By Miles Toogo-Photos by Renee Kaspar
**Additional Photos are Avaiable for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p1031809295 **
The River Valley Youth Football League Partnered up with Cal’s Angels this season.
Cal’s Angels is a pediatric cancer foundation with a mission of granting wishes, raising awareness and funding research to help kids fighting cancer.
Organizations within the league were given the choice of participate by wearing yellow socks as recognition of their support. Programs could also make a donation if they chose to.
Players wore yellow wristbands while cheerleaders donned yellow hair ribbons as a sign of their support.
Week four saw the Pioneers play host the Northwest Indiana Vipers to Sandburg HS.
Super Lightweight Jason Erwin wasn’t a great host. He pasted the Vipers for four touchdowns, leading the Pioneers to a 25-0 victory.
“I did fumble a snap, but I was running hard today,” said the speedy Erwin.
Erwin was moved into the running back position after week one where he was starting at quarterback. The move gave the Pioneers a potent one-two punch that teams will have to deal with.
The power running and shiftiness of Michael O’Connor and the outside speed of Erwin, has propelled the Pioneers offense and won them three games in a row after the long-gone difficulties of week one.
After a 33-yard bashing run by O’Connor to open the game, Erwin took off around left end and streaked untouched into the endzone from 18-yards out for the games first score. The added point-after by Adam Krokos gave the Pioneers a 7-0 lead just two plays in.
The follow up play by the Vipers turned into a disaster when Erwin recovered a fumble and gave the Pioneers another scoring opportunity.
After a bashing 3-yard run by Gavin Garrity, Erwin took off again only this time tested the opposite side and raced 27-yars for his second touchdown of the game.
Erwin is a versatile player, occasionally he does take snaps from the center and in this case, he did but dropped the snap recovered and still manage to use his speed to score.
Before the Viper could exhale, they were two scores down as they began their second offensive efforts.
It’s not just the offense that has improved since week one, the Pioneers defense has been stingy and hasn’t given up much yardage in their last three games.
The Pioneers have scored 65-points and given up just 6 over that span. The defense has produced two shutouts, frustrating opposing offenses.
O’Connor and Connor Kvelland provided hard tackles but two tackles that lost 15-yards by Chris Medina jr. stood out and got the Pioneers back on offense.
A holding penalty on their first play pushed the Pioneers back 10-yards. O’Connor got 14-yards on the next carry, followed by Erwins third touchdown of the first quarter.
Erwin cut in and then out, picking his route during the 11-yard touchdown run, upping the lead to 19-0.
O’Connor, Kvelland and Ellis Hubbard made quick work of the Vipers next offensive series, forcing a punt.
Now working into the second quarter, the Pioneers went to Krokos legs. He provided positive yards with his hard running. After a holding penalty by the Pioneers, Erwin found the endzone again.
Erwin uses his speed on his runs and wisely takes advantage of getting to the edge before defenders. He again tested the edge of his right end, turned on his speed and was in the endzone for the fourth time of the first half and a 25-0 lead.
“It’s hard to catch me when I get outside, I’m fast and like running up the sideline. We also blocked pretty good today. On defense we were good too.”
Erwin added that it isn’t easy scoring and although he has scored several times, he still isn’t used to it but that he really enjoys scoring touchdowns.
Opening the second half, the Pioneers defense went back to work.
A large lead doesn’t ease off the defense. Thomas Sutter and Logan Cohen each provided tackles giving next to nothing on two Viper tries.
Going for it on fourth down, the Vipers couldn’t avoid the errors and fumbled the football with Medina Jr. coming up with the loose ball.
The Pioneers went to their second unit offensively, as league rules require with a substantial lead. There was also now a running clock with stoppage only for timeouts or injuries.
Dominic Sopha and Arthur Slabenak carried the ball for shot gains but were unable to sustain the Pioneers opening drive of the second half, forcing the Pioneers to punt for the first time in the game.
Continuing their dominant, stingy play, the Pioneers defense was led again by O’Connor, Medina Jr. and Cohen. Their efforts forced the Viper to give up the ball after four plays after entering the final quarter.
Trying his hand at quarterback, Brooks Foster was dishing the football off to Sopha and Taylan Morandi while also trying out his legs on keepers as time was quickly expiring.
After four plays, the Pioneers gave up the ball on downs and left the last few seconds to their defense. Media Jr. and Slabenak put the finishing touches on this 25-0 win with their tackles to end the game.
The Pioneers Fifth Quarter play was also impressive.
Offensively, both Jordy Kolodziej and Peyton Barbee had long 38-yard touchdown runs to lead the offense.
“The hole was so big on the 35 double lead, so I just ran through it,” said Jordy. “I was running fast through it. I was worried I was going to get tackled because someone was right behind me. I like scoring touchdowns because it feels good. I’m happy how I played today.”
Peyton Barbee said about his efforts,
“They were pretty slow chasing me,” said Peyton. “I don’t think I could do anything better when I scored. I was just too fast. I just wanted a lot of people to chase me so I could try and juke them out.”
Runs by Wyatt Kipper, Thomas Richardson, Jack Dubois and Vito Cangelosi added to the yardage tally.
Defensively, Ryan Lukas stood out. His aggressive play and ability to get to the ball carrier and make the tackle will soon have him among the starters.
“I was getting there quick to make the tackle,” said the defensive ace. “I was going as soon as I saw the snap and watched where the runner was going to get there for the tackle. I like playing defense a lot because I get to hit guys and make tackles. I did pretty good today and so did our team.”
Kipper, Tyler Wilkie, Kolodziej, and an animated Jonathan Mizera also provide tackles for the defense.
Also adding to the winning efforts was Jaweed Abuzir, Aaron McCarthy, Nathan Abbs, Keith Piekarz, Moody and Zakariyeh Jaber, Luke Bosack, Sean Kikilas, Zach Ballouta, Seth Cobbs, Jackson Biskup, Alex Kopec, CJ Hufford, Shane Sternberg, Arun Mallavarapu, Anthony LaPapa, Blake Nance, Dean Kassem, Laith Hammami, Dominic Gabriele, Jimmy Elsberg and Dominic Maurella.
Cheering on the players were the Super Lightweight Pioneers Cheerleader. They might be pint-size but they are loud and entertaining. They include 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.
