Down but not out

Geneva's seniors played for their final time at Burgess Field on Friday night. A week from today they will play for the school's first championship at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

Facing a gritty and resilient Crystal Lake South team, the Vikings defense forced a turnover with under 3 minutes remaining to hold on for a 25-21 victory in a Class 7A semifinal.

"I knew this was going to be a tough game and that we'd have to make some adjustments when they bottled up (Michael) Ratay," Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said. "It was a stressful week for me, being our third time (playing in a semifinal), so I'm relieved."

Geneva (13-0) will face the winner of today's East Saint Louis/Glenbard West game at 4 p.m. next Saturday.

Neither team was able to find the end zone in the first quarter, but both team's kickers were able to split the uprights. Crystal Lake South used a fake punt and 38-yard run by Cory Galloway to set up Mike Frerick's 29-yarder while Geneva couldn't convert a 3rd-and-5 and turned to Sean Grady to boot a 34-yarder.

Crystal Lake South (10-3) used a little more than half of the second quarter and 15 plays to get into the end zone. Fullback Derek Mortensen (10 carries, 24 yards) blasted in for a 4-yard score with 3:30 remaining in the first half. The Gators missed the PAT and carried a 9-3 lead into halftime.

For the second consecutive week, Geneva came out firing to begin the second half. Against Carmel the Vikings needed 7 plays to find the end zone. This time they needed 6, including a huge 17-yard pass from Brandon Beitzel to Jason Holmes (4 catches, 80 yards) to convert a 3rd-and-8.

Before the Gators realized what had happened, Ratay took a handoff and 30 yards later was in the end zone. Geneva mishandled the point after try but Grady was able to recover it and heave it Cory Hofstetter to give Geneva an 11-9 lead.

"We kept getting third down and long and we saw some things we could capitalize on," Holmes said. "The offensive line gave Beitzel time to pass and my job of catching it was the easy part."

The Vikings combined to convert 5 third and fourth downs on pass plays, 3 that went to Holmes.

"Coach (Jerry) Auchsetter said there are two things you got to do to win in the playoffs - play defense and third down conversions," Wicinski said. "We lit a fire under out butts and have been working on it with a quarterback who can do it and receivers who have gotten better each week."

The Gators could not convert a first down on their next possession and the momentum appeared to be swinging toward Geneva, but the Vikings returned the favor by going three and out that left the door open. Drew Ormseth connected on a 50-yard pass to Colin Masterson to set up Mortensen's 10-yard touchdown run and give the Gators a 15-11 advantage.

"You could feel the game going back and forth," Gators linebacker Max Bush said. "The offense would make a big play and then the defense would make a big stop. You had a feeling it was going to go down to the wire and we'd battle to the very end."

A 12-play drive, culminating in Ratay's 1-yard touchdown run with 14 seconds left in the third quarter, gave the Vikings the lead back at 18-15 but it wouldn't last long.

The Gators took advantage of Alex Macaulay's 42-yard kickoff return and only needed 5 plays for Ormseth to find tight end Vince Benedetto in the end zone for a 12-yard pass and a 21-18 lead.

"We thought we needed 28 points to win," Crystal Lake South coach Jim Stuglis said. "We just fell a little short."

The Gators' final lead proved to be a very short one as Ratay (28 carries, 149 yards) took the Vikings next play from scrimmage 52 yards into the end zone to give the Vikings the lead for good at 25-21.

"The defense did what it had to do but we gave up a few big plays," Stuglis said. "The effort that they gave was incredible and except for two big plays we stopped Ratay."

Ratay, who has now rushed for 100 or more yards in 19 straight games, was held to 3 yards or less on 20 of his 28 rushes.

The Gators had three opportunities to recapture the lead in the fourth quarter but fumbled the ball away with 7 minutes remaining, were forced to punt with 4 minutes left and then had their season come to a close when Hofstetter pressured Ormseth into a Trevor Hyslop interception.

"The linebackers just dropped into zone and it looked like he underthrew it," Hyslop said. "It felt like slow motion, I just wanted to make sure I caught it and got on the ground."

And now he and the rest of the Vikings will get on a bus en route to Champaign.