Five question for Geneva's football team

Daily Herald sportswriter Christine Bolin caught up with five members of the Geneva football team and coach Rob Wicinski and asked them three questions heading into today's Class 7A quarterfinal against Carmel.

1) How do you feel your team matches up with Carmel?

2) What/who has been the key in the first two playoff wins?

3) How tough has it been not to look ahead to state?

Brandon Beitzel, junior QB

1) I think we are pretty even. They are tough, we are tough. We'll see.

2) Both the offense and defense...of course the offensive line has done a great job blocking for Michael (Ratay), but it's been a whole team effort.

3) Of course every team looks to state. It's every team's goal...but we are taking it step by step.

Bryce Biel, senior OL

1) I think we match up well on paper. Both are tough on the defensive and offensive lines. I know Carmel has been an elite program and I hope now, in the past five years, we are considered a perennial powerhouse. We match up well with them.

2) Brennan (Quinn) has been a force all over the field, definitely Michael (Ratay) with his running game as usual and Richie MacDonnald. His game has really stepped up. He's shown so many people around the area he is a good player. Cory Hofstetter also. He's come up with sacks and fumble recoveries.

3) It's tough. I know our goal is to get there. It's been a long time. It's hard, but we know each week is a new opponent from a conference we have never faced. We want to look forward to it, but we want to work for it.

Philip Birschbach, senior DB

1) I feel we match up really well with them, speed and strength-wise. It will be a pretty good game that will come down to the little things.

2) Michael (Ratay) has been key and the driving offense. We've kept the ball moving and the defense has been great this season.

3) (Thinking of state) is always there, but to be successful, we have to focus on the game at hand.

Harrison May, senior punter

1) We feel we match up well with them. They run the same offense as some of the teams we've faced, like Rockton Hononegah and Rochelle. We are happy to play them.

2) Michael Ratay. He's scored a lot of touchdowns and the offensive line is doing a lot better than they did at the beginning of the year. Our defense has also been spectacular all season.

3) We just have to take one game at a time. We'll concentrate at the game at hand first, then move on.

Anthony Miller, senior OL

1) It should be a good matchup. It will be a good test for us.

2) There's no one person, but the whole team is motivated to go all the way (to state).

3) It's hard to think ahead when we are concentrating. Yeah, at practice, but once the game starts, we don't focus on anything else but the game.

Rob Wicinski, head coach

1) It is a tough match-up. They are almost like looking at ourselves. They run the ball, and pride themselves on stopping the run and have some experience with playoff games.

2) The consistency of our players focus and the coaches preparation of their individual positions have been the key, along with some great "scout team" play in practice.

3) The teams that have shown up in the playoffs are very good. On any day, a team can get beat. Knowing that this one game could be the last, keeps us in the moment.