By Ed Muniz-Photos by Morgan Gonzales
** Additional Photos are available at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p1008285907 **
The Varsity Pioneers revealed an unexpected participant in their week four match up against the NWI Vipers on September 10 in Orland Park.
Returning to their home field after two weeks as visitors, home cooking was looked forward to along with the return of Mason Marable.
The two-way star had been missing in action since he injured an elbow just before the beginning of the 2023 season.
Projected return was week seven, but as most young athletes are, bones and bruises seem to heal quicker, for Mason, returning sooner than later was a huge priority.
With his early return, the Pioneers now feature a duo in the backfield that make the Pioneers harder to defend with scoring capabilities increased.
“Feels good to return,” said Marable. “We now have someone else for other teams to worry about is how I feel, I think it opens up everything for others to.”
With the tandem of Marable and Vince Annel in the backfield, the Pioneers offensive playbook will increase as more options via run and pass are made available.
After stopping the Vipers on their opening drive with an interception by Taylor McDoniel, the Pioneers wasted little time in moving into scoring position on the short field.
Annel would score from two yards out after racing for 16-yards on the previous play. With the conversion kick added by David Klimaszka, the Pioneers led 8-0 early in the first quarter.
Keegan Kirk delivered a squibbler of a kickoff that was difficult for a Viper player to handled. A quick Tyree Gills managed to recover the onside kick giving the Pioneers another opportunity to run their offense.
A couple of miscues on the ensuing Pioneer possession didn’t allow the Pioneers to extend their lead after four tries.
The Pioneer defense would have good fortune again on the ensuing play with a recovery of a Viper fumble. Mohammad Ghadban picked up the loose football for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers didn’t let this take away go unpunished. After Marable ran for 27-yards, and two plays later added another 8-yards, Annel powered in from 10-yards out, trucking a Vipers defender at the goal line.
Klimaszka’s kick attempt was blocked leaving the Pioneers lead at 14-0.
Annel and Marable were working the run well for the Pioneers, but it was quarterback Jack Bulington that added to the lead when he connected with receiver Gill on the 95-yard pass play down the middle of the field.
Klimaszka again booted the kick through and put the Pioneers up 22-0.
The Pioneers’ defense was also doing all they could to limit the Vipers. The defensive pressure increased for the host as they looked to continue the shutout.
Adam Danko provided a hard tackle in the Vipers backfield. Joshua McNeil added a solo stop and tackles by Dominic Gigliotti and Ayden Toth also contributed prior to the Vipers 64-yard completion for touchdown. The Vipers put through the kick-after, cutting the lead down to 22-8.
The Pioneers quickly responded with Bullington finding Annel for 17-yards on the pass-play, then Marable ran for 11 more. After an incompletion, Bullington’s pass to Marable went 15-yards for the Pioneers fourth score of the game. Klimaszka again converted, increasing the Pioneers lead to 30-8.
Two defensive stops by Annel and Gigliotti closed out the opening half.
After completing two straight passes to Gill and Marable for 18-yards, Bullington hit a rough spot and threw up an errant pass that found his opponent for the interception.
The Viper took advantage of the turnover and scored three plays later after stops by Kirk and Ghadban.
The 83-yard jaunt now made the score 30-16.
Throwing his second pick of the game, Bullington tried to hit Gill again, but the pass was underthrown and never made it to him.
After the interception, an opportunistic Danko jumped on the Viper fumble just two plays later after McDoniel made a stop that forced him out of the game.
Entering the fourth quarter, Annel busted off a 34-yard run to the Viper 2-yardline. That was followed by Marable scoring again for the Pioneers on the short run, increasing the lead to 36-16.
“I’m going to play defense next week, I’ll be somewhere on the outside, so I hope to help out where needed but it feels so good to be back playing and helping us win,” said Marable.
The Pioneers were back on offense just a play later as Toth stepped in front of a Vipers pass for the interception.
After Annel ran for 27-yards on the ensuing possession, Bullington passing luck remained bad, throwing his third pick of the game.
The teams exchanged possessions with each having defensive stops.
The Vipers ended all the scoring after another big run struck gold in the endzone. Adding another converted kick, the Vipers now trailed 36-24 with 47 seconds left.
Recovering the onside kick, the Vipers were trying to get back in the endzone, but a tackle by Sam Basiorka and a sack by Rocco McCarthy sealed the Pioneers victory.
“I think I just came out with a better mentality in this game,” said McCarthy. “I wanted to get more sacks and tackles. In my old league, I used to play the Vipers, so I don’t really like this team, so I used that today, that’s why I came out and wanted to shut them out, it was my motivation.”
McCarthy when asked if he had any weakness to his game, he thought for a second and said “No…No.”
Also standing out defensively and on special teams in this game, along with steadily improving is Dominic Gigliotti. His play showed his capabilities. He was first one down the field looking to make a tackle on kick offs each time, and when in defensively, you saw him making a stop or assisting on several.
“I run as fast as I can to whoever has the ball, I tackle them and get low,” said Gigliotti. “I react to the QB, I’m watching where his eyes are. I make a read on whether he throws or not or if he runs and get to the ball as fast as I can. I think I have good vision of the field. I’m pretty fast, I get low on tackles, and I watch what the quarterback is doing, that’s what I think I do well.”
An added plus this year for the Varsity Pioneers is the ability to convert kicks pretty consistently. A former soccer player that looks every bit a true football lineman, David Klimaszka is agile on his feet and kicks the football well.
“All my life, I grew up playing soccer because I had friends that played that. Had none that played football,” said Klimaszka. “Coach Annel was my math teacher, we talked about football, and he introduced me to it. Now I love it, I love hitting and tackling others. This is my second year playing so I do feel I missed out a lot playing soccer. I think I’ve improved a lot and I’m going to keep playing football.”
Other Pioneers contributed all they could in the win. Giving their all was Ayden Murphy, Thomas Elliott, Ethan Vinson, Adrian Maldonado, Cash Phillips, Christian Czerwonka, Ryan Almasri, Athanasios Gatses, Joshu McNeil, Eli Citlau, Adam Hoak, John Murray, Casper Piskurewicz, Will Beeler, Mark Grech-Lisula, Nathaniel Owei, Shafik Yasin, Rami Agha, Andrew Wojtanowicz, Nimer Alamawi, Raymond Arrendondo, Dominic Rizza, Connor Ward, Ibrahim Jaffal. Mostafa Mostafa, Nicj Shamma, Brady Straka, Logan Kondziolka and Stephen Cavton-Idowu.
Active along the sidelines in front of the stands and ready to perform were the Varsity Pioneers Cheerleaders. They routinely keep brig an energy to each game without ever playing a down and entertaining fans at half time. They include Ayden Murphy, Taylor McDoniel, Ethan Vinson, Adrian Maldonado, Cash Phillips, Dominic Gigliotti, Rocco McCarthy, Ryan Almasri, Athanasios Gatses, Joshua McNeil, Eli Citlau, Adam Hoak, John Murray, Casper Piskurewicz, Mark Grech-Lisula, Nathaniel Owei, Shafik Yasin, Rami Agha, Andrew Wojtanowicz, Nimer Alamawi, Raymond Arredondo, Dominic Rizza, Blake Wagner, Ibrahim Jaffal, Mostafa Mostafa, Brady Straka and Logan Kondziolka.
