By Patrick McGavin- Photos by Jenn- Anne Gledhill
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CHICAGO— The arc of a team always moves in its own peculiar shape and form, unpredictable and sometimes hard to notice.
The Super Lightweights of the Orland Park Pioneers have waited most of the season for a game that showcases their variety, skill and individual talents.
The pieces came together beautifully, flourishing and revealing the team at its finest.
“The whole team did a great job today, but especially our blocking,” two-way star Scooby Ballouta said.
“It was great. The coaches said to never give up and keep fighting, and if we give up a touchdown, then we just have to come back with one of our own.”
The only part missing was the victory.
The Pioneers played their best game of the season in a 19-7 loss against Mt. Greenwood Colts in River Valley Youth Football League game at Brother Rice High School on Sunday, October 4.
Orland Park had the greater quantity. The Colts’ high-end quality proved the difference. The Colts’ lightning-fast running back broke off touchdown runs of 70, 72 and 93 yards.
Here’s the rub. A team that earlier in the season was likely to be shellshocked by early adversity only thrived on it.
After giving up the 70-yard touchdown run on the opening play, the Pioneers did not wilt or surrender. The team showed remarkable discipline, skill and resolve.
Rather than be overwhelmed, the Pioneers refocused and countered with patience, superb execution and chemistry.
“We responded really with the attitude that even though we were losing, we were going to give it our all, and we were going to win the game.” defensive end Michael Maurella said
“Even if we lose, we’ll still be happy because we tried our best.”
The Colts held the advantage of the big play attack. The Pioneers came of age by putting together their three longest drives of the season.
At the beginning of the year, with so many new faces and players new to tackle football, the Pioneers were happy just to get a first down. Against the Colts, first downs were multiple and continuous.
The Pioneers finished with 16 first downs. The team orchestrated drives of 14, 12 and 17 plays. Playing against one of the most offensively talented and explosive programs in the league, the Super Lightweights made their own stand.
The offense was the best defense by keeping the uber-talented Colts from ever seeing the ball.
“We didn’t give up when we got scored on,” defensive tackle Tyler Duchovitz. “We fought our way through. If I and another player couldn’t get the tackle, we’d hold them down until another teammate could come up and do it and help us.
“On offense our line was holding their blocks, and we did really well.”
After taking that huge shot to start the game, the Pioneers made their own stand with the gorgeous 14-play, 70-yard scoring drive.
Vinny Papa gave a hint of the effort that followed with a 10-yard burst around the right edge on the Pioneers’ first play from scrimmage.
Quarterback Liam McNulty, Ballouta and Papa powered the way forward.
“Our coaches told us, even if they scored a touchdown, not to give up,” LaPapa said. “They scored three, but we never stopped playing. We didn’t give up.
“We’ve faced the two best teams in the league the last two weeks, and really shown how far we’ve come.”
Ballouta performed his usual magic with his sharp runs and aggressive actions at the point of attack. Sometimes he took a handoff, and other times he got the direct snap out of the Wildcat.
His speed opened up other avenues. LaPapa delivered with a 19-yard reverse around the left edge that put the Pioneers at the shadow of the goal line.
McNulty had a couple of big runs, and the most important play of the drive, a five-yard swing pass to LaPapa that put the ball at the half-yard line.
McNulty closed out the scoring drive with a one-yard keeper. Ballouta’s conversion run created the 7-7 tie.
“Everyone was blocking and making holes,” McNulty said. “We got yardage, and we kept on going.
“We’ve really gotten better the more games we’ve played. I had more time to throw and do things back there.”
All the great work was nullified after the explosive Colts’ back broke free for a 68-yard touchdown on third and long. He outraced the angles of the Pioneers’ secondary.
“Last week, we were doing well. We were winning, and we had 99 percent effort and performance out there,” Maurella said. “Today we got it up to 100, but still they were very fast.”
The Pioneers were down 13-7 when they took possession to start the second half.
What followed next proved extraordinary, a drive that took 17 plays and erased 18:05 minutes off the game clock. The principals were the same with Ballouta, McNulty and Papa.
McNulty had the longest run during the sequence with a 12-yard run. The rest was just methodical, sharp and well balanced.
“When we’re playing like that, our offense can do anything,” Ballouta.
Like the opening drive, the Pioneers faced fourth and goal from inside the one-yard line. Once again, McNulty got the call for the keeper.
“I thought I was in, but then they pushed me back,” he said. He was ruled short of the end zone. All that work ended up producing no points.
With the Pioneers trying to force a punt, the electric Colts’ back saved his best for last, breaking through for the game-clinching 92-yard scoring dash.
The Pioneers finished with a 47-8 differential on plays from scrimmage.
That discrepancy made the loss hard to take. It also demonstrated the growth and progress of the team.
“Today we fought as hard as we could,” Ballouta said. “We didn’t give up, and we kept going.”
Cheerleader Addy Theres is never going to forget how she celebrated her 7th birthday. She was one of the most energetic and graceful of the sideline performers.
“This is my second year doing this, and I’ve really liked it,” she said. “You get to do a lot of dancing, tumbling and a lot of other fun stuff out there.
“I really like football and showing our support.”
Jibreel Morrar, Jack Bertucci, John Ordman and Kenan Ballouta had good runs in Fifth Quarter action.
“It was great showing what I could do,” Morrar said. “I got a lot of tackles, and I had a couple of very good runs. I try my best to get outside, and make guys miss.
“I love getting tackles and touchdowns.”
The Super Lightweight received many standout contributors against the Colts. They were Elias Joda, Matthew O’Shea, Stanley Bielawski, Lakye Peniche, Jax Thomas, Max Kalker, Ben Poore, Karter Pipkin, Logan Biskup, Ryker Tyrakowski, Anthony Comiskey, Kirk Valach, Lachlan Glassner, Liam Serafin, Mahmoud Hinnawi, Dominic Dronzek, Hudson Glassner, Benjmain Ally, Nicholas Smurzynski, Oliver Skwara, Jamal Jebreal, Abdallah Hasan, Shane McDermott and Zakariya Jaber.
The cheerleaders brought passion and power in their performances. They were Olivia Raggio, Morgan Griffin, Lanie Hermann, Molly LaPapa, Teagan Paluch, Gianna Cruz, Alannah Rossi, Nella Leithleiter, Lydia Babarskis, Kelsey O’Sullivan, Everly Wagner, Madelyn Heidemann, Maura Flanagan, Kaelyn Flanagan, Maeve Zelensek, Mila Nikolic, Mia Morandi, Desiree Wilkie, Emery Christensen, Emma Podoreski, Emma Grambozov, Sarah Petraitis, Gabriela Rysiewicz and Maice Hinnawi.
