Some Blasts From the Past for Leafs
By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current
“The town is excited,” said Geneseo Football Coach Matt Furlong.
“Our boys are excited,” he said. “And you know who is taking all this in?” he asked.
“Our younger kids,” he said, knowing full well that bunch, which includes future Green Machine players, had never seen Geneseoans really let their hair down about football, like us old geezers did.
Well wake up the echoes and shake down thunder!
It's happening, maybe a year sooner than Furlong expected.
“There are signs in store windows, I mean BIG signs” he said. Signs of support are up all over town. Decorated green tractors in farm fields. And just a general buzz in the air. “You can tell something is up,” Furlong said.
Observers say it began quietly after the Moline game, in which Geneseo acquitted itself as well as anyone local has against the WB6 champions.
Nobody around here does playoff football quite like Geneseo. I always say that sometimes.
On Saturday, we'll get a blast from the past when the Leafs play the Macomb Bombers at their place.
These two teams had a home-and-home regular season series during the 1970s, Geneseo won all six games.
But, there was one game and one superb athlete we'll never forget. I say Phil Bradley of Macomb is the greatest quarterback a Geneseo team ever played against.
In 1976, at home, the Leafs beat the Bombers 35-32, and did so only because Geneseo had possession on the last drive of the game!
Bradley threw laser-guided rocket balls. His receivers tried to catch them in their bellies. King Cline, one of his receivers, feared broken fingers would result if he tried to catch one in his hands.
Bradley was a two-sport athlete, baseball being the other one. He went on to establish passing records at the University of Missouri, then went on to a long career with baseball's Seattle Mariners.
When I got upstairs to talk with Geneseo's coaches, Bob Reade was doubled over, laughing. “I'll bet you're here to interview my defensive coordinator,” Reade said.
Seated next to him, said coordinator, Larry Johnsen, Sr., was about to double over. And he was trying to hide his face.
Bradley was one of those athletes that Macomb had thanks to his dad's coaching employment at Western Illinois University. The Bombers get a kid from that relationship with Western every now and then. I'm not sure if that's the case this year, but they've got several guys who stand out on the scouting reports.
Unfortunately for Macomb, Phil Bradley graduated back in the 70s.
This year, the Bombers are 9-1, having lost to a good Farmington team.
Coach Furlong says quarterback Kaden Knupp (#5, 6-0, 175) “throws a good deep ball.” Knupp through 9 games had 13 touchdown passes and a .582 completion percentage.
Running back Drake May (#23, 5-11, 165), had averaged 124 rushing yards a game and 14 tackles a game from his linebacker position. He had 14 touchdowns as of two weeks ago.
Drew Watson (#1) averaged 80 yards receiving per game through that period.
“I was impressed by Macomb,” Furlong said. “They're a disciplined team with a good running game.”
“On defense, Macomb tackled well in space,” he said. “Hillcrest (playoff round one opponent) had some speed, but Macomb always had people around their quick guys.”
Macomb won that game 21-6.
