By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current
When Geneseo and Montini Catholic tee it up at 2 p.m. Saturday in Lombard, it will be their third meeting, all in the state playoffs.
I remember the first one, in 1982, at Bob Reade Field. The Broncos had a wide receiver named Bob Westerkamp (remember him?) who was all the rage in the Chicagoland area.
I had the coverage assignment for The Daily Dispatch and eagerly looked forward to it.
Geneseo’s coaches worked out a coverage scheme for Westerkamp, but played their usual defense on Montini’s first possession.
Three or four passes, and Westerkamp was in the end zone, cradling the football.
So bring on the special defense, which must have been developed at Area 51. It was about as sophisticated a zone as you’re going to see in high school ball.
The receiver must have thought he was surrounded and was rendered ineffective until the fourth quarter, when he snared his second touchdown pass.
But after his first one, Geneseo’s offense went nuclear, scoring 46 straight points! Round one to Geneseo, 46-14.
Fast forward, to 2014, when a pretty good Geneseo team visited Lombard. By this time, Montini had enlisted its strong wrestling program, which focused on flexibility and explosiveness, which did wonders for the down lineman football players on the squad.
Geneseo moved the ball some, but lost 52-15. The Broncos got under the Leafs’ pads and moved them up and out.
So, the series is tied 1-1.
Now, Montini has another star in 6-5, 190-pound quarterback Israel Abrams, a senior who is a Miami (Fl) Hurricanes commit.
His varsity story started about midway through his sophomore year, and he led the Broncos to the 3A state championship. Last year, it was an unbeaten Class 4A title.
“He (Abrams) is the real deal,” said Geneseo Coach Matt Furlong.
This season, Montini has lost two games, by a total of 8 points. And, 4 of the team’s 7 wins have been by an average of 5.75 points.
If that sounds kind of familiar, it’s because the Western Big 6 was that kind of league this year. You had best score first and keep scoring. The league had good quarterbacks, receivers and running backs.
Geneseo, which lost its 3 games by a total of 14 points, has a big group of good down linemen - essential if you’re going to beat a solid parochial school in the Chicago area.
Each week is a battle up there. It has become that way here, too.
A difference - Geneseo takes every snap under center. “Playing in a phone booth” they call that style up there.
But if a defender isn’t in the right gap, it can cost you big yardage.
So have Geneseo’s down linemen developed enough to take down this kind of an opponent?
“We think it will be strength versus strength,” Furlong said. ”If we can match up with them, that’s our chance.”
SATURDAY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN NICER - The weather, the atmosphere, the Maplettes, our many, many cheerleaders, the Sound of Geneseo. Spectacular! The fireworks, the smoke! Even the overbearing, overly loud pre-game canned music. Thunder!
Somehow, I thought North Chicago must be a smaller school. It isn’t. It enrolls 100 more than Geneseo. It must be how strong their league is . . . .
