Convincing victory for Geneva better than aspirin

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Bryce Biel managed a smile as a Geneva trainer cut through the heavy tape wrapped tightly around his left elbow. His eyes were wet, perhaps from pain, perhaps from the joy of victory -- or both.

But he couldn't help but grin, even though he didn't move his left hand at all as he watched his teammates file out of Burgess Field after Geneva's 35-21 Class 7A quarterfinal victory over Carmel on Saturday afternoon.

The senior right guard injured his left elbow in the third quarter but returned a series later to help the Vikings pound the Corsairs into submission.

"Well, any pain ... if you get hurt, you always want to be able to work through it," Biel said. "You want to play for your team. We're a good senior-oriented team and I can't let down any of my ... they're all family to me. I have 80 brothers on the team I can't let down."

Biel is part of a line that helped Geneva rush for four touchdowns and 235 yards -- by far the most a stingy Carmel defense had allowed all season.

And there was Biel, right in the middle of several of Geneva's final scoring drives, which included several quarterback sneaks by Brandon Beitzel and plays to the right by running back Michael Ratay.

"That was a lot of heart from them," said Ratay, who rushed for 199 yards and three touchdowns. "It just shows you have to leave it all on the field, because if we lose we go home."

Biel wasn't the only Viking sucking it up for the team. Middle linebacker Brennan Quinn took a shot to the right shin late in the first quarter. It was bad enough to not only send the big man to the ground, but to have him yell in pain as he was examined on the bench.

The shin bruised badly, tightening his ankle to the point that he couldn't move his foot. But after five plays, he was back in the game.

"I was hurting a little bit," Quinn said. "It hurt, but then again it could be my last game, and I just want to leave everything out on the field."

Obviously hobbled, Quinn not only managed to make several big defensive stops in the second half, but he was brought in for Geneva's power rush package and led the way on a Ratay touchdown in the third quarter.

"He's a warrior from way back. He's old-school football," Vikings coach Rob Wicinski said. "Both (Quinn and Biel) are just so determined. We told (the guys) before the game this comes down to want -- that this is a toss-up. It's a coin toss. We play identical football. And I said it's going to get down to want, and that want is execution. And if you can execute, you can win.

"And those two got it."

jowczarski@scn1.com Class 7A Quarterfinal: Geneva 35, Carmel 21