Tinley Park Bulldogs Notch Big Season, Head To Super Bowl

TINLEY PARK, IL — The Tinley Park Bulldogs cap another impressive season with a run at the River Valley Super Bowl this weekend.

The youth football organization's Lightweight and Super Lightweight teams head to Busey Bank Field in Joliet, where they'll take on teams from New Lenox for a chance to bring home the championship.

The Super Lightweight and Lightweight levels are the most important levels within any organization participating in the River Valley Youth Football League, said Tinley Park Bulldogs Football Athletic Director Bruce Sullivan.

"These are the foundational levels where us as coaches get the opportunity to play a small part in cultivating young athletes not just in the game of football, but in their school, home and their community. The success of our two foundational levels speaks volumes to the coaches as well as sets the program up for an opportunity for continued success in the long run."

The Bulldog players and coaches are eager to leave it all on the field, with the coaches relishing in an already-remarkable season.

"The defense has been the story of the season," said Super Lightweight Coach Colin McMahon. "... 38 total points allowed all year, with just 31 coming in the 8 games of the regular season, with 5 of our 8 wins being shutouts.

"The adjustments made by the offense have sparked our playoff run and changed the identity of the offense and the team. Huge shoutout to the offensive staff and athletes for recognizing a change needed to be made and making it so seamlessly."

Lightweight Coach Mike Christy remarked on his players' dedication to the league, and each other.

"A lot of these kids have been playing together for three to four years, gathering a ton of experience with each other," Christy said. "This warranted us with great team chemistry and a strong trust amongst the players for each other.

"Every player has shown a tremendous amount of growth and development since the end of July. Young guys stepped up as weekend starters, beating rival programs multiple times and abiding by our team theme all season, 'Humbly dominate your opponent.'"

McMahon echoed Christy on the camaraderie built within the team, and players' growth.

"... as the season has gone on seeing kids grow from not knowing how to get into a proper football stance to running a hurry-up offense in situations and adjusting the defense on the fly is fun to experience," McMahon said. "That is the joy as a coach, to watch the kids grow and start to 'get it' then they develop not only as players but also as kids. The kids truly have grown together and developed a level of trust between each other that we have not seen before."

The games are set for Sunday at Busey Bank Field, 3000 W. Jefferson St., in Joliet.

Approximate game times are:

• Super Lightweight, at 10 a.m., vs. New Lenox Jr. Warriors
• Light Weight at 12 p.m., vs. New Lenox Jr. Knights.