Last year's Batavia losses stung, but also provided Geneva incentive

Motivation.

By definition, the word means the act or process of furnishing with an incentive or inducement to action -- or to act upon as a motive.

As Geneva's football team prepares for Saturday's 4- to 5-hour bus ride to the suburbs of St. Louis to take on East St. Louis (10-1) in the Class 7A state quarterfinals, my mind is racing with random thoughts.

Are the unbeaten Vikings on the threshold of something special this season?

Can they extend their yearlong winning streak to 12 games?

How will the long bus ride affect their collective mindset?

Will their unheralded defense, anchored by 6-foot, 3-inch sophomore lineman Frank Boenzi, 6-4, 210-pound junior end Cory Hofstetter and 6-1, 265-pound junior linebacker Brennan Quinn, put the clamps on East St. Louis skilled position standouts Courtney Molton (RB), Vincent Arterbridge (RB), Detchauz Wray (QB) and Kraig Appleton (WR)?

After failing to make postseason play 11 consecutive times, can the Vikings advance to the state semifinals for the third time in the last four years?

When was the last time Geneva lost?

The correct answer to the latter question is Nov. 16, 2006, when the Vikings' Class 6A state title hopes were dashed after a 28-0 semifinal loss to Batavia at Burgess Field.

That got me to thinking (believe me, I know it can be a dangerous thing)…

Did the gut-wrenching defeat to their archrivals serve as a motivating factor behind the success of the 2007 squad?

Well, kind of.

"That loss served as a tremendous motivator for the off-season for the returning players," said Geneva coach Rob Wicinski, whose teams have compiled a scintillating winning percentage of .833 (40-8) since 2004.

"Once we got into the regular season, we didn't mention it (the loss) too much."

Wicinski also believes something good may have come out of last year's season-ending loss.

"When you're hit with that type of adversity -- it really hit home for the kids," said the coach. "You don't remember the pain -- you just remember that it hurt.

"But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

For senior quarterback Mike Mayszak, who was a starting wide receiver on the 2006 squad, the team's last loss doesn't really enter the big picture now nearly one year later.

"That loss just motivated us to beat Batavia this year," said Mayszak, whose team edged Batavia 14-12 in its regular-season finale three weeks ago. "It seems like that last loss happened a long time ago, which is a good thing."

Selective memory can also be a good thing.

"I don't remember a lot about our last loss -- I just remember that it hurt," added Mayszak.

Ironically, the Vikings' biggest rival has provided a helping hand during this week's practice preparations.

You see, Batavia's season came to an end two weeks ago after the Bulldogs took the same Saturday bus trip to East St. Louis. Batavia lost 27-21 in the first round.

"Batavia has been absolutely outstanding," said Wicinski. "We've got four game tapes on them (East St. Louis)."

This weekend's opponent has a long storied athletic past.

Since 1979, the Flyers have qualified for postseason play 24 times -- capturing 6 state football championships to go with a pair of runner-up finishes. Their boys track program has produced 9 state titles since 1974.

Their football program has produced some big names like Bryan Cox, Kellen Winslow Sr. and Dana Howard. One-time tennis great Jimmy Connors was born in East St. Louis before attending high school in Belleville.

Come Saturday, none of that will matter -- not even the Vikings' most recent defeat.

"Sometimes you learn more about yourself from losing a game than you do from winning," said Wicinski.

"I know it sounds a little mystical, but I do believe there's a reason for everything. That's the only way to approach it."

I know one thing -- a victory Saturday will make the bus ride home seem a little shorter.

Now that's motivation.