Scouting DeKalb @ Geneva

DeKalb (1-4, 0-3)at Geneva (5-0, 3-0)

Game time 7:30 p.m. today.

Last year Geneva 48, DeKalb 6.

Last wee: Glenbard South 21, DeKalb 14; Geneva 28, Sycamore 20.

Outlook Geneva coach Rob Wicinski is not lulled by DeKalb's record under new coach Marty Sanders: "They're much improved. There's more purpose in their step. They're flying around." The Barbs flew around enough to make Glenbard South nervous last week, though DeKalb quarterback Frank Petras was sacked 6 times and intercepted twice. When he was left standing Petras threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to receiver Dylan Donnelley; linebacker Robbie Miller returned a fumble recovery 93 yards for a late touchdown to make the score closer than it looked. DeKalb will present Geneva's defense with a variety of looks - double wing, 5-wide spread, Pro-I. "It's like one of those painters who throws paint on the wall and whatever sticks, it looks like a Picasso," Wicinski said. "That'll prepare us for the next three games (Rochelle, Kaneland, Batavia). And it'll give those teams a good scout on us, too." The scout on the Sycamore game was that Vikings like defensive lineman Brian Kenney are stout enough to handle things up front, quick enough to contain slippery opponents like Sycamore's Marckie Hayes and Ryan Bartels, skilled enough to get things done offensively and polished enough to come back from a 20-14 third-quarter deficit. Michael Santacaterina scored on two short runs and also made 11 tackles on defense, while fullback-linebacker Connor Quinn banged for 145 yards on 16 carries, Quinn's second straight game over 100 yards after netting 41 in Geneva's first 3 games. Coming off a game in which he completed 11 of 15 passes for 152 yards - the 4 incompletions being a throwaway and 3 drops - quarterback Brandon Beitzel smoothly tossed 16- and 31-yard touchdown passes to 6-foot-2 receiver Charlie James. This is a game Geneva (still lodged at No. 5 in The Associated Press Class 7A poll) will be expected to win, which jibes perfectly with the Vikings' businesslike attitude. "We need to get better at what we do especially down the stretch," Wicinski said. "It's time to finish."

Next week Kaneland (4-1, 3-0) at DeKalb