Hayden McCoy gives Geneva an athletic element at QB

MAPLE PARK – Hayden McCoy wasn’t directly involved in Geneva’s difficult varsity season last year, but he’s going to do his part moving forward to try to avoid a similar situation.

The Vikings limped to an 0-6 start before winning their final three games of the year.

“It gives our lower level a lot more motivation [to not have that poor start again],” McCoy said at a 7-on-7 event July 16 at Kaneland.

McCoy, a two-year starting quarterback at the sophomore level, is firmly in the mix to start after Alex Williams left Geneva to transfer to a military academy in Virginia. The transfer was confirmed by Geneva coach Rob Wicinski.

“I think there’s a lot more focus on getting back up and doing better than what we performed last year,” McCoy said. “It’s all about motivation and keeping high spirits.”

McCoy didn’t know Williams from a friend standpoint that well, but looked up to him given Williams’ status as the varsity starter.

“I think any young quarterback would look up to a guy like that,” McCoy said.

McCoy’s time at the sophomore level has helped prepare him for the move up to the varsity.

“It was good learning. ... I was a little bit more comfortable in the scenario I was in,” McCoy said.

His coach speaks highly of McCoy.

“Hayden is a competitor,” Wicinski said. “Since his freshman year, he has gotten nothing but faster and bigger. He’s going to bring a nice athletic element to the quarterback position for us. He leads well. The kids seem to really like him.

“They like blocking for him. ... I didn’t realize that at the start of the summer, but that was one of the things that kind of came out through his work ethic in the weight room and how hard he practices,” Wicinski continued.

McCoy said he prefers to be a run-first quarterback and use his legs. That likely will be a wrinkle in Geneva’s offense under coordinator Brad Wendell.

“Anytime you get a quarterback that can run, he makes the guy calling the plays a lot better,” Wicinski said. “He gets you out of trouble when you don’t call quite the right play, and he also gives us the ability to have an extra back in the backfield.”

McCoy won’t have a varsity-experienced backfield behind him. Reilly Waldoch and Brendan Krohe, heavy contributors in the past, have graduated.

Waldoch ran for more than 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns over the past two seasons. He also had a team-high 193 yards on 14 receptions.

Backfield mate Krohe ran for more than 100 yards three times last season and finished with 787 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

“[The lack of experience] is a problem – not just in the backfield – but all over at every position,” Wicinski said. “We’ve only got 14, 15 seniors. The good thing is that provides opportunity for a lot of juniors to play. We’re looking forward to that and seeing how they develop.”