By Ed Muniz- Photos by Renee Kaspar
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p970854248 **
NEW LENOX— Mother Nature RAINED havoc onto the scheduled Varsity game between the Orland Park Pioneers and the New Lenox Jr. Knights.
The September 21, highly anticipated matchup, pitted two of the best teams in the River Valley Youth Football League. Each with just one loss on their resume.
For the host Jr. Knights, a season opening shutout loss is long forgoten after rattling off three straight dominant wins since then. The Pioneers have been a steady flow of talent on both sides of the ball, losing a nail biter after a missed conversion-kick. Coming in, the consensus was that this would be a pretty even game with a mistake determining the outcome.
After three lengthy delays because of lightning, the Jr. Knights held on to win 8-5 for their fourth consecutive victory while handing the Pioneers their second defeat at Lincoln-Way Central HS.
In their two defeats, the Pioneers have lost by a total of 5 points combined.
Beginning their Fifth Quarter action prior to the start of the regular scheduled game, Mother Nature decided to announce her arrival with just under ten minutes left in the Fifth Quarter scrimmage. Her flash of light triggered the Lightning alarm, bellowing out an uncomfortable alarm forcing the evacuation of the field.
The first delay would last for quite a while along with a down-pour that drenched everything unprotected. With the prolonged intermission and weather increasingly deteriorating, some discussion of resuming the game the following day was being thrown around. Unfortunately the waiting game commenced.
Once the all clear finally was sounded, both teams came out of hiding and began to stretch and losen up. All for not as just as the game was to begin, the Lightning alarm went off, thus delaying the game further.
The hardest thing to do as an athlete is to repeatedly get warmed up enough for play after lengthy delays, the Pioneers and Jr Knights were in the same boat and experiencing the same issues. Once again the teams exited the field and came back once the second all clear sounded.
By this time, the Fifth Quarter scrimmage was put on the shelf and starters were preparing to once again losen up with the game about to try and start again. NOPE!
Although both teams were now ready, with the weather holding off, the referees heard the Lightning alarm once again and refuse to start the game once again until the all clear was sounded.
When action finally started, the 3:30 start was a distant memory.
Out of rhythm, out of sync or just plain tired and sluggish after several delays, both teams gave their all.
The only score of the first half would turnout to be a field goal made by Pioneer Kicker’ Yousif Dahdal. His 26-yard kick drifted right but the lefty kicker managed to hook it just inside the right upright, giving the Pioneers a 3-0 lead at half time.
The first half featured lots of defense by both teams. The Pioneers also managed to grab a couple of turnovers. The Jr. Knights first possession ended when Pioneers’ Enzo Angone intercepted a Jr. Knight pass attempt.
Charlie Enstrom to Logan Helman connection was good for 18-yards but the Pioneers couldn’t sustain their opening drive.
Later in the first quarter, the Pioneers had a great opportunity to break the ice but a Enstrom pass was intercepted in the endzone, this after earlier being stopped at the Jr. Knights 7-yard-line on downs.
The Pioneers twice were knocking on the endzone door but no one was answering, keeping the game scoreless after one quarter.
Stellar Pioneers defense was keeping the home team at bey. Luke Rybak was leading the Pioneers effort. Twice he managed to time a Jr. Knight pass and bat away the attempt at the line, forcing another turnover on downs by the Jr. Knights.
Tackling by Ahmid Ali, Jake Marzullo, Ben Snider, Ryan Duckhorn and Aian Rios limited the Jr. Knights. Rios would add a fumble recovery to his defensive tally late in the first half. That resulted in the Pioneers getting on the score-board with the successful field goal by Dahdal.
Angone closed the first half with his second interception of the game, keeping the 3-0 advantage with the Pioneers.
The third quarter saw the Jr. Knights take advantage of some Pioneer mishaps, finally scoring from 17-yards out after the Pioneers punted to open the second half.
Now seizing momentum, the Jr. Knights held an 8-3 lead.
The Pioneers looked to respond but couldn’t gain much on four tries, deciding to punt after an amped up Jr. Knight defense was now playing harder with the lead, forcing another punt from the visitors.
It took all of one play for the Pioneers to be back on offense when Syncere Preshon came up with a New Lenox fumble recovery. Four plays later, the Pioneers fumbled the ball back early in the final stanza.
On the ensuing Jr. Knight series, the host offense went from their own 40 to their own 23-yard-line on first down, then followed that up by losing 11 more yards after a snap sailed over the Jr. Knight Quarterback hands. With time running down, the Jr. Knights Quarterback was instructed to run out of the endzone for a safety that allowed the Jr. Knights to punt away from their endzone.
The score now stood at 8-5 which was a surprise to some but expect by others after long delays.
The Pioneers were unable to sustain the following drive and gave up the football on downs, essentially sealing the 8-5 win for the Jr. Knights
Other Poneers that withstood the long day and gave their all when called on included Riley Atzman, Brock Lenzen, Gavin Loman, Dylan Butler, Cade McNulty, Sean Buer, Liam West, Evan Lavelle, Justin McNamara, Finn Redmond, David Burgert, John Werner, Gage Cucci, Drake Ulaszek, Adam Naser, Maverick Vander Veer, Benjamin Schwarz, Malcolm McGonegal, Michael Sraga, Mohammad Abedalrahman, Gianluca Arceo, Brandon Castillo, Diego Aguilar, Steven Mullins, Michael Stefancic, Nicholas Hertzog, Camden Czarnecki, Julian Trevino, Ryan Pempek, Erik Baran, Brian Curran and Qais Naser.
