Geneva’s big third-quarter plays deny Burlington Central playoff upset
Burlington Central had all the momentum early in the third quarter in its Class 6A second round playoff game at Geneva.
The Rockets, coming out of a 21-21 halftime tie, took the second half kickoff and drove right down the field to score and take a one-touchdown lead.
Then Geneva made two huge plays to completely turn the tide.
First, Vikings senior wide receiver Talyn Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards to tie the game.
Then Geneva recovered an onside kick, by Owen Homewood, and scored again just a couple of minutes later to take a 35-28 lead.
The third-seeded Vikings rode the wave to a 42-28 win. They’ll move on to play Lake Forest next weekend in the quarterfinals at a time and day still to be determined.
“We just played a very, very good football team,” said Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen about sixth-seeded Burlington Central. “We struggled in the first half but that had a lot to do with the players they have over there and the type of team they are. We had a really tough task tonight.
“It’s a game of swings, and we got the momentum back.”
Burlington Central played a strong game but couldn’t rally after the Vikings took the lead.
“I thought we gave them all we could,” said Rockets coach Brian Iossi. “I would have liked to see a little bit more out of us in the second half on offense, but if three plays they (Geneva) made go a different way, it’s a different ball game.”
Geneva scored three TDs in the first half on touchdown passes from quarterback Tony Chahino to the Georgia-bound Taylor (60 yards) and Finnegan Weppner (85 yards), and a 4-yard rush by Chahino.
Burlington Central matched that with 2-yard and 3-yard TD runs from senior Zach Samaan, and a 6-yard scoring pass by QB Jackson Alcorn to Caden West.
Then the Rockets took the lead after intermission on Samaan’s third touchdown, this one from a yard away.
That set the stage for Taylor’s long runback and Homewood’s recovery. Just after that, Vikings running back Michael Rumoro scored on a 10-yard counter play to give Geneva its first lead of the contest.
“I just felt like it was the right time to do it,” said Thorgesen of the gutsy onside kick call. “We were struggling to stop them and it was going back and forth, and we thought we needed a little spark.”
Geneva (10-1) grabbed a two touchdown lead on a 20-yard fourth quarter run by Rumoro.
The Rockets (8-3) drove deep into Vikings territory late in the final period but a 24-yard sack by junior defensive end Lex Griffith ended the threat.
“I just knew I had to do it,” said Griffith of his clutch defensive play. “I was in the moment and I made a play.
“At halftime we knew we weren’t playing our kind of football. We came out (in the third quarter) and played like we know how to play.”
Taylor finished the game with 6 catches for 128 yards for Geneva.
After the tough loss, Iossi lauded the effort and commitment of his senior players throughout their careers.
“This group brought us to a new level,” said the coach. “Seven years ago we were a program that was in the dumps and we were 4-5 the last two years. Now to get to 8-2 (prior to Saturday’s game) and win a playoff game for the first time in 20 years is a credit to them, all their work and effort.
“We wouldn’t be where we are without them."