TP_071218

42 | July 12, 2018 | The tinley junction sports
tinleyjunction.com
FOOTBALL
Titans looking for
some more success
in their new era
JONATHAN BARLAS
Editorial Intern
At the core of Tinley
Park’s successful year on
the baseball diamond lies
dual-threat head coach Josh
O’Shea, as he now turns his
attention to the gridiron.
O’Shea, who heads up
both Tinley Park’s football
and baseball varsity
programs, prepares to stay
contentious in his first season
play-calling for the
Titans.
Under previous coach
Nick Johnston, Tinley Park
qualified for the playoffs
five times in the last eight
years. Ending the 2017 season
with a first-round loss
against Washington in the
Illinois High School Association
Class 5A playoffs,
Oct. 28, TPHS is still
without a quarterfinal appearance
since securing the
Class 4A state championship
in 1986.
Resigning from the position
this past November,
Johnston, who now coaches
the freshman team, compiled
a 64-72 in his 14 seasons
as varsity head coach.
Tinley Park’s football team will go through a coaching transition in 2018. JEFF VORVA/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
After some up-and-down
seasons, the football program
is hungry for glory
as O’Shea strives to turn
around the program the
same way he did with baseball.
O’Shea, so far, seems to
make the transition from
baseball to football look
seamless. His successful
coaching style can be found
in his ability to always
make the game enjoyable
yet competitive for his players.
“I like to keep things positive,
I like to keep things
fun and I like to keep things
competitive,” O’Shea said.
“We go over things in practices,
we go one-on-one and
I think that raises the level
for everybody out here to
be competitive. I’m trying
to get all the guys to practice
at a faster pace and at
a competitive speed and put
pressure on each other. I
think that competitive spirit
is going to transfer in the
games.”
Masked as a double-edge
sword, his first season of
coaching two sports blends
both coaching ability and
obligation. While hardships
are found on the organizational
and administrative
fronts, O’Shea is confident
in his inaugural squad from
what he has seen in the
team’s summer 7-on-7 sessions.
“I’m happy with us,”
O’Shea said. “I thought we
matched up athletically with
the teams we’ve played in
the 7-on-7’s. I think when
you can get a bunch of kids
with the same talent level
and in the same area, I really
do think you can practice
and you can teach the
kids to be competitive. I’m
really happy with what I’ve
seen so far.”
Key players in junior
quarterback Joel Mackessy,
junior running back Jojairo
“Jojo” Gallegos, wide receiver
Johnny Gonsalves
(who is also the Titans’
shortstop on the diamond),
and senior running back
Ronin Gilbert all look to
bring O’Shea’s optimistic
expectations to fruition.
“We have a lot of young
guys,” O’Shea said. “This is
going to be Mackessy’s first
year playing on varsity. Gallegos
is going to a big player
for us as well as Ronin
Gilbert, who will [assumingly]
be our feature back.
Johnny Gonsalves, who is
new to football and plays
baseball already, looks great
in the wide receiver role
right now. He’s only going
to build his confidence and I
think the whole team’s confidence
will build together.”
As kickoff for the high
school football season is
still months away, O’Shea
assured his expectations
for his opening season as
boss.
“I always go short-term
goals with the guys, and I
know it sounds crazy, but I
want them to have the attitude
that every time we get
off the bus, we are playing
to win the game,” he said.
“I expect us to make the
playoffs and give us the opportunity
to play deeper in
the season. I just plan to be
competitive in every game.
Football’s tough, weird
things happen, but we plan
to win every game and go
from there.”
The Titans open the season
with a long journey to
Elgin as they face St. Edward
on Aug. 24.
The first home game is
Aug. 31 against Peotone
before diving into the South
Suburban Blue Conference
at Bremen on Sept. 7.