July 06, 2025
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Genoa-Kingston opens postseason after comeback win at Stillman Valley: ‘We don’t quit’

By Eddie Carifio
Genoa - Kingston's Traven Atterberry is tackled by Dixon's Hunter Vacek (24) and Jathaniel St Pier (2) on Friday Oct.7,2022 in Genoa.

Genoa-Kingston running back Traven Atterberry is tackled by Dixon's Hunter Vacek (center) and Jathaniel St. Pier on Oct. 7 in Genoa. (Karen Naess for Shaw Local )

GENOA – The Genoa-Kingston football team opens postseason play at 1 p.m. Saturday against Elmwood-Brimfield co-op with much more confidence than a week ago.

Nothing like coming from two touchdowns down to beat a previously undefeated team on its home turf on senior night.

“We don’t quit,” said running back Traven Atterberry, who scored the deciding touchdown last week in a 32-28 win over Stillman Valley, a game the Cogs trailed 14-0. “We saw at the beginning of the game they had those two touchdowns, long runs, and we locked in. We stepped up, and we got the job done.”

The win helped get the Cogs (7-2) the No. 8 seed in the 3A north bracket and a home game against the No. 9 Trojans (6-3).

Coach Cam Davekos said the team is confident but still focused on the task at hand, advancing past the first round for the sixth straight postseason. Linebacker and running back Max Lavender said the team learned an important lesson in the comeback against the Cardinals last week.

“Even if they pop a few in at the beginning of the game,” Lavender said, “we just keep pounding, keep our heads down, keep grinding with the ball.”

Davekos said the focus this week has been more on recuperating after the physical battle in Stillman Valley. He said he expects no players who played last week will miss Saturday, but the team needed to heal physically and mentally.

“That Stillman game was a battle,” Davekos said. “We’ve got some hurt bodies we’re trying to get back to peak form. We’re going to have more of a mental week than a physical week.”

The Cogs also may get back starting defensive back and quarterback Nolan Perry. Injured early in the season, Perry was medically cleared to play this week. Davekos said it’s a matter of if he’s in football shape after the long layoff. He’ll be a game-time decision Saturday.

Davekos said he obviously likes the way the team responded last week.

“It was great to see and a testament to the kids,” Davekos said. “We went down 14-0 and kind of looked at everybody and said, ‘Look, take a deep breath. Trust your training and how we got here and let’s go to work and get out of this hole.’ And they did. They did a great job.”

Now comes the opener against Elmwood-Brimfield, with the winner advancing to play either Peotone (5-4) or Princeton (9-0)

“We’re all amped up about it,” Lavender said. “It was a big boost.”