End of the line for Saints
GENEVA -- It was a long time in the making, but the St. Charles East-Geneva showdown on Friday night didn't quite live up to the billing.
The first meeting between the neighboring schools since 1978 turned into a one-sided affair as the host Vikings' balanced offense and pressure defense was too much for the Saints to overcome.
(Michael Smart/Staff Photographer)
(Michael Smart/Staff Photographer)
(Michael Smart/Staff Photographer)
Geneva scored the final 28 points of the game to pull away for a 35-14 win in the second round of the Class 7A state football playoffs.
Geneva quarterback Michael Mayszak threw for 187 yards and two touchdowns while running back Michael Ratay ran for 135 yards and a pair of scores.
Meanwhile, the Vikings defense had Saints quarterback Sam Gunther running for his life. Geneva (11-0) had seven sacks on the night and allowed East (8-3) just 59 yards rushing.
"We ran into a real good ballclub tonight," said East coach Ted Monken. "We just didn't have an answer for their defensive pressure. They have some big, physical guys in the middle of their defensive line and they are able to attack with their linebackers from a lot of different spots."
The Saints had some success early on with a 4-yard touchdown run by Wes Allen on their second possession of the game. East took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter when Gunther hit Matt Hammer on a 62-yard pass play over the middle for a touchdown. That gave East the seven-point lead.
The Saints, however, were dealt a crushing blow when standout defensive lineman Dave Mashal went down with a knee injury early in the second quarter and did not return.
It was all Geneva after that. The Vikings answered back with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Mayszak to Joe Augustine to tie the score at 14-all. They took the lead 21-14 just before the half on a 42-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard TD run by Ratay.
"It's a tough blow to lose one of your defensive leaders," said Monken. "It definitely made a difference. We gave up some big plays."
The Saints' opening drive of the second half stalled at the 23-yard line of Geneva. East could do very little after that, managing just 24 yards on the ground.
Geneva tacked on a score late in the third quarter when Mayszak and Augustine hooked up on another 43-yard TD pass.
Allen ran for 43 yards on his first carry of the game, but was held to just 40 yards on his next 16 attempts. Gunther completed 14 of 24 passes for 202 yards.