Geneva ready to continue its playoff success
Success has certainly bred success at Geneva.
The Vikings enter the 2009 postseason on a clip that since 2004 has seen them reach two state semifinals, a quarterfinal and, of course, last season's Class 7A state championship game.
While it now appears automatic that Geneva coach Rob Wicinski and his staff simply roll state contenders off some assembly line, each team must be taken as a distinct entity.
"As coaches, we were just trying to get them to reach the potential to be as good as they're going to be," Wicinski said.
Look up the box score from the Vikings' championship loss to East St. Louis on the Web site of the Illinois High School Association.
In the "individual statistics" section under Geneva rushing you'll find current quarterback Brandon Beitzel but you'll see no Jay Graffagna, no Connor Quinn.
You will discover a "Michael Santaca" with 1 carry for 0 yards. Maybe it's another way of saying that Santacaterina and his backfield mates, like most of this year's 8-1 squad, are their own men.
"We've really been trying hard not to compare these kids to last year's," Wicinski said. "It is a totally new and different group. Most of these guys have not been in the hunt."
The hunt - Part A of which concluded last week with Vikings' fourth and final Western Sun Conference title - resumes Saturday at No. 3 seed Geneva's made-for-mudders field against No. 6 seed Shepard (7-2).
Fortunately for experience's sake, some of them have been in the hunt, including Santacaterina, a returning starting safety. Listening intently to their advice are younger players like Quinn, Brad Willman, Ryan Landrum.
"They've all got such conditioning, and they've been there," Wicinski said. "And just walking the walk, it (shows) those young guys a little bit of credibility, and brings them along as far as their confidence grows.
"When Santacaterina, Bret (Shannon), Brandon and Frank (Boenzi) sit there and say, 'We've been there,' let's do this,' that's been a big key of our success."
Such encouragement has hastened the development of an all-new offensive line that, led by Justin Craig and Dan Carlson, has paved the way for 1,858 yards and 30 of the Vikings' 33 touchdowns.
Defensively Geneva's Shannon, Matt Schmuman and Asa Bielenberg will be targeting Shepard quarterback Dontae McCoy, who Wicinski said is trouble when he tucks and runs out of the Astros' I formation.
Accustomed to playing on what Wicinski terms a "sludge" field, Shepard tied Bogan for the easiest schedule among 7A qualifiers, 27-54. The Astros took a bad loss, 32-29 to 1-8 Rich South, and went 1-1 against playoff foes, beating 5-4 Oak Lawn and losing to 8-1 Richards.
It's one game at a time for Geneva, however, as it blazes its own, new trail.
"It's just about them and doing what they can do," Wicinski said. "I think it's been real positive. It's worked out well."