Two difficult tests await at state

It's obviously not supposed to be easy to win a state championship, which both Aurora Christian and Geneva know all too well looking at the opponents they'll face this weekend in Champaign.

While the Eagles and Vikings enter at a combined 26-0, Bloomington Central Catholic and East St. Louis are 25-1, with the only loss East St. Louis' first game of the year to a team from Ohio.

Geneva coach Rob Wicinski has talked all year about wanting to play their best game in the last game of the season. That's the type of effort the Vikings will need to avenge last year's 34-26 loss in the state quarterfinals.

Aurora Christian also knows it will have to play its best game.

"We're going to have to practice like we've never practiced before," Aurora Christian quarterback Jordan Roberts said, "and go out there and play awesome."

East St. Louis survived scares the last two weeks, winning 35-28 over St. Rita and 27-20 over Glenbard West. Bloomington has only had one game all year decided by less than 17 points, a 21-17 win over Quincy Notre Dame in the Class 4A quarterfinals.

Blueprint for success: So how do you get over the hurdle of making it to the state championship game after a pair of semifinal losses in 2004 and 2006?

Wicinski explained his formula.

"You have to have a little bit of luck, you've got to have a lot of preparation and you've got to have some players," Wicinski said. "All the things fell into place. We got some luck throughout the year and it happened."

Like several of his teammates, defensive back Sean Grady made a point of mentioning the Geneva teams that came close.

"We knew we had to come through, we knew we had all those kids who had played before counting on us," Grady said. "Four years of hard work."

Hard work that wide receiver Jason Holmes said continued almost immediately after last year's loss to East St. Louis.

"Everything paid off, the weight room, two weeks after we lost to East St. Louis we were in the weight room," Holmes said.

Just like they drew it up: In their 25-21 win over Crystal Lake South, Grady hit Cory Hofstetter for a 2-point conversion in the third quarter off a botched snap on the extra point attempt.

It might have looked like chaos at the time, but Grady said he was prepared.

"We practice bad snaps," the senior said. "I just kind of chucked it up there. I knew Cory playing three years on varsity he would be there."

Extra points proved to be the difference, turning what would have been a 24-24 tie if both teams converted each extra point into a 4-point Geneva win.

Not so sure: After a crazy game Saturday with turnovers and the kind of wild momentum swings that tend to cause hair to turn gray fast, Aurora Christian coach Don Beebe joked it was easier being a player.

"I have to second guess this decision," Beebe smiled. "It's rough (being a coach), but it's also a joy, it's what keeps me going. I'm emotional to see where these kids have come from five, six years ago, and now to see where they are. That is quite an accomplishment."

The feeling certainly goes both ways.

"You've got to cherish every moment he says because he's been to the biggest places ever," wide receiver and defensive back David Zielke said.