By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current
It had been a while since I heard a war-hoop rise up from the Geneseo side of Bob Reade Field that was comparable to the one that roared over the soccer fields and out to wake up chickens over north of Atkinson.
The Green Machine, down 33-28 with 1:27 left to go after yielding a late touchdown to United Township, watched UT players celebrate their go ahead score – and draw a penalty for it -while Geneseo's coaches contemplated what plays to use.
Fast forward...with 40 seconds left and the ball still out there near the UT 40, Geneseo sent senior tight end Carter Holke deep down the right side.
There was some bumping taking place, and quarterback Jackson McAvoy's pass went up there . . .way up there. “I thought it would never come down,” said Maple Leafs Coach Matt Furlong.
It did, Holke surrounded it, and caught it. At or near UT's 10-yard line.
Next play: A pitch that sailed behind running back Harrison Hill and lost 15 yards.
Next play: “A throwback, to Carter,” said Furlong. It really was our third option.”
But Holke had slid past the left side of the Panther defense and was by himself, alone. He caught the football, turned around and took one step, maybe two, into the end zone.
Now it's 34-33, Leafs. Kye Weinzierl ran it for two points and got in easily. 36-33, with 22 seconds left.
The kickoff was downed inside UT's 25. Two incompletions followed, then Weinzierl sacked the quarterback near the goal line to end certainly the game of the year, so far, for Geneseo.
It was played hard, and clean, and was a treat compared with some of the games we've seen since Geneseo joined the Western Big Six.
“That was a win that could help us in a lot of ways,” Furlong said.
Like the playoffs, the conference race, and maybe more important things, said Geneseo's second-year coach.
“UT had been picked by the coaches to win the conference this year,” Furlong said.
“But our guys handled adversity better than they have been,” said the coach.
“Our mindset is improving and I'm including the coaches on that,” Furlong said. “They're all getting a better understanding of what we're trying to do.”
“Like on that last series, when we had a short field to defend, the kids saw that our coaches had kept their composure. That helps the boys' confidence level.”
“UT is really on the rise,” Furlong praised. “Their talent is a good as any in the conference.”
So this Friday the Leafs play at Galesburg, which is 2-3 overall and 1-2 against the league.
Geneseo, 3-2 overall and in second place in the WB6, will face off against a Silver Streaks team that is a mix of seniors and sophomores. “They will run some of what other teams in the conference run,” Furlong said. “We have to pick up on their schemes.”
NOTES: Geneseo ran 71 plays to 50 by UT; The Leafs outgained the Panthers 369 to 302; Geneseo won the first down battle 21-17, and on third downs it was 7-11 for Geneseo, to 1-5 for UT.
