Geneva delivers knockout
Geneva running back Michael Ratay has had some unforgettable performances during the past two years.
On Friday night he did something that will likely never be forgotten.
The senior rushed for a career-high 354 yards and tied his career-best with 6 touchdowns as the Vikings ran all over Batavia, 47-14, to complete their second consecutive undefeated regular season and win their fifth consecutive conference title.
"I can't say enough about Ratay," Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said. "He's pretty special and I think someone at the next level is going to get a gift. His work ethic is outstanding, he's a great young man and he's got all the intangibles."
Geneva (9-0, 7-0) might have had to wait to get things started due to a lightning delay that pushed the starting time back. But once the game started, the Vikings were ready. On their first play from scrimmage Ratay broke through the Batavia defense for a 86-yard touchdown run.
Batavia (6-3, 5-2) turned the ball over on its first possession as Michael Santacaterina intercepted a Jordan Coffey pass. The Vikings needed 9 plays, including a key 13-yard pass from Brandon Beitzel to Charlie James to set up Ratay for a 5-yard score.
Ratay scored his third touchdown of the night, a nifty 41-yard run, with 3:48 remaining in the first quarter to make it 21-0.
"The first couple of drives were just amazing," Geneva defensive lineman Andrew Clausen said. "Michael was just getting down the field and we knew he could do it too."
While Ratay and the Geneva offensive line were making things look easy for the Vikings, the Batavia offense was having a difficult time getting anything going offensively, especially on the ground where they'd only collect 45 yards on the night.
"We were pushing (Coffey) back a little bit and our defensive backs were really focused on the challenge they had in front of them," Wicinski said. "I'm just so proud of the guys and their work ethic and they've all been very consistent."
An 18-yard touchdown run by Ratay and a 69-yard interception return by Alex Olenek extended the Vikings lead to 35-0 with 4:21 left in the opening half.
Batavia finally got on the scoreboard when Coffey connected with Erich Zeddies (9 catches, 165 yards) for a 33-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs tried to keep the momentum via an onside kick, but they couldn't recover the ball and the Vikings were able to tack on their sixth touchdown of the evening on Ratay's 29-yard run.
"We came out and executed really well," Ratay said. "The offensive line blocked and the holes were great. I was going through and not getting touched until I was five yards down field and all I was having to do was get one guy to miss."
He made them miss as the Vikings tallied 47 points, their most against Batavia since a 48-0 victory in 1985.
"We just played our butts off," Clausen said. "We played a great game against them. We knew we had to come out and have our best game and I think we did. To go 9-0 two years in a row, it feels great."