By Patrick Z. McGavin-Photos by Kathy Jones
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The play is always the thing.
Every team has their own way of attacking, built on their identity and their personnel.
The Varsity team of the Orland Park Pioneers is very far from being a one-man operation. The right player changes the mood, or brightens the outlook of a team.
Mason Marable is back, with a vengeance.
“Last week was my first game back, but this was even better,” he said. “I felt great, and I think I bring something the team needs, and what they look for. “I’m a playmaker.”
The special talent is one who can alter the dynamic of the game with their presence, grace, athleticism or skill.
Coming up through the different levels of the Pioneers, Marable has always been a dynamic player who could deliver the big moment—the flashy punt return, the key kickoff, the interception.
“I think being back now, I am just one more weapon we have, and it creates new opportunities for the rest of the offense,” he said.
Marable scored three touchdowns and had more than 200 yards of total offense as the Varsity knocked out the Steger Storm 32-0 in a River Valley Youth Football League game at Sandburg High School on Sunday, September 17.
The special Homecoming rout completed a perfect 4-0 day for the Pioneers’ programs.
Despite the sometimes foul weather and intense rain, a great time was had, with enthusiastic crowds and a thrilling atmosphere.
The Varsity players took a special team photo, behind a customized backdrop.
The Pioneers played with exuberance, tenacity, toughness and high level skill. Quarterback Jack Bullington had the past prolific passing day of his career.
He finished with a staggering 270 yards on just seven completions and a personal best four touchdowns.
Marable caught two touchdown passes.
Kyree Gills opened and closed the game with two graceful and athletic touchdown receptions that created the one-sided template.
“Whenever the ball is coming to me, I always have one thing on my mind, secure the ball first and then think about the end zone,” Gills said.
“I never want to start running or thinking about what I’m going to do until I first have the ball.”
After two incompletions and a failed fourth down call thwarted the Pioneers’ opening drive, Orland Park scored on four consecutive possessions for the dominant 26-0 lead at the break.
Gills and Marable were the stars of the first half, impacting the game on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
On the second drive, a 13-connection from Bullington to Marable started the downhill momentum.
Two plays later, Bullington rolled right and found the wide-open Gills for the 41-yard touchdown pass with 8:19 to play in the second quarter.
Gills was just getting started.
On the Storm’s ensuing possession, Gills jumped the route and intercepted the Storm quarterback, who was evading the strong pressure of Adam Danko and Keegan Kirk.
“We were pretty much able to overpower their line, and do whatever we wanted to get at their quarterback or stop their running backs,” Kirk said.
“They had one good running back, but they couldn’t really stop us.”
Marable went to work with the short field. After breaking off a 12-yard run down the right edge, he made a singular action.
Taking the ball from Bullington, he made a quick stutter step on the left side, literally freezing a Storm defensive back. He shielded the ball like a magician, confusing the last defender and dashing untouched down the side line for the 27-yard touchdown run.
“We already have a lot of weapons, and Mason is just one more weapon now we have in the attack,” Bullington said. “We’ve been playing together for a couple of years now, and have a great chemistry. I know where to look for him.”
Marable brings a lot of optionality to the Pioneers attack. He plays running back, and also lines up in the slot or the wide out.
The Pioneers flummoxed the Storm with their bunch formation, lining up flour receivers to the left side of the field. Standing out wide, Marable turned the game into a joyous celebration.
He ended the first half with two spectacular set pieces—each one a beautiful reception turned into thrillingly long touchdown connections from Bullington.
The first one went for 81 yards.
His third touchdown of the first half came on the last play of the second quarter.
Bullington lofted the ball up in space and Marable tipped the ball to himself, controlled it and broke against the grain for the 62-yard touchdown.
The Pioneers led 26-0 at half.
“If they were not going to guard me, then I was going to just run right past them, and that’s what we were able to do,” Marable said.
He finished with 72 yards rushing on seven carries. He also caught four passes for 157 yards.
His running mate, Vincent Annel, had six carries for 49 yards.
“He just gives us another weapon, and makes us that much more dangerous and difficult to slow down,” Annel said.
If the offense was scintillating, the defense was annihilating, not permitting a first down.
“They kept going on the same count almost every down, and we were able to fire off the ball and get into their backfield,” Kirk said.
The defense had many standout performers, including Marable, Annel, Gills, Kirk, Danko, Dominic Gigliotti, Rocco McCarthy, Samuel Basiorka, Joshua McNeil and Stephen Caxton-Idowu.
“We lost our first game of the season against Mount Greenwood Colts, and that game taught us what we have to do, and where we have to improve,” Danko said. “We’ve been rolling along ever since.”
Only four plays by the Storm went for positive yardage. The defense held Steeger to -42 yards of total offense.
Taylor McDoniel was also a force in coverage.
It ended as it began with a beautiful sideline connection between Bullington and Gills for the 42-yard touchdown catch.
The return of Marable enabled Gills to play his natural position of receiver, where he is best suited to use his size, agility and length.
Gills finished with two catches for 85 yards, both plays resulting in touchdowns.
Bullington has gotten better each week.
“I think I have gotten more comfortable in the position, and understanding the varsity game,” he said. “These kids are bigger, stronger, faster, and you have to be ready for that. Having Mason back just gives us another weapon.”
With Steger not able to field a Fifth Quarter team, the Pioneers substituted an intrasquad scrimmage. McDoniel, Thomas Elliott, Athanasios Gates, Nathaniel Owei, Shafik Yasin and Dominic Rizza were the standouts.
In the Homecoming victory, the Varsity also received strong play and enthusiastic contributions from Ayden Murphy, Ethan Vinson, Adrian Maldonado, Cash Phillips, Ayden Toth, Christian Czerwonka, Dominic Gigliotti, Ryan Almasri, Eli Citlali, Adam Hoak, John Murray, Casper Piskurewicz, Will Beeler, Mark Grech-Lisula, Mohammad Ghadban, Rami Agha, Andrew Wojtanowicz, Nimer Alamawi, David Klimaszka, Raymond Arredondo, Blake Wagner, Connor Ward, Ibrahim Jaffal, Mostafa Mostafa, Nick Shamma, and Brady Straka.
The cheerleaders also brought a great passion and lyrical precision to their routines and choreographed movements. They included Alyssa Abed, Tahani Alzamareeh, Madeleine Carrier, Lily Carroll, Sophia Gasior, Erica Gonsowski, Natalie Gruszka, Lily Jacquez, Layla Jeffries, Emilia Kos, Madalyn Marable, Ghazal Masadmasad, Lily Masino, Hailey McDonald, Liliana Minard, Rain Murphy, Avery Nugent, Maeve O’Connor, Paige Pomonis, Arianna Ramadani, Taylor Ruisz, Fiona Sejud, Jordyn Shamma, Kiera Ulaszek, Summer Vahl, Lila Vitale, Kylee Votteler, Klaudia Willis and Anna Woloszy.
