11U Silver and JV Gold D1 finally make it to the big game after coming close last year
The Hinsdale Falcons Junior Varsity D1 Gold players and cheerleaders celebrate the team's Super Bowl win Nov. 10. (photos provided)
The Hinsdale 11U Silver players and coaches express their joy at the team's 1-point margin of victory in the Super Bowl game Nov. 9.
Two Hinsdale Falcons football teams were undefeated this season. Two made it to the final game of the post-season. And two came home Bill George Youth Football League Super Bowl victors.
The 11U Silver team beat Tri City 13-12 Nov. 9 and the JV Gold D1 team beat Lyons 14-6 Nov. 10 to win the championships.
"I'm super excited for them," Falcons Football President Jason Jones said. "All the time they put in - the kids and coaches - it's just a great accomplishment for them. Everyone involved, parents included, should be super proud of themselves."
The teams had more than 60 practices from July to November in all conditions, from extreme hot, sunny days to dark, cold and rainy nights, Jones noted.
"It's just such a testament to the parents' and the children's and the coaches' commitment to make all those practices and 12 games," he said. "It's just a fantastic way to end that season."
11U Silver
Coach Joe Zager said coaches had one message for the sixth-graders who had put in 103 days of work before they went out to play in the Super Bowl.
"Go out there, have fun, but finish it," he said.
Tri City was a tough opponent when the Falcons faced them earlier this season.
"We knew we got better. We also knew they were going to be better because they were a very well-coached team," Zager said. "The game was tough. It was back-and-forth until the last couple of minutes. They were prepared for us."
The game was tied 6-6 at halftime, and both teams scored again in the third quarter. The Falcons' 2-point conversion gave them the edge at 13-12, which ended up being the final score.
The win was amazing, team member Joey Hillegass said, and something the team had hoped for all season long.
"We didn't talk about it too much, but it was definitely everyone's ideal goal," he said. "It was more rewarding than if we won it last year because we almost got to it last year."
Hillegass made a 10- to 15-yard play in the first half off a pass from quarterback Jacob Zager that helped spark the offense.
"I ran off the line. I was surprised they didn't hit me or anything," he said.
More than that play, Hillegass said he will remember how many times Jacob carried the ball.
"He carried it like 20 times and he was really the staple of our offense," Hillegass said.
Jacob scored two touchdowns and had 90 yards rushing on offense. On defense he had double-digit tackles, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Other key players in the game were Luke Gray, Danny McFarland, Sawyer Myhra and Nico Will.
"I thought our blocking was pretty good as well," Hillegass said. "Most plays we were able to create a hole for the running back."
The offensive line of Keegan McCoskey, Parker Otzen, Luke Hanson, Luke Gray and Hayden Sobieraj provided key blocks for Jacob's 90 yards, Joe Zager said.
Players ran an expanded offense this year and focused on persevering though a season they knew would be a grind, Joe Zager said. The team's depth made a difference during the season and in the championship game.
"We didn't have to roll around players to get them in positions. We just did what we did. Eventually, like everyone else, we just wore them down and ended up with one more point than they did.
"To watch it happen and to celebrate with those guys and take it all in was worth all three months," he added. "It was just so fun, so fun."
Junior Varsity Gold D1
For the past two years, Matt Camp's team came within one game of playing for a championship.
"We really went into this season saying our goal is to make it to the Super Bowl," he said.
After the 2023 season ended, coaches got to work. They added a stronger quarterback running game, more advanced approaches to blocking and other strategies. And they talked to the players about stepping up their game.
"This is where the hitting gets harder and you really have to take it to heart that this is going to be a big jump in competitiveness," Camp remembers coaches telling the team. "The boys really responded. They took that step."
After three blow-out wins to start the season, things got a little more difficult. Eight of the team's 11 wins were by a touchdown or less, and three were by two points or less.
"They were challenged every week," Camp said.
The championship game against rival Lyons was no different.
"It was tied 6-6 with 12 seconds left. It was a nail-biter. It was the same as the rest of our season," the coach said.
Quarterback Dillon Phelan, who scored the team's first touchdown, secured the win with his second trip to the end zone with 7 seconds on the clock. Phelan said he really didn't feel the pressure.
"I kind of zone out and just let my abilities do all the work," he said.
The team's ability to better execute plays led to a better effort overall, Phelan said.
"This year we played for each other and last year we played more for ourselves instead of playing together and just trying to win a football game," he said.
His dad, Damon Phelan, the team's offensive coordinator, said players were committed to improving. They also had some familiarity with teams they had played for three years.
"Each one of those teams we played got better and we got just a little better than they did," Damon Phelan said. "Every week, it's a street fight and it's really good competition for the boys.
For Dillon, Kellan Goodwin and Michael Kipnis, the win capped off quite a year. The boys started the season late because they were playing with their Hinsdale Little League teammates in the World Series in Williamsport, Penn.
"This group of boys has done some pretty big things this year," Damon Phelan said. "It's going to be fun to watch them move into high school and see what they do."
