close out the opening quarter.
A series of runs by Jason Erwin, his brother Carter and O’Connor continued their drive towards the end zone.
Sitting at the Jr. Knights 6, looking to pass, Krokos was sacked and loss 4-yards. On fourth down, Krokos looked like he might score after turning left and taking off back around right end. He eluded and picked his way through some defenders but was stopped just shy of the goal line to end the promising drive.
Now at their own 1-yard-line, the Jr. Knights were in a predicament.
Three straight runs netted them just 6-yards and again had to punt from their own 7-yard-line. Making the stops for the Pioneers were Wilkinson, Lucca Morandi and Owen Garrity.
Beginning again with a short field, the Pioneers offense squandered another golden chance, unable to take advantage of starting at the Jr. Knights 23.
A wide-open Carter Erwin couldn’t haul in the perfect pass from Krokos on third down and a fourth down run only picked up 6 of the 13-yards needed to continue the drive.
Cole Baldridge if a quick lineman and often beats his opponent on the snap which has him in opposing backfields quickly.
On the first snap, Baldridge made the tackle which moved the Jr. Knights from their own 20 to the 10-yard-line. Another tackle for loss of 19-yards by Krokos closed out the first half scoreless.
The Pioneers stout defense opened the second half with Baldridge, O’Connor and Andrew Richardson giving the Jr Knights negative yards and again forcing another punt.
An exchange of punts by each team kept the scoreboard at zeros.
The final quarter saw the Pioneers begin at the Jr. Knights 30, On fourth down and eight, it looked like once again the Pioneers would let another short field opportunity go to waste.
Carter Erwin set up in the slot of the right tackle and on the snap ran left for the Krokos handoff and got to the edge, making a quick cut in, then back out, hit the sidelines and finally reached the end zone for the first score of the game.
Jason Erwin went under center and also went around left tackle, juked in and quickly out and dove into the end zone for the added extra-point to give the Pioneers a 7-0 lead.
After fighting so long, preventing the Pioneers from scoring, the touchdown run seem to take all the energy from the Jr. Knights, as if they knew the game was over with still about 8 minutes left.
Doing absolutely nothing on their next possession, a turnover on downs turned put the nail in the Jr. Knights season. The Pioneers scored again on the next play with O’Connor streaking in from 14-yards out, after making a cut in at the five and diving in for the score.
The 13-0 lead stood the last couple minutes, advancing the Pioneers to the RVYFL Super Lightweight Semi-Finals.
“We stayed right there defensively all game,” said Al Krokos. “We made some adjustments with our offense at halftime. We were waiting for the right time. We had strong blocking on the end around to the wide side with blocking by Noah Cordoba. Today, some kids that usually play both ways, we strategically only played on one side of the ball.”
“We went into our depth primarily because we needed to in the second half. They did good, I kept telling the boys it’s a matter of time where we will put it in the end zone. We had great field position. We had awesome play by so many boys and some that stepped up. Really great team win.”
Fifth quarter saw each team score twice. The Pioneers had touchdowns from Adam Krokos on the very first play. Jason Erwin tossed a pass to him that went 40-yards for the score.
The other score came from MJ Ordman who went 35-yards on his touchdown run. Also adding yards on their runs were Yousef Yasin, Gavin Garrity, Thomas Sutter, Jason Erwin, Nolan Burke and Thomas Richardson.
Unfortunately, Richardson carried on the last offensive play and was tackled and landed on which fractured his collar bone. Just a tough situation for him. Speedy recovery Thomas.
Defensively, The Pioneers were led by Nick Pomonis who came away with four tackles and a sack. Others also earning tackles were Maximus Bauer, Nathan Campos, Laith Hammami, Chris Medina Jr. and Aaron McCarthy. Shane Sternberg recovered a Jr. Knights fumble too.
Others adding to winning season are Jack Dubois, Taylan Morandi, Zane Judeh, Blake Schuler, Austin Flynn, Zach Ballouta, Vinnie Spizzirri, Wyatt Kipper, Cayden Caldwell, Ellis Hubbard, Jordan Ulasek, Arthur and Rayder Slabenak, Anthony LaPapa, Christian Paulson, Scott Gumienny, Cody Godlewski, James Okrasinski and Jude Morrar.
Cheering on the team and entertaining the fans were the Super Lightweight Cheerleaders. They include Juliana Corsi, Madison Davis, Violet Fredin, Brynn Fregeau, Mia Fregeau, Martin Groark, Hadley Hanrahan, Quinn Heinze, Alaina Holoubek, Vera Joda, Margot Joda, Callie Juarez-Radovanovic, Ella Kluever, Gemma Laniosz, Brielle Lenzen, Aubrey Mason, Amanda Mathis, Brailey McDonough, Annabella Milosovic, Ayya Ramadani, Avery Seliga, Peyton Tomasik, and Moira Troy.
The Pioneers will face the Frankfort Square Wildcats at Noon this Saturday, November 5 at Lincoln-Way West.
