Scouting Aurora Central Catholic at Genoa-Kingston

Aurora Central Catholic at Genoa-Kingston

Game time: 7 p.m. today

Last year: Genoa-Kingston 44, Aurora Central 0.

Outlook: This opener most certainly can only get better for Aurora Central Catholic after last year's outing caused former Chargers head coach Mike Curry to challenge the troops for better performances. This time it's new ACC head coach Brian Casey, an assistant on last year's varsity and last year's head sophomore coach, who calls the shots. "We got beat up pretty early and couldn't recover from it," Casey said. "That's the thing we're going to tell our guys, jump on them pretty quick." Genoa-Kingston, 4-5 last season and 1-4 in the Big Northern Conference's West division, returns a couple three-year starters including Rob Thurlby, who carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards last year and caught a 30-yard touchdown pass. The current senior who threw that pass, Craig Billington, was 7-of-13 passing for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. He reportedly was engaged in a quarterback battle with Matt Volkening, but since Billington also ran for 63 yards including a 3-yard touchdown, there will be a place for him in the Cogs' offense. While ACC returning back Zach Tobin ran for 21 of the Chargers' rushing 83 yards, quarterback Stewart deWaard looks for a bounce after 2 interceptions and 1 completion, to returning tight end Kent Brauweiler. Both teams should play a spread offense, and no doubt guys like Brauweiler and linebacker John Belovich will seek revenge whatever G-K does. "I told the kids, on paper this definitely will be a test for us," Casey said. "But the big difference from years past to now is I firmly believe the kids are going into this game believing they can win."

Next week: Marengo at Aurora Central, Sept. 3; Genoa-Kingston at Iroquois West-Tri-Point, Sept. 3.