ELGIN – Walking into what Geneva coach Rob Wicinski called his first real Upstate Conference game, the Vikings treated their preparation for Elgin like a playoff game because the lack of familiarity with the Maroons.
Geneva’s unfamiliarity showed primarily on offense during the first half of Friday night’s game. The Vikings trailed Elgin by one until Ben Rogers caught a 31-yard touchdown with 20 seconds remaining in the first half.
From that point, the Vikings settled into the game, made solid halftime adjustments and would never trail again. Geneva, behind a stingy defensive performance and a breakout game from Rogers, beat Elgin 34-13.
“The first game, playing St. Charles East four years in a row, didn’t really feel like conference. This did,” Wicinski said. “We really didn’t know what they would do. (They) changed up their defense a little bit. They didn’t do what they did on tape, but now we know. We’ve got a year of data under our belt and we can prepare next year for some of what he was doing this year.”
With the vaunted Geneva rushing attack struggling to pick up significant yards, excluding Connor Quinn’s 41-yard rush which set up the team’s first touchdown, the Vikings (2-2, 2-0 Upstate Eight River) were forced to go to Rogers often.
The junior, who lost a preseason quarterback battle with Matt Williams, caught five passes for 82 yards in the first half and added one catch in the second for 111 total yards on the night.
“To do anything possible to help us win,” said Rogers of his mindset after Williams was named the starting quarterback. “I’m going to do anything I can to help this team win and that’s what happened tonight. It was just a great night all around.”
Rogers’ strong first half performance and the Vikings committment to the run opened up rushing lanes in the defense of the Maroons (2-2, 1-1 UEC River). Quinn rushed for 67 of his game-high 118 yards in the second half and all 78 of junior Parker Woodworth’s yards came in the same period.
“Quinn is unbelievable in the backfield,” Rogers said. “[Joe] Cella and Woodworth showed tremendous athleticism tonight and with them in the backfield, good things are going to keep happening for us.”
GENEVA 34, ELGIN 13
Geneva 0 13 7 14 -- 34
Elgin 7 0 6 0 – 13
First quarter E – Muenzer 19 pass from Meyer (Moore PAT), 8:08 Second quarter G – Quinn 2 run (PAT Failed), 6:43 G – Rogers 31 pass from Williams (Moore PAT), :20.1 Third quarter E – Holloway 88 yard kick return (PAT Failed), 11:46 G – Berthold 14 pass from Williams (Moore PAT), 6:32 Fourth quarter G – Quinn 2 run (Moore PAT), 8:41 G – Einck 11 pass from Williams (Moore PAT), 3:21
INDIVIDUAL STATISTISCS RUSHING – Geneva: Quinn 23-118, Woodworth 7-78, Cella 11-50, Williams 9-19, Favis 1-9, Berthold 1-8, Rogers 3- negative-2. Totals: 55-280. Elgin: Meyer 11-27, Dean 9-26, Moore 2-6, Hayes 1- negative-3. Totals: 23-56. PASSING – Geneva: Williams 12-21-1-170. Elgin: Meyer 10-27-2-112. RECEIVING – Geneva: Rogers 6-111, Einck 2-29, Berthold 2-16, Cella 1-11, Quinn 1-3. Elgin: Gilliam 2-33, Muenzer 2-33, Hayes 3-25, Holloway 1-18, Dean 2- negative-1. TOTAL YARDS: Geneva: 450, Elgin: 168.
Sophomore game: Geneva 41, Elgin 20.