York comeback shocks Vikings
After the first game of the Class 4A Geneva Sectional matchup between the host Vikings and York, it appeared Geneva and star outside hitter Lauren Wicinski were headed for a tussle with defending state champion St. Charles East in the sectional final.

Quiet leader: Former Oswego standout Teah Gant
In a large ballroom at a Chicago airport hotel, there are faces in the crowd most basketball fans would recognize. Tom Izzo. Bruce Weber. Gene Keady. Coaching stars, present and past. Sitting at one large round table in the middle of the room is the face of an athlete not nearly as famous as those coaches mentioned above. Yet her impact on the program she represents is just as irreplaceable.

Stiff defense pushes Vikings to Round 2
On the scoreboard, Geneva's 36-8 win over Shepard on Saturday in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs would look like the Vikings had an offensive explosion.

Vikings pull hat trick on Bulldogs
Give the Batavia volleyball team credit for reaching Saturday's regional final at Addison Trail after having to fight back to defeat Wheaton-Warrenville South on Thursday. But given a third chance to knock off Western Sun Conference champion and No. 2 seed Geneva, the Bulldogs were out of mojo as the Vikings (35-2) took the regional title 25-19, 25-11.

Spartans overpower Knights with ground game
The battle between a pair of 6-3 Western Sun Conference rivals never really materialized Saturday night as Sycamore ran roughshod over Kaneland 40-13.

Vikings survive muddy road to state
Blustery conditions and a muddy, nasty track greeted the field at the Class 3A St. Charles East sectionals Saturday, but Geneva advanced both its boys and girls squads to next week's state meet in Peoria.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Late charge ignites Bulldogs
Down a set, with its season in the balance, Batavia's girls volleyball team had to find a way to fight back in its Class 4A Addison Trail Regional semifinal against Wheaton Warrenville South on Thursday.

Reversal of fortune
Last season, Geneva's boys soccer team met Schaumburg in the sectional semifinals and beat them to advance. The two teams met again Tuesday in the Class 3A Hoffman Estates Sectional and the result was the complete opposite. The second-seeded Vikings, the only top-eight seed still alive in the sectional, were handed a 2-0 defeat by the Saxons to end their season at 18-5-2. Schaumburg, the No. 12 seed (lowest at the sectional), remained red hot with its ninth straight win.

Cadets, Vikings ready for matches
Marmion's soccer team is preparing for Wednesday's Class 2A Hampshire Sectional semifinal match against Lakes, and is relieved it advanced to this point.

Six-rotation
K.C. Johnsen's only regret is that he didn't make the move sooner. "She's just a very good, athletic kid," the Geneva volleyball coach said of senior middle blocker Kelsey Augustine. "She's very quick, very fast, moves so well and has long arms so she covers a lot of ground on defense."

Bring it on: Area teams ready for playoffs
Saturday's IHSA playoff pairings selection was more interesting than in years past and created drama up and down the eight-class system. First, the IHSA (at the request of the Chicago Public League) allowed the top two teams in each of the Chicago conferences into the playoffs instead of the usual one, creating more teams.

Wahl pushes Vikings to title
Geneva's Brady Wahl didn't do everything for his team Saturday, although at times it seemed like it. Combined with a strong defense that made life easy for goalkeeper Ryan Ward, Wahl led the Vikings to a 2-0 victory over St. Charles East to win the Class 3A regional hosted by the Saints.

Vikings muster sweep
Geneva runners Kevin McDowell and Kevin Sparks spend a lot of time running shoulder to shoulder -- they are good friends and training partners. So it was no surprise they were doing so Saturday with about a half-mile to go at the Class 3A West Aurora Regional.

Geneva pulls away from Batavia in fourth
One of the great rivalry games in the state played out at Bulldog Stadium in Batavia to conclude the regular season Friday. It was a much closer affair than most may have predicted, considering Geneva was 7-1 coming in and Batavia was 2-6.

Kaneland secures postseason spot
Up 7-0 with 5:28 remaining in regulation, Kaneland kicker Chad Swieca had the opportunity to put Kaneland up by two possessions on a soggy senior night in Yorkville. The freshman made his field goal, giving the Knights a 10-0 win and a berth in the playoffs.

Run ends in round of 16 for tennis hopefuls
Emily Reuland of Rosary was playing the best tennis of her career in the state tournament this week, but it came to an end in the Sweet 16 Friday.

Vikings polish off perfect WSC season
Geneva's girls volleyball team has nine seniors on the roster this season, and the Vikings entered Thursday's Western Sun Conference finale, and senior night, with a perfect WSC record. One of those seniors, Lauren Wicinski, made sure the WSC season was capped off right.

'Mini-state meet' on tap at Oakhurst

Saturday's Class 2A Aurora Central Catholic Regional at Oakhurst Forest Preserve could be called a mini-state meet, with four highly ranked teams battling for a trip to the loaded Belvidere Sectional the following week.

Vikings begin title defense Saturday

Two-time defending state champion Geneva on Saturday begins its quest for a third state title when it headlines the Class 3A West Aurora Regional at Waubonsee Community College.

Calendar

Rosary senior settles into comfort zone

Emily Reuland loves playing tennis indoors.

Running game puts Vikings on sure WSC footing
Jim Owczarski: On Thursday afternoon, Geneva coach Rob Wicinski likened the current Kaneland defense to the unheralded groups that won a Western Sun Conference title in 2006 and helped the Knights claim back-to-back state titles in 1997 and 1998. But the Geneva offensive line and running back Michael Santacaterina found a groove late in the game and ground out a 27-24 overtime victory over the Knights.

Batavia's offensive line dominates DeKalb
You can forget about time of possession. DeKalb won that battle hands down. That also goes for first downs and number of plays from scrimmage. The Barbs had those covered too. The thing is, football games come down to the final score and Batavia was all over that to the tune of 40-6 Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Knights' Guyton takes third swing at state
A foursome carrying area hopes to the girls state golf tournaments in the Carbondale area this weekend features three fresh faces and a seasoned veteran. Kaneland junior Hayley Guyton is making her third straight appearance at state and hopes to continue her climb up the standings after tying for 68th place as a freshman and taking 42nd last year. She will be joined in the Class 2A field at Hickory Ridge Golf Course in Carbondale by the Batavia duo of sophomore Tara Cullerton and junior Megan Ramp.

Down the stretch they come
It's been awhile, but the Western Sun Conference is a horse race this year -- and tonight's game at Kaneland is the start of an exciting home stretch. Not since 2006 has the conference been this close this late in the year, and not coincidentally, that was also the last time Geneva had lost in WSC play.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Bulldogs' bid comes up just short
Bundled up in sweatshirts and sweatpants, the girls tennis teams competing in the Western Sun Conference tournament Saturday probably wished there was, ironically, more western sun to combat the effects of a numbing cold that toyed with the player's mental toughness.

Tomcats hold off Saints
By no means does the East Aurora boys soccer team like ties -- but it is something that has happened to the Tomcats quite a bit this year. On Tuesday, for the second consecutive game against an Upstate Eight Conference team from St. Charles, the Tomcats posted a 1-1 tie -- this time against St. Charles East. They did it at East Aurora on Senior Night, where sox seniors were honored.

Vikings on a mission
Overlook no one. That's been the mantra for the Geneva High School volleyball team in its pursuit of another Western Sun Conference title and the players didn't have to be reminded Tuesday as they claimed a 25-17, 25-19 victory.

Bulldogs put up fight
Batavia's girls golf team knew that it was probably slotted third heading into Tuesday's Class AA St. Ignatius Sectional at Cog Hill No. 1, with the top two teams advancing to this weekend's state meet. That didn't stop the Bulldogs from putting on one heck of a battle.

Area roundup
A roundup of local sports results.

'Why not now?'
Time waits for no one. Apparently, neither does the Waubonsie Valley High School golf team. "We thought next year was going to be our year," said Warriors' sophomore Alex Koulos, echoing the prevalent sentiment heading into Monday's St. Charles East Class 3A Sectional.

Rochelle ends Geneva's regular-season dominance
An upset, it probably was. A fluke, it definitely wasn't. Yes, Rochelle's thrilling 21-14 victory over Geneva at muddy Burgess Field Friday night shook the high school football world.

Vikings put away game, Foxes squad
The beat rolls on for Geneva's volleyball team. In the midst of an outstanding season, the Vikings took to the road and took care of a hardscrabble Yorkville squad 25-14, 25-15 in Western Sun Conference action.

Area roundup
A roundup of local results.

Golfers advance to sectionals
Wheaton Warrenville South won the St. Francis Regional with a score of 341 on Wednesday at Prairie Landing Golf Club.

Geneva flying under the radar
Has anybody noticed the Geneva Vikings are undefeated again? If it's possible for a state finalist to fly under the radar the following season, the Vikings have done so. Part of it is because undefeated seasons feel like a foregone conclusion. The Vikings haven't lost a regular season game since Oct. 20, 2006. That equates to a 24-game winning streak.

Somonauk girls advance to sectional
The Somonauk girls golf team qualified for sectionals by placing second at the Class A Peru St. Bede Regional on Wednesday. The Bobcats finished with a team score of 425. Alleman won the regional with a 390.

Batavia bulldozes regional field
Batavia's girls golf team entered the Class 3A Neuqua Valley Regional at Naperbrook Golf Course on Wednesday a heavy favorite, and by the end it was clear why. The Bulldogs, paced by super sophomores Tara Cullerton and Kayla Lehman, cruised to a 22-stroke victory over their nearest rivals to repeat as regional champions.

Kickoff return thrusts North Stars past Sabres
St. Charles North used this method of success before, although coach Mark Gould would rather they produced a victory via more conventional means.

Saints solid, but finish second
St. Charles East's top three golfers shot below 75 and it was not enough for a win at the Upstate Eight Conference Tournament at St. Andrews on Thursday.

Bulldogs dominate postseason tuneup
SUGAR GROVE -- Batavia's girls golf team dominated the four-team Independent Conference meet by a whopping 40 strokes Sept. 30, but things will be different next season.

Area roundup
A roundup of area results: