By Patrick McGavin- Photos by Jenn-Anne Gledhill
**Additional Photos are Available for Purchase at https://justallsports.zenfolio.com/p1027493948 **
ORLAND PARK— The last thing any team wants is to copy Newton’s Third Law of Motion that posits for every positive force there exists an equal and opposite reaction.
The Varsity squad of the Orland Park Pioneers had its own conundrum of how to yoke together all the right actions without getting sidetracked along the way.
Nothing underscored the dilemma like the third play from scrimmage, an electrifying 34-yard pass completion followed seconds later by a botched exchange on the handoff and lost fumble.
“That’s been the story so far, but we can change it over the next few weeks,” receiver Max Streets-Pruitt said. “It’s a long season. We have to learn how to work as a team under pressure.”
The encouraging moments was canceled out by lost chances in the Pioneers’ 28-6 loss against the Frankfort Falcons in River Valley Youth Football League play at Sandburg High School on Sunday, August 30.
Hudson Doftert is a gifted young talent with speed, balance and quickness. The converted running back is playing quarterback for the first time.
The growing pains are evident.
“It’s been a pretty big shift,” he said. “There is a lot of mental stuff that I have to learn. A lot of different stuff, throwing, and stuff like that.
“We were looking good, and I was hitting some passes, but we couldn’t get that final part. We probably should have scored a few more touchdowns.”
The sharp and positive actions are also clear and evident. Doftert had three pass connections of at least 25 yards, with two of those plays going for more than 30 yards.
He demonstrated poise and command, especially in his ability to buy time in the pocket, move around and find his open targets.
Too often the team tended to self-sabotage, a luxury it simply cannot afford.
“We came out a little slow,” two-way standout Nichols Peisker said. “We had a good first drive and then fumbled, which hurt us a lot. I think our execution was not as good today as it was the last game.
“I’d say this is definitely work in progress. We have a lot of new guys, but we’re all working on this together and trying our best to get better.”
Indicative of trading off the good with the bad, Streets-Pruitt made a great read in the secondary and intercepted a Falcons’ pass immediately following the lost fumble.
The Pioneers failed to take advantage, and Peisker was stopped on fourth and short. The Falcons ripped off a 30-yard to set up their first touchdown.
The Frankfort program led 16-0 at halftime.
The only touchdown the Pioneers surrendered last week came on a kickoff return.
“I thought the last game we had good execution and we were alive, and today we were not as good,” Noah Maslowiec said. “We needed to come out and strike first. You have a plan until you get hit in the mouth, and then it gets all foggy.
“This is how you build character and strength. We have to work together as a team. The coaches train us well, and you can’t have anything without the line, quarterback and receivers. You have to play with chemistry and play as one.”
Change is inevitable for the players at this stage of their development. Their physical growth and change often dictates where they play on the field.
Doftert has made the offensive shift from running back. Peisker and Maslowiec are both former offensive linemen who have made the transition to skill players.
Peisker is playing running back for the first time. A former guard, Maslowiec is a tight end showing excellent hands and the ability to get open in space.
“I feel like it’s been pretty smooth, and we have a lot of people changing positions and playing in spots where they haven’t played before and they still have stuff to learn,” Maslowiec said.
He was a catalyst in the Pioneers’ finest moment of the game. The Varsity had its backs to the wall after the Falcons ripped off an 86-yard run to start the second half.
Maslowiec broke free for a 29-yard reception that ignited a nine-play, 68-yard scoring drive, the first touchdown of the season for the Pioneers.
Doftert capably mixed the pass with the run. He was 4-for-4 for 53 yards. He closed out the scoring drive with a one-yard dive into the end zone.
“We need to fight more, have more attitude and effort toward the game and not come out flat,” Doftert said.
The surge proved temporary after the Falcons responded with their own scoring drive. The Pioneers showed some flashes though never mounted another serious scoring threat.
“They had good chemistry, and they were working together,” Streets-Pruitt said. “We weren’t together as well as we should.
“We scored a touchdown, and we were happy and then it broke down. We got to get better at that.”
The offense made a crucial first step in showing off a potentially lethal vertical passing game. Now the running game has to get untracked.
“The running game was down today,” two-way tackle Nicholas Hertzog said. “We made those small mistakes, not making those holes. The passing game was good for the most part. The small, little mistakes that hurt us.
“It was those little things that hurt us. When we have all of that momentum and then have it wiped away by little mistakes really hurt us. By the fourth quarter, I feel like we lost all of that momentum.”
Now the team must regroup and respond and start the process of finding itself. Adversity, the players said, is part of the process. Now the team looks to show out against Tinley Park next week at Homecoming.
“I think this is going to hurt, but it’s a good hurt, because we’re going to come back and play a lot stronger,” Peisker said. “We want that first win a lot more.”
During the Fifth Quarter action, middle linebacker Jude Daghlawi provided his own inspiration with five tackles. He took every advantage of his opportunities.
“I just love getting to hit people and take them to the ground,” he said. “I feel like it’s really cool to show the coaches what I could do on the field, and get to hit other people besides my teammates in practice.”
Despite the loss, the Varsity had many key contributors. They were Rayan Ghabayen, Louai Suleiman, Zackary Salah, Cade Judeh, Anderson Matthews, Vinny Ficaro, Mohammad Ashkar, Panos Kyros, John Sutter, 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, Edward Follis, Gavin Connors, Ryan Kenny, Daniel Malacina, Faris Hussein, Abdelkarem Shuaibi, Julian Mika, Rodney Vincent, James Okrasinski, Dylan Ahmer, Avery Vermilyea, Joseph McCann, Brian Curran and Issam Abulaban.
The Varsity cheerleaders also brought energy, style and grace to their routines and performances. Their members are Gia Parisi, Brinley Laniosz, Charlotte Day, Leah Janota, Addison Meyers, Oliwia Burda, Violet Fino, Giulia Cangelosi, Natalie Brown, Aviana Briseno, Annabelle Briseno, Frankie Ficaro, Aubrey Baran, Natalie Kehoe, Ellyana Connors, Aviana Martinez, Keira Barrera, Annabelle Deloya, Brittney Blazys, Brooke Blazys, Kaelyn Albright, Luciana Rupp, Nora Velez, Giuliana Bertucci, Lily Hahn, Perla Boulus, Gabriela Alonso, Sonia Carlan, Hailey Camargo and Marguerite Ryan.
