Is Ratay leading best Geneva team yet?

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Geneva senior running back Michael Ratay ran for 254 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 carries Friday.

The Vikings beat Rochelle 35-14 to move to 7-0 for the third consecutive season.

The scary part is that was just an average performance for this Geneva team, which could be better than the teams that reached the postseason the last four years. Keep in mind there were two state semifinalists and one quarterfinalist in that group.

"I'd say the biggest different is our depth," Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said. "I have depth I've never had before."

That depth kept things moving when a couple of defensive starters went down with injuries earlier in the season. It has allowed positions to be two-deep, including the offensive line that has paved the way for Ratay's historic season.

Anybody who has followed the Vikings during this remarkable five-year run knows what Ratay brings to the table. Last year, in Geneva's state quarterfinal loss to East St. Louis, Ratay still ran wild against a team full of track stars and FBS prospects. Then he dropped basketball in favor of training year-round for football, and the results have been staggering.

In seven games, Ratay has 1,456 yards (an average of 8.8 per carry) and 24 touchdowns on 165 carries. That's 208 yards and nearly four touchdowns per game. He's also caught a touchdown pass, and that's without a reliable passing game to take the pressure off him.

Junior quarterback Brandon Beitzel and Geneva's young receiving corps are coming around, but every team knows Ratay will carry the load and none of them have been able to slow him down.

"Without the extra work he was already at another level," Wicinski said. "He's worked real hard, and he's that much stronger and faster. We go as Michael goes. We're working on our passing game."

That has translated to more attention from college scouts, particularly close to home. Wicinski said Illinois State, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois have shown interest.

But the more performances Ratay has like in Friday's win, the more film will be dissected by scouts, and seemingly more colleges will get into the fray for Ratay's services.

"You can't miss him on film," Wicinski said.

The Vikings entered the season with massive external pressure thanks to their success the last four years. But that has not affected their play on the field.

On average, Geneva has outscored its opponents by a 38-10 clip. Its only scare came against Glenbard South in Week 4, a 14-7 win. The Raiders are one of two 5-2 teams Geneva has beaten (St. Charles East is the other).

A win over Kaneland on Friday would give the Vikings a chance to enter their Week 9 showdown with rival Batavia with an 8-0 record for the third straight season -- and give them at least a share of their fifth consecutive Western Sun Conference title.

Two years ago, Batavia beat Geneva and marched to the Class 6A state title game. Last year, Geneva finished off a 9-0 regular season by beating Batavia. The Bulldogs are 5-2 through seven games this year.

"That's cool," Wicinski said. "We like that ninth game. Most of the time, it hasn't been a deal-breaker as far as reaching the playoffs; it's been more about conference titles and seeding. How fun for the kids. Lifetime of memories."

If things keep rolling the way they are for the Vikings right now, that will be just one of many of those types of memories for the Vikings and their fans.