Geneva one of many high school football programs relying on drone technology

A prep football program fielding offensive players such as Geneva High School quarterback Ben Peterson and receiver Bennett Konkey can perhaps rely on natural ability to rack up points.

But every little bit helps, on both sides of the ball. Because of that, Geneva is one of the myriad football programs employing drone technology to film practices to gain crucial self-scouting information.

“In the summer we’ll go to 7-on-7s and we’ll go to team camps. I would say 90% of the programs have a drone. I would say all of them have it, some bring it and some don’t,” Vikings coach Boone Thorgesen said before a recent film session and walk-through with the team.

Those who don’t may ask Thorgesen to share his scrimmage video.

“It gives you a nice view of what your kids are doing, and how to correct them for Friday night, in practice,” he said.

Video gathered by the Geneva football program’s own drone, used for Tuesday and Wednesday practices, accompanies what’s gained from the end zone camera used during games, secured high on a pole behind the uprights.

Geneva uses its drone mainly for filming segments of its run game, pass game, third-down plays, two-minute drill and sometimes for 1-on-1 drills, Thorgesen said.

“Usually when we are in a team setting we’ll have that thing flying,” he said.

In an agreement between DuKane Conference members, teams can only utilize their drones during practice, not during games.

While the use of drone technology in the postseason is against Illinois High School Association policy, that may change.

“Drone usage is currently prohibited during the IHSA Football Playoffs, but the IHSA Board of Directors appear to be of the unanimous mindset that the IHSA’s policy has become outdated,” said IHSA Associate Executive Director Matt Troha.

“The board has directed the IHSA staff to research similar policies in other states that could lead to updated language allowing the use of drones by competing teams in the IHSA Football Playoffs. The process is ongoing and will be revisited at an upcoming meeting,” Troha said.

That would be music to Thorgesen’s ears.

“For practice, I can’t imagine not having that type of film,” said the sixth-year head coach.

“It’s such a better view for your interior guys, your defense, your front seven, your interior offensive linemen, even your receivers. It’s just a better view for everybody,” Thorgesen said.

“You can see windows, you can see the coverages, you can see your defensive guys, what they’re doing on their first step.”

It beats someone with a cellphone or video camera shooting action from behind the line or the defense. It beats the sideline view from the stands.

It beats the top-of-the-press box look or the “old-school scissor lift” from the end zone, said Geneva assistant Sean Grady, who watched that film when he played at Butler.

Grady, a safety on the Vikings’ 2008 Class 7A runner-up team, is the Geneva assistant charged with editing, uploading and downloading the footage onto the team’s Hudl package, available to all players to study.

He said it’s not very time consuming, and the drone operator can cut out the “dead time” between plays even on the spot.

The ability to get footage like “a video game,” and to be able to produce it quickly, is more efficient and revealing than video patched together from sideline and same-plane end zone positions.

“Probably with manpower and the way things are going I think most schools and teams are probably going to start trying to work toward having a drone do it, because it’s so much easier for one person, and it gets all the views you need,” Grady said.

Rather than a team manager, Geneva assigns either a coach or an injured player to operate the drone.

Coming off a back injury, senior running back Ryder Krempin recently had pilot duty.

“It’s not that hard, you kind of pick it up,” he said.

“It’s kind of tricky at first because some of the controls are kind of touchy, but it does a lot of it for you, like taking off, landing. You get used to stopping the play, knowing when to stop and start it, as time goes on.”

Krempin said it can be tedious, but also fun to operate, and the video has helped him see his running lanes.

Plus there’s the possibility of a good story to laugh about later.

“Someone crashed it into a tree,” Krempin said. “But that wasn’t me.”