Joliet- Saturday started off nice, then the weather turned, and it rained nearly for 2 hours before the start of the Joliet Buccaneers preseason finale. This game saw the Buccaneers end their preseason with a win, it wasn’t impressive, but it was a win, nonetheless, said Head Coach Michael W. Ingram Jr. “I’m proud of these boys and what they came to do this afternoon,” says Ingram. The Joliet Buccaneers were still reeling from that 8 to 6 loss the week before, the Bucs were intense and focused going into this Saturday’s game. Knowing that this would be the last preseason game before the regular season kicks off on May 13. We’re still battling the missed practice blues says, team captain #26 Adrian Cornely. Coach (Ingram) has been harping about this since day 1 and us captains have been too; it’s an uphill battle trying to get everyone at practice all at once says Cornely. Saturday’s game was a match-up of a new team (River City Sharks) from out of the St. Louis / Alton, IL area. They are a new member team to the Mid Central Football League (MCFL) and we’re proud to have them says Ingram. 1st quarter actions of the game started off by the Buccaneers newly acquired Quarterback former Aurora East Graduate # 7 Isaac Redmond with a 67-yard strike to rookie wide out Andre Allison. That put the Bucs on the board first and they never looked back. “Coach said to me before the start of the game, I just needed to relax and be myself and I did,” said Redmond. The Bucs failed on the 2-point conversion. The defense kept doing what they were doing from last week going, harassing and stifling the running backs of the Sharks. The Buccaneers Defense kept the Sharks behind the sticks the whole entire game and recorded 9 sacks on the day. Again, like I told the defense from the start of the year, they will be the engine that will kick start the offense, and once that happens, we’ll get rolling says Ingram. The Buccaneers’ next score came in the late 2nd quarter. Former Joliet West Graduate Running back Carter Baranski takes a sweep around the outside and he raced to the endzone giving the Bucs a 2-touchdown lead. "I tell the coach all the time I am a play maker and all I want to do is help our team win", says Baranski. On the assuming 2-point try, the Buccaneers got the ball in the endzone was called for a holding call. So, the Buccaneers were moved back 5-yards and went for the try again and were flagged again after they scored on a pass by Former Plainfield East Graduate Quarterback Anthony Michalowicz. "I told coach before the start of the game, that I think we have a good group, but it's about timing, said Michalowicz . We're getting it! For the second half of the game, the Buccaneers played field position with the Sharks. The Sharks defense stiffened up a little. “We were still able to move the ball running and with some passing said Ingram. We just couldn’t get a rhythm and without that you get what you get from our offense. For the most part the defense kept up its end of the bargain, by playing hardnose football and not allowing the Sharks on the Buccaneers other side of the 40 for the rest of the game. “We have a solid nucleus of players on the defensive side of the ball,” said Team Captain and Former Oswego Graduate Anthony Grimes. “We’re very prideful as a unit out there on the field, and that means a lot to us, says Grimes. Now the Buccaneers will prepare for 2023 season, as they start to prep for their rival out of Indiana (Warriors). We know what we need to do, and we must prepare for a battle against a good football team and program says Ingram. We have our work cutout for us!
For more information about the Joliet Buccaneers Adult Amateur Football Team please visit us online at jolietbuccaneers.com or Facebook them at Joliet Buccaneers Instagram Joliet Bucs or call 815.302.8700
