Vikings overwhelmed in 7A title game

CHAMPAIGN — East St. Louis hit the trifecta Saturday in its 33-14 victory over Geneva in the Class 7A title game at Memorial Stadium.

The Flyers (13-1) used a lightning-quick defense to bottle up Geneva's running game, won the battle of field position in the second half and got a big day from junior quarterback Detchauz Wray (10-of-20, 198 yards, four touchdowns) to rally from a 7-6 halftime deficit and win the school's seventh state championship.

"They did a nice job of controlling the line of scrimmage, especially when we were on the offensive side of the ball," said Geneva coach Rob Wickinski, whose squad finishes 13-1.

In the final 24 minutes, the Flyers' average starting point was the Geneva 43˝-yard line on six possessions that led to four scores.

Geneva's average starting point in its six second-half drives? Its own 21.

Terry Hawthorne, one of two University of Illinois wide receiver recruits Wray counts among his targets, got the Flyers' comeback started with a 39-yard punt return to the Geneva 20 early in the third quarter. Six plays later he scored on a 10-yard screen pass from Wray.

The Vikings survived a failed fake punt near midfield when its defense made a nice stand, but Wray and Co. were soon back at it.

"Who I'm gonna throw it to is the only question," said Wray, who has another Ron Zook recruit in 6-foot-3-inch Kraig Appleton (two catches, 56 yards).

His other touchdown throws went for 64 yards to Chris Murphy, 42 yards to Appleton and 10 yards to Keante Minor.

"I took a little bit of a chance with the fake punt and really put my defense in bad position," Wicinski said. "But all year long we've relied on our defense playing field position. We got the ball back and got an opportunity. We just didn't get the job done.

"When your backs are against the end zone, it's rough."

In the first half, Geneva's defense, led by linemen Frank Boenzi and Cory Hofstetter, pressured Wray on six of his 12 passes.

"That wasn't what I was expecting," Wray said of some of the hits he took early. "But I like contact. I take a lot of pride in that. In the second half we adjusted and gave me more time to throw."

Wicinski wanted to control the Flyers' running game and make Wray beat him.

"We knew it was gonna be an issue, be a challenge," Wicinski said. "You give him three seconds (to throw) and you've got problems. Give him four, five or six seconds and you've really got issues.

"What he did (especially in the second half) was a nice job of getting out of the way. We put pressure up the middle and he'd scoot to the outside and create even eight, nine seconds to throw. And that's tough to ask a defensive back to hold coverage for that long."

Geneva's first-half score came on a 15-yard pass from Brandon Beitzel to the flat to a wide-open Michael Santacaterina after the Flyers defense bit on a play fake to senior tailback Michael Ratay. Sean Grady's extra point gave the Vikings their only lead.

Ratay finished with 91 yards on 26 carries, but the Vikings game breaker's longest run was 15 yards.

"They were unbelievable," Ratay said of the Flyers defense. "They were flying to the ball and a really good hitting team. We were hoping to pop a big play in the fourth quarter and turn things around, but it didn't happen."

He did haul in a 21-yard scoring pass from Beitzel (14-of-24, 119 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) in the final minute. Ratay finished the season with 46 rushing touchdowns, one short of a state record.

"We didn't go into the season looking for an undefeated season, we just wanted to win a conference championship and go deep into the playoffs," Wicinski said.

"And Michael's focus was not on records but doing the best he can. All year long, people said, 'Stop Ratay and stop Geneva.' East St. Louis did."