The Pirates have finished with an impressive 9-0 record for the regular season. 1997 was the last time the football team went undefeated. Led by seniors Zach Oles, Mackenzie Balanganyi, Dylan Tapia, Jack Grochowski and many others, the Pirates gave the fans an unforgettable regular season.

Week 9 vs Schaumburg
Final result: 49-21 victory

“We had a chance for the first time in 20 years to go undefeated,” running back Josh Turner said. “We showed them who the better team was and made that happen.”

The perfect ending to a perfect regular season. The Pirates wrapped up an undefeated season with a victory over the Saxons. Both sides of the ball outperformed the Saxons, who struggled to score in the first three quarters of play. This victory will help the Pirates earn a top seed in the IHSA State 8A playoff bracket.

Week 8 @ Barrington
Final result: 49-31 victory

Arguably, the biggest game of the regular season for the Pirates. Hundreds of tweets from multiple accounts were covering this game throughout the week. Palatine and Barrington were two of the top 10 teams in the state; they were both 7-0, and this was the MSL West Championship game. Zach Oles scored 6 total touchdowns vs the Broncos, which earned him the Chicago Bears’ player of the week for the entire state.

“As a team we rose up to the challenge,” Oles said. “We took the opportunity for granted in front of a great atmosphere and we showed the MSL who the best really was.”

The Pirates defensive line and linebackers (Scottie Elter, Brody Muck, and Cortez Hogans) shut down the Broncos running back and speedy quarterback.

Week 7 @ Conant
Final result: 43-7 victory

“Coming into the game Conant was winless and we were undefeated, but we treated them the same as any other opponent,” Star wide receiver Jack Grochowski said.

Classic Palatine win against the Conant Cougars, which brought the Pirates to 7-0 for the season. The Pirates played their game on both sides of the ball. Many players got in, and they all produced towards positive plays. The Pirates victory resulted in a homecoming night lose for the Cougars.

Week 6 vs Fremd
Final result: 21-14 victory

The closest game of the year came during the classic cross town rivalry. The Pirates held on to remain undefeated on their homecoming night.

“We knew that this game was really important to the seniors, because we’ve never beaten Fremd in all our years of high school,” Mackenzie Balanganyi said. “We left it all on the field this time around, and we showed them what Palatine football is all about.”

The game consisted of defensive stops by both teams, but the Pirates held on to their 21-7 lead most of the game. A late touchdown by the Vikings made it a one possession game, but the Palatine special teams recovered an onside kick to prevent the Vikings from winning. #ThisIsOurTown

Week 5 @ Hoffman Estates
Final result: 49-13 victory

Both teams entered this game 4-0, but the Pirates left the field undefeated. Zach Oles threw for 300 yards, ran for 80, and had 4 TDs in one of his many spectacular performances this season. An interception by Matt Garner and other big plays by JT Streepy, Dylan Tapia, and Jake Moertl contained the Hoffman wide receivers. The biggest play; however, came from Courtland Cornelius’ 77 yard touchdown run that illustrated his natural speed.

“The team all around played extremely well, whether that being on the offensive side or the defensive side. Everyone had a chance to shine and that was the great part about it,” Cornelius said.

Week 4 @ New Trier
Final result: 41-21 victory

The Pirates defense gave New Trier’s offense trouble in week 4. The defense forced four turnovers (Jake Moertl returned an interception for a TD), while the Pirates’ offense produced 500 yards of total offense.

“Throughout the whole game we made big plays and performed well overall,” defensive leader Dylan Tapia said. “We finished up the CSL non conference games on a good note and were then ready to take on our own conference.”

The Trevians defense struggled to shut down our dynamic wide receiver duo of Jack Grochowski and Johnny O’Shea. Josh Turner had another phenomenal game running the ball that supports the claim of him being one of the best running backs in the state.

Week 3 vs Glenbrook South
Final result: 34-13 victory

“We didn’t take them lightly and came out and played at the level we are expected to play at,” safety JT Streepy said.

Penalties did not help the sloppy start against the Titans, but the Pirates recovered to secure another win to start the season 3-0. The offensive line led by seniors Andrew Martino, Ryan Garner, and Zach Proctor allowed Josh Turner and Zach Oles to score multiple times. Jack Grochowski (2 TDs) and Johnny O’Shea, big time players, also made big time plays throughout the night.

Week 2 vs Elk Grove
Final result: 48-7 victory

This MSL crossover match was a breeze for the Pirates high flying offense and unbreakable defense. Impressive performances by Zach Oles offensively (13/14 passing with 252 yards) and Jake Moertl defensively (2 interceptions, one returned for a touchdown).

“We came out with same mentality we’ve had all season, we executed and played very well which lead to us getting a big win,” Moertl said.

The defensive line led by Mackenzie Balanganyi and Billy Illka made the run game impossible for the Grenadiers.

Week 1 @ Stevenson
Final result: 28-20 victory

The Pirates avenged last year’s lose to the Patriots and kept their “unstoppable offense” to 20 points. The defense made key stops, and the offense returned the favor with breathtaking touchdown plays. The overall team effort resulted in this big week 1 victory.

“This game was a great start for our season,” linebacker Scottie Elter said. “[It] showed us what kind of team we were and what kind of season we had ahead of us.”