By Francisco Avila- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
** Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p973084306 **
ORLAND PARK— The final whistle brought a sense of pride and positivity for the Orland Park Pioneers Varsity, who bounced back from their season-opening loss with a statement 19-0 shutout victory over the Tinley Park Bulldogs in Wednesday Night Football League action.
The Pioneers’ biggest strength was their ability to make it a complete team effort. The energy was high, the chemistry between the players and fans was electric, and nearly every player contributed to a convincing victory whether on the field or supporting from the sidelines..
Varsity Pioneers head coach Adam Sutter emphasized the importance of everyone playing their role in the team’s impressive performance.
“It’s awesome, man. It’s awesome when you’re clicking on all cylinders like that and everybody’s playing their role and we’re excelling in every position. I mean, we could pretty much do whatever we wanted today and score touchdowns against them. It’s why I love football so much. It’s an exciting game and everybody played well.”
From the opening minutes, the Pioneers played with intensity and looked determined to set the tone.
The Pioneers’ defense came out aggressively, with Dylan Enriquez, Edward Follis and Panos Kyros making strong tackles.
Kyros also put forth an extra effort to contain the Bulldogs’ offense. During a jet sweep, Kyros was held by a Bulldogs player, drawing a holding penalty and forcing the Bulldogs to lose yardage.
“I tried to get outside because I saw there was a jet sweep going outside. So when I tried going outside, the guy held me and I put my hands up to show the ref that he was holding me and then the refs called it,” Kyros said.
Midway through the first half, the Pioneers’ defense created another opportunity when Joseph McCann came up with an incredible sack to force the Bulldogs off the field and give the Pioneers possession.
“During it, it was just like when we were getting lined up, everybody was just really hyped. We’ve been really hyped this season. Then when I was reading the play, I read where it’s going and then once I saw an opening or a chance to hit them, I just went running straight into the hole and hit him,” McCann said.
The Pioneers’ offense immediately capitalized.
Vinny Ficaro connected with Ryan Kenny on a deep pass for a touchdown, giving the Pioneers a 6-0 lead.
“I was running a go route and the throw was a little bit short and there was someone right underneath it. So I jumped up, tried to get it. I fumbled it in my hands as I got it, but I was able to get it under control and I ran to the end zone,” Kenny said.
The Pioneers then executed a trick play on the extra point.
Following a bad snap, Zackary Salah recognized the opportunity and called for a fake kick. The play allowed Kyros to make another big play, as he caught the pass for the conversion and extended the Pioneers’ lead to 7-0.
“We were supposed to kick it, but it turned out to be a bad snap, and he said the word to go out and I just did and he threw the ball and I just caught it with all my effort,” Kyros said.
With eight minutes remaining in the first half, the Pioneers continued their defensive pressure.
Follis came up with a huge interception, immediately giving the Pioneers another offensive possession.
“So I was just playing defense and I saw the ball coming towards my way and it was a short pass, so I just tried my best to try to intercept it. So I intercepted it and I ran for two yards, but yeah, I would’ve not gotten it if it wasn’t for my d-line and team,” Follis said.
With minutes remaining in the opening half, Ficaro looked to extend the Pioneers’ lead with combinations involving Salah and Kyros. However, the Bulldogs’ defense held firm and forced a turnover on downs.
Avery Vermilyea and Kyros then helped the defense close out the half, sending the Pioneers into halftime with a 7-0 advantage.
Coach Sutter reflected on his team’s strong opening half.
“We started out pretty hot, and the defense was basically just shutting them down and they weren’t able to move the ball. Then the offense popped off that quick pass to Ryan, and when you have a lead like that, the vibes are good.”
The second half continued in much the same fashion.
The Pioneers’ defense remained aggressive, with Follis making a strong tackle that forced the Bulldogs to punt and gave the Pioneers another opportunity on offense.
The Pioneers quickly took advantage.
Ficaro delivered another big pass, this time finding Rodney Vincent for a 47-yard touchdown. Although the extra point was unsuccessful, the Pioneers extended their lead to 13-0.
“I was honestly surprised that I made it just because I saw a linebacker running for me. I’m thinking this is it, I’m getting tackled. But then I just turned to the left and he didn’t have fast enough reflexes,” Vincent said.
The Pioneers continued to apply pressure after the touchdown.
With 15 minutes remaining in the game, Kyros made another big tackle before coming up with an even bigger play moments later, recovering a fumble to give the Pioneers possession.
“I pushed into the guy who had the ball because I was behind him. Then when I tried going on it, I dove on first, almost barely grabbed it and some other kid jumped and then he almost stole it, but I got it before he could get it,” Kyros said.
The Pioneers once again capitalized on the turnover.
Ficaro connected with Vincent for another touchdown, marking their second scoring connection of the game and extending the Pioneers’ advantage to 19-0.
“I thought it just happened in a blur. I thought it was the exact same thing. I thought the linebackers just didn’t try as hard, at least from my perspective. I didn’t see everything. But yeah, it was just a lot easier of a touchdown. It could have been confidence too,” Vincent said.
With the remaining minutes winding down, the Pioneers’ defense continued to protect the shutout.
John Sutter recorded a strong tackle as the Pioneers closed out a dominant 19-0 victory.
After the game, Coach Sutter emphasized what made the win particularly meaningful: everyone had an opportunity to contribute.
“It was a great win, and in games like this is when you start getting in all your players that don’t normally see the field. Everybody played today, everybody got the reps in and everybody contributed. That’s a testament to the coaching staff. We’re teaching everybody the game, teaching them the ropes and how to play certain positions. These kids are loving it, man. You saw the proof right there on the field. They just enjoy playing the game and they all played well today.”
Other players supported the team including Maximus Streets-Pruitt, Rayan Ghabayen, Hudson Doftert, Louai Suleiman, Cade Judeh, Anderson Matthews, Nicholas Peisker, Mohammad Ashkar, Jude Daghlawi, Luke Tonra, Nolan Byrne, Dylan Enriquez, Aleksandar Tosev, Marquise McMorris, Jacob Hyla, Carter Peluso, Leonardo Luciano, Thomas Lynch, Karam Olyyan, Daniel Ramirez, Nick Mase, Muhammad Kassem, Aws Khalil, Gavin Connors, Daniel Malacina, Faris Hussein, Abdelkarem Shuaibi, Julian Mika, Noah Maslowiec, James Okrasinski, Nicholas Hertzog, Dylan Ahmer, Avery Vermilyea, Brian Curran and Issam Abulaban.
