By Pat McGavin-Photos by Kathy Jones
**Additional Photos are available for purchase at justallsports.zenfolio.com/2022pioneers.**
ORLAND PARK—
It was the equivalent of the Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston title fight.
A heavyweight showdown instead turned into a one-punch knockout.
On the opening kickoff, Quinn Durkin caught the ball, surveyed the field, shifted direction and broke free and untouched down the left sideline.
The funny thing is the play did not even count on the scoreboard after the touchdown was negated by an illegal block.
“It just set the tone for the rest of the game,” Durkin said.
“One we score, we get hyped up, and then we come back on defense. It was a lot of fun out there.”
Quarterback Sean Ruisz accounted for five touchdowns as the Pioneers blasted the Wildcats 36-12 in a River Valley Youth League Football game at Sandburg High School on Sunday, October 16.
In the psychology of the mind, the play changed everything. Just like Ali and Liston, the game itself was somewhat anticlimactic.
The Varsity team of the Orland Park Pioneers was simply too good, too strong, too overpowering, for the Frankfort Square Wildcats.
“That’s Quinn Durkin for you,” Brody Wantroba said.
Durkin set the stage. Ruisz achieved near perfection.
Ruisz threw touchdown passes of 55 yards to Durkin and another gorgeous 54-yard touchdown strike to Wantroba.
He also rushed for scoring touchdowns of 27 and eight yards.
Ruisz completed five of eight passes for 164 yards.
He also rushed for 73 yards on seven carries.
The Pioneers scored four quick, fast-strike first quarter touchdowns in building the unthinkable 30-0 lead after 10 minutes of game time.
Orland Park scored all of its points in the first halt, going five-for-five in possessions.
Ruisz, Durkin and several other critical players missed last week’s game against the Chicago Blitz in order to take part in an eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C.
Ruisz and Durkin came back hungry. They were eager to show no layoff or rust from the two-week game inactivity.
“When we were gone on our trip, the coach told us the players who missed the game last week had to be even better,” Ruisz said.
“This week we weren’t slacking in practice. When we got here, we knew what we had to do. Quinn Durkin did what he does best. He got the team hyped.”
Ruisz was efficient and spectacular. He made the simple reads, and the dazzling throws.
The Wildcats could only look on in envy and wonder.
Ruisz started things out with a four-play 85-yard scoring drive.
Durkin opened the game with a 13-yard rush and a 14-yard reception.
He was just getting warmed up.
Ruisz hooked up with the Pioneers’ signature play, a swing pass into that left flat that Durkin broke for a 55-yard touchdown.
“On the swing pass, we just tried to get the ball on the opposite side so we had more room on that side to throw it,” Ruisz said.
“The toss was to get more space, and that opened the rest of the playbook.”
Big hits by defensive tackles Kirk Keegan and Nolan Torgersen slowed down the opening drive of the athletic Wildcats’ attack.
Again perched deep in their own end zone to begin a drive, the Pioneers were unfazed.
Durkin commands so much defensive attention teams shift their entire resources to cover.
That just optimized the rest of the attack.
Ruisz needed just two plays to cover 83 yards—a 29-yard laser over the middle to Baret Siegel.
“With our full roster, we’re pretty much unstoppable,” Siegel said.
“We have receivers who are able to do anything, and we have running backs, like Quinn Durkin, making incredible plays.”
One play later, Ruisz calmly stepped back in the pocket and threw a beautiful looping ball in stride that Wantroba collected by himself for the stunning 54-yard scoring pass.
“We knew we had to come out strong because this is one of the better teams,” Wantroba said.
“We did great on both sides of the ball.
That play was thanks to our line and Sean’s great arm.”
A 16-yard sack by Kendall McDowell and another monster interior hit by Keegan maintained the one-note nature of the game.
“The coaches were encouraging me, and telling me I had to be a difference maker out there, and do my job,” McDowell said.
His length, speed off the edge, and ability to rush the passer or get into space for coverage makes him an ideal linebacker.
McDowell was the lightning, Keegan the thunder.
He used his strength and power to simply annihilate the Wildcats’ interior line.
“After the weigh-in, the coaches told me I had to do really well,” Keegan said.
“We knew they had good running backs, and we had to stop them.
We did our job, and didn’t let them get past us.”
Ruisz was just getting warmed up.ki
After the Wildcats turned the ball over on downs, Ruisz ended just one play for his 27-yard scoring scamper.
“There were plenty of audibles, and I had the freedom to run in those situations,” Ruisz said.
“I had to run the ball hard, and I did.”
If the ultimate cost of any game is serving notice to the outside competition, the Pioneers made a lasting and terrifying point.
“I think our whole team set a tone for this league knowing the Pioneers are coming,” Ruisz said.
“This is probably one of the best games we ever played, and this is really going to let us know what we are all getting into.”
Durkin caught the two passes for 69 yards. He also gained 37 yards rushing on just four carries.
He scored his second touchdown on a seven-yard run.
Ruisz completed the scoring with his eight-yard burst on a keeper up the gut late in the first half.
“We’re all proud of ourselves,” Ruisz said.
The defense was almost the equal of the offense.
“We had a great defensive push the whole time,” Siegel said. “Also, our whole secondary was able to lock up their receivers, and their quarterback didn’t have time to throw, or he couldn’t throw.”
The Pioneers created their own style and their own momentum.
The Wildcats were at their mercy.
“I think we played really good defense as a whole,” Durkin said. “When they can’t focus on one of us, we have other players who can step up and make plays.”
Durkin toiled the ball.
Everything that happened after felt right for the Pioneers.
“We came out fast and strong, and we took it to them,” Durkin said.
The Fifth Quarter also featured some excellent players, some with the same names.
Matthew Durkin scored a receiving touchdown from Taylor McDoniel. Egan Kelly also broke free for a touchdown.
The Varsity of the Orland Park Pioneers played a virtually flawless game in its 36-12 victory. Other contributors included Jake Drew, Henry Selof, Toddy Shelton, Devin Stefanos, Logan Kondziolka, Zayne Salah, Ethan Krueger, Cash Phillips, Nolan Rodriguez, Jad Jaber, Carson Conrad, Jordan Masino (injured), Chase Czerwonka, Othman Mizyed, Adam Hoak, Briggs Corona, Luke Kruszynski, Jack Clifton, Will Beeler, Adam Danko, Mohammad Ghadban, Ibrahim Jaffal, Rami Agha, David Klimaszka, Cade Koehler, Jax Arocho, Blake Wagner, Rocco McCarthy, Jake Buechele, Stephen Caxton-Idowu.
The cheerleaders also brought passion, style and conviction to their routines. They included Ava Brennan, Madeline Carrier, Mia Franzese, Emery Gasa, Sophia Gasior, Ella Groark, Chloe Havens, Tayla Lovitt, Lily Masino, Audrey Mitchell, Rain Murphy, Fiona Sejud, Bella Senese, Kiera Ulaszek, Summer Vahl, Giselle Velasco, Kylee Votteler, Julia Werner and Anna Woloszyk.
