Geneva offensive line a bright spot

Even though Plano and Geneseo will meet on the football field for the first time tonight, Reapers coach Jim Green (right) has several connections to the Maple Leafs coaching staff.
(Sun-Times Media File)

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Four and a half minutes were left in Saturday night's Class 7A state championship game at Memorial Stadium when East St. Louis quarterback Detchauz Wray took off to his right toward the Geneva sideline from the Vikings' 9-yard line. The Flyers were looking to pad their 26-7 lead, but as Wray bolted to open pastures, Cory Hofstetter appeared in his rear-view mirror. Four yards later, the defensive lineman caught Wray from behind.

Hofstetter's effort will be forgotten because Wray hit Keante Minor for a touchdown a play later, but what it represented won't be lost on Geneva for a long time. At that point the game was essentially over. After the Vikings took a 7-6 halftime lead, the Flyers won the field position game in the second half en route to 27 straight points. Minor's touchdown was, well, minor.

But Hofstetter's talent, as well as that of his teammates on Geneva's front seven, is what defined the game for the Vikings in their first IHSA title game appearance since 1975.

"I think we came out thinking we had to go (all) out every play, and I think on the D-line we showed we could play with the best of them," Hofstetter said. "We can chase down running backs. We can move for big guys."

Media from around the state who had not seen Andrew Clausen, Trey Hemming, Frank Boenzi and Hofstetter on the line and the linebacking group of Brennan Quinn, Trevor Hyslop and Bret Shannon were awed by their speed against a Flyers team that was expected to just go around them all night.

So was Flyers coach Darren Sunkett, who changed his offensive line's entire blocking scheme at halftime from a zone to a counter.

"Honestly, this week and last week (against Glenbard West) were the first time we had to make that adjustment," Sunkett said. "They did a great job just slanting their line to the side we wanted to run our zones. The back side of our offensive line couldn't get their cut off blocks."

Flyers running back Courtney Molton (79 rushing yards) couldn't believe what he was seeing, either.

"They were a little more physical and much more determined than they were last year," he said, shaking his head. "We weren't expecting them to be as quick as they were because we always know we're the fastest and quickest team, and it shocked us that they were keeping up with us on the line. It threw our offense off."

Only Glenbard West and Wayne High School of Ohio held the Flyers to fewer than the 33 points the Vikings allowed, and everyone from coach Rob Wicinski to star running back Michael Ratay put the responsibility for that squarely on the offense's shoulders. Ratay was held to fewer than 100 yards rushing for the first time in more than a year and the Vikings managed only 189 yards of offense.

"Our defense got beat up for points, but East St. Louis was working half the field most of the time," Wicinski said. "The same formula we used all year we didn't do today, and you're going to lose."

The Vikings may be coming home with their second runner-up trophy in two state appearances, but that group left with no regrets.

"I don't think we had to prove anything. We were 13-0," Boenzi said. "We didn't have to prove anything to anyone. We heard they thought the Glenbard West game was the state game for them and that got us going, like how could anyone count us out? We put up a good fight."

jowczarski@scn1.com