9U SILVER TEAM wins home opener
Naperville got on the board first against the Hinsdale Falcons 9U Silver team with a long run for a touchdown on the opening play. Hinsdale responded on the second play of the game with a 65-yard touchdown by Henry Gastevski. The defense put on a show from there, holding Naperville scoreless for the rest of the game.
Linebackers Aydin Memon, Charlie Hillegass, Gastevski, Broderick Slavik and Raj Chandarana swarmed the visiting team. The defensive line — anchored by SJ Groetsema, Theo Siepker, Chris Pontikis, Liam Warden, Colin Fisher, Dylan Boche and Ben Vula — was able to put constant pressure on Naperville. Defensive backs Robbie Knight, Grant Woertz, Max Petersen and Oliver Gandy kept the opposing passing game in check. Gandy recovered a fumble late in the game.
On offense, the O Line had its way, led by Center Rocco Maggio, and anchored by his brother Duke, Lino Hernandez, Vincent Levato, Auggie Haberkorn and Vula. At quarterback, Memon dazzled with his feet, picking up large chunks of yards, as well as through the air. Chandarana and Slavik also added scores of their own in a dominating home opener win 29-6.
9U Gold TEAM Soars in Opener
Falcons 9U Gold kicked off its season in convincing fashion with a 28-0 victory over Naperville. Falcon Fans were given their first glimpse of what appears to be a highly potent offense when Bryce Lee broke for a 35-yard touchdown run on the first offensive play. Lee finished the game with two touchdowns, including a hitch pass from Connor Pauley that he took 65 yards to the house.
Pauley (4-4, 107 yards, 2 TDs, 2 2-pt conversions) also connected on a 36-yard touchdown strike to Cole Sherwood. Luke Schroeder (3 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD) rounded out the scoring effort with a long run of his own.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the dominant effort by the offensive line, anchored by Teddy “The Terminator” O’Toole, Bennett Wilson and Michael Cannizzaro, who consistently opened gaping holes for the Hinsdale backs.
10U SILVER WINS TOUGH CONTEST
The 10u Silver Falcons opened their season this past weekend on a very sunny and hot Sunday at Hinsdale Central against a much bigger Bartlett Raiders team. However, the steamy conditions and the size of their opponents would not scare the young Falcons.
Clay Parker took the ball on Hinsdale’s first offensive play of the season for 58 yards up the middle, dodging would-be tacklers for the game’s first score. After a stymied drive, the Falcons would find paydirt again when cool under pressure quarterback Caden Mitchell found Jack Slavik in the corner of the endzone for a 7-yard touchdown reception. Parker would score again later in the game with another spectacular 55-yard TD run.
The Falcons got fantastic two-way play from likes of Henry McMahon, Dean Windfelder, Max Breton, Grant Garber, Elijah Trombley and Paul Voight. The offensive line was anchored by the play of Arya Vafa, Bennett Brumley and Miles Wos. Brody Sobieraj made tackles all over the field and Massimo Buttita and Kanas Zitkevicius played fantastic in the secondary.
Final Score: 22-6.
The 10u Silver Falcons will host the Elmhurst Eagles at 10 a.m. this Sunday at Hinsdale Central, where they hope to keep the ball rolling.
11U FALCONS WIN ON THE ROAD
The 11U Falcon offense was crisp and efficient and came away with a 20-0 win at Tri City.
The Falcons scored on the first offensive play of the season with a 50-yard touchdown run by Jacob Zager. The offense line provided ample running room by creating holes the skilled backfield of Jacob Zager, Jack O’Malley, Danny McFarland, Frankie Levato and Killian Byrne to run through. The talented offensive line is led by Keegon McCoskey, Parker Otzen, Luke Hanson, Luke Gray and Hayden Sobieraj.
Not to be outdone, the Falcon defense was possibly even better. The Chargers never threatened to score as they didn’t get past the Falcon 35-yard line. Sound tackling and assignment discipline anchored this talented group. The defensive line of Carter Cox, Blake Bazan, Nico Will, Joey Hillegass, Grant Garver and Pierson Eno clogged the running lanes all game long, which allowed for linebackers Jacob Zager, Marco Oliverio, Jack O’Malley and Noah Vargas to make tackles free of any blockers. The Chargers realized they couldn’t run and tried to pass. That effort was met with fierce resistance from Sawyer Myhra, Will Rooney, Leo Solorio, Frankie Levato and Miles Lindenmeyer, which resulted in zero completions. Next up: Oswego Orange at Hinsdale Central Sunday Sept 1.
11U GOLD BEATS HEAT, OPPONENT
In a sweltering showdown, 11U Gold overcame extreme temperatures to secure a 22-12 victory over Arlington Heights.
The game, played IN intense 100-degree heat, tested the endurance and resilience of both teams, but it was the Falcons who emerged victorious.
Falcon’s defense came ready to play with Christian Gernot, Kellen Brown, Luke Schremser and Marcello Salamone laying the lumber early and often against the Cowboys. The Falcons’ offense wasn’t going to be outshined, as they struck first on their opening drive. Teddy Ouimette ran like his feet were on fire as he scampered for a 30-yard touchdown with key blocks from Grant Omiecinski, Ivan Burt, Harrison Kuzniar and Bo Cuculich.
The defense didn’t let up in the second half, providing a lot of pressure up front from Christian Kirchev, Joshua Castro, Mikey Adamo and Owen Parry. The secondary, led by Rohn Ramani and Keerthan Tucke, kept the Cowboys’ offense from making any big plays.
The offense wasn’t done as they continued to move the ball down field with long runs from Luca Striltschuk and Nate Thangamani. The final nail in the coffin came late in the fourth quarter when Ben Murphy found Soren Carlson for a 40-yard touchdown pass that sealed the victory.
Next up is the home opener against Glen Ellyn.
JV GOLD OPENS WITH SHUT OUT
JV D2 Gold won 19-0, getting off to quick start with a kickoff return by Spencer Marnell for a touchdown in the first 18 seconds, made possible with a number of great blocks to get free and score. Matthew Wiskowski and Grayson Danek also scored on long runs with downfield blocking by Bennett Shepherd and Lucas Herrick.
On defense, Jackson Rediger lead the team in tackles. The offensive and defensive lines, led by Patrick Anderson, Shane Behar and Will Doyle, did an amazing job controlling the line of scrimmage, allowing the Falcon team to do what they wanted. The team benefited from a number of new players this year that stepped right in and made plays like they have been playing for years.
VARSITY SILVER EARNS VICTORY
Michael Garber returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone for Varsity Silver’s gritty 12-0 win at Arlington Heights.
The Falcons defense was stout, led by a linebacking corps of Ali Memon, Cole Prasse and Clayton Tims. Chase Hellenga and Jake Knapp each had key interceptions, while Noah Natarelli stood out on the defensive line.
The offensive line of Leo Rivera, Britt Read, Bryce Kinder, Ben McLaughlin, Hellenga and Natarelli controlled the line of scrimmage and helped pave the way for Garber’s fourth-quarter 35-yard touchdown scamper. Memon ran hard the entire game, stiff arming numerous Arlington Heights defenders to the ground. Quarterback Nick Ludden had a successful debut, taking charge of the offense. The Falcons play Glen Ellyn this Sunday at 1 p.m. at home.
Varsity Gold Crushes tricity
Varsity Gold started its season on the road against the TriCity Chargers. On just the second possession, transfer portal quarterback Blake Schnur completed the long ball to Bear Kumskis for the 70-yard breakaway touchdown.
The collective blocking unit of Wolf Pohlenz, Brock Willits, Landon Ronaldson, Hank Scheri, Liam Cranmer, William Smith and Knox Apple had an excellent performance up front. The unit made easy work of the Charger defense, opening lanes for runningbacks Mad Max Milburn and Jack Gray, as well as a rushing TD for Schnur in the second quarter.
Defensively, the Falcons flew to the ball, extinguishing the Charger offense. Scheri led the team in tackles, while Smith, Mr. Devious himself, sacked the Charger quarterback twice. Interceptions from Grant Goodwin and Gray all but sealed it, with Gray returning his pick for six. The strong Falcon effort resulted in a 24-0 victory.
