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Geneva battles but can’t keep pace with high-flying East St. Louis in 6A state championship game

East St. Louis spent several minutes prior to the kickoff of the Class 6A title game with most of its players dancing around with glee.

But once the game actually started, the dancing stopped and the Flyers got down to business.

East St. Louis scored on its first four possessions to set an early tone, but a plucky Geneva squad gave East St. Louis’ vaunted defensive attack all it wanted for much of the contest.

But in the end, the Flyers offensive attack was simply too much in an 48-28 victory that gave East St. Louis its 11th overall state title. East St. Louis scored on six of its first eight possessions and also returned a kick for a score during that stretch and amassed 548 yards of total offense.

Early on it looked as if East St. Louis was determined to break away. It quickly forced a three-and-out before marching down the field on its first drive, capping things with a 5-yard touchdown run from Larevious Woods at the 8:52 mark of the first quarter.

Geneva’s opening drive got inside the East St. Louis 30-yard line, thanks in large part to a big kick return from Georgia-bound Talyn Taylor. But eventually that drive flamed out. East St. Louis took over on downs and went on another long drive eventually capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kendrick Lyons to Ronnie GoMiller.

Lyons, a transfer from Granite City who went winless in the last season he was at his former school, was the engineer of an offense that Geneva didn’t really have an answer for. Lyons went 14-of-21 on the day with 225 yards passing and two touchdowns.

“We always make it a point to come out fast,” Lyons said. “Every time we get the ball we want to go score. We knew coming in that is was probably going to be a shootout. So we just want to score every time we get the ball.”

Woods made it three-for-three for East St. Louis on first half possessions as Woods raced in from 21 yards early in the second quarter.

Geneva, after being held to negative yardage on its first three possessions, finally showed signs of life in its fourth possession of the game. A few completions to Finnegan Weppner got the ball deep in East St. Louis territory and the drive was finished effectively with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Tony Chanino to Taylor.

The Flyers made it four touchdowns in four drives when East St. Louis quickly responded with another score as yet another drive ended in a TaRyan Martin rush from four yards out.

Geneva continued to show a willingness to fight and answered with a drive of its own that allowed the Vikings to net a touchdown when Michael Rumoro latched on to a 10-yard touchdown pass from Chahino. But East St. Louis wouldn’t allow Geneva even an inch of momentum gained as Christopher Bennett took the ensuing kickoff back 84 yards to keep East St. Louis firmly in control.

“We had a great game plan going in,” East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett said. “We had Geneva scouted up pretty well and we just executed. We’ve been doing that all season.”

Geneva did manage to squeeze in another score just before half which allowed the Vikings the unique distinction of being only the second team all season to score three touchdowns against the Flyers defense, but still trailed by two scores at the break.

The Vikings did move to make it a one score game after Weppner hauled in a 28-yard touchdown pass from Chahino, but just over a minute later GoMiller broke away for an 81-yard touchdown and Geneva would provide no further threat.

“They [East St. Louis] are a fantastic team, they’ve got weapons all over the field,” Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen said. “But I’m proud of our kids and the fight. Because, you know, in the third quarter it was a six-point game and we had a lot of momentum. We’re super proud of our kids.”

For Sunkett it was about finishing things the way it started for the Flyers.

“We started our season here on August 29 with a big win [defeating Loyola 34-7) here,” Sunkett said. “We just told the kids that we wanted to finish the season the same way we started with a W. And we accomplished that.”

Geneva’s Anthony Chahino passes against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Anthony Chahino finds an open Talyn Taylor for the touchdown against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Michael Rumoro powers ahead on a run against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Gavin Burt brings down East St. Louis’s TaRyan Martin in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Dylan Reyes, left, and Nelson Wendell tackles East St. Louis’ Ronnie GoMiller in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Anthony Chahino looks to pass against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Talyn Taylor pulls in the pass for a touchdown against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Bennett Konkey breaks away on a catch and run against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Michael Rumoro (20) celebrates his touchdown against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
East St. Louis’ Christopher Bennett Jr. sheds a tackle on a run against Geneva in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Gavin Burt puts pressure against East St. Louis’ Kendrick Lyons in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Anthony Chahino passes against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
East St. Louis’ Larevious Woods avoids the tackle for a touchdown against Geneva in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
East St. Louis’ Kendrick Lyons makes a pass against Geneva in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
East St. Louis’ Larevious Woods finds daylight on a touchdown run against Geneva in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Talyn Taylor returns a kick against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
East St. Louis’ Ronnie GoMiller spins out of a tackle against Geneva in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva head coach Boone Thorgesen consoles Anthony Chahino on the sidelines after throwing an interception against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Finnegan Weppner pulls in a pass for the touchdown against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva holds up the 2nd place trophy after losing to East St. Louis 48-28 in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Talyn Taylor looks to the sidelines before a play against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Anthony Chahino launches a touchdown pass against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Michael Rumoro sheds a tackle on a catch and run against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s William Anthony looks to block against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
Geneva’s Will Pascoli has his pass broken up by East St. Louis’ Raheem Floyd in the Class 6A state championship on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in Normal.
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