Geneva tops Oswego East to move on
Things didn't exactly begin the way Geneva football coach Rob Wicinski envisioned during the first quarter of Friday night's Class 7A state playoff game against Oswego East.
A blocked punt by Elijah James helped set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jaylon Banks to Kijana Campbell as the Wolves (6-4) grabbed a 7-0 lead just 4 minutes into the contest.
On the Vikings' next possession, Oswego East defensive back Kaelub Newman intercepted a Sean Chambers pass and returned it to Geneva's 6-yard line.
Two false starts and incompletions later, the Wolves' 33-yard field goal attempt sailed wide and momentum finally started shifting.
Geneva (9-1) proceeded to march 80 yards in 15 plays, capped by a 1-yard TD run by senior tailback Justin Taormina, to tie the game at 7-7.
It was the beginning of a 29-point second-quarter onslaught as the Vikings went on to record a 36-19 postseason victory at Burgess Field.
"I was real proud of the way they bounced back," said Wicinski, whose team will visit Bradley-Bourbonnais in second-round action next weekend. "I thought that the defense gave us some spark there. You could see them starting to take control of the line of scrimmage."
Four minutes later, the Vikings took the lead for good at 15-7 on Chambers' 20-yard TD pass to Ryan Skibinski.
Taormina, who rushed for 285 yards and 4 touchdowns on a career-high 42 carries, added a 4-yard scoring run before scampering 23 yards for his third TD of the quarter with 12 seconds remaining to extend the Vikings' halftime lead to 29-7.
Senior defensive lineman Stephen Kemp had 2 ½ of the Vikings' 4 first-half sacks as the defense limited Oswego East to just 79 total yards through the first 24 minutes.
"Our defense gave the offense a shorter field," said Wicinski. "It's good any time you get a short field, especially in the playoffs.
Led by offensive linemen Loudon Vollbrecht, Bobby Ariss, John Boenzi, Matt Julseth and Matt Pawlak, the Vikings piled up 443 total yards and 36 points against a Wolves' defense that entered the game allowing 12 points per game.
"I'm anxious to see some tape because I really thought this (Oswego East) defense was something else," said Wicinski. "Maybe we are pretty good - I don't know. I didn't expect to score this many points.
"They really sold out inside and Taormina was able to get outside on the toss. That was a small level adjustment we made because of how hard they were pinching and sending linebackers inside."
Taormina added his fourth TD of the game with an electrifying 75-yard run through the middle of the Wolves' defense to make it 36-7 with 11:41 left in the third quarter.
"Coach Wicinski said to keep pressing the hole and that I was going to get one, and it showed on that first play from scrimmage in the second half," said Taormina, who was surprised when told of his workmanlike performance.
"That's the most I've ever carried the ball but I'll tell you what, that was a fun playoff game. Now I get to rest and celebrate the win for 24 hours and then get back to work."
Quinn Erdmann and Nick Miller added second-half interceptions for the Vikings.