Guess What? Geneseo Football is Reloading!
By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current
Yes, it’s true: Matt Furlong is in just his third season as Geneseo’s football coach, and already he has his players thinking in terms of “reloading” the Green Machine, rather than “rebuilding” it.
In year one, the Leafs beat a Chicago Public League team in the first round of the Class 4 playoff, then made an eventual state champion from the Catholic League check its defensive assignments after driving 70 yards for a game-tying touchdown.
The Leafs lost that game but already were showing signs of carrying themselves with that certain swagger Geneseo teams had been known for.
Fast forward to last season: A two-touchdown fourth quarter rally took them to a playoff win when Carson Peters kicked a last-play field goal to beat a Rochelle team that destroyed Geneseo in the season opener.
Then, Geneseo rallied late again before falling short against Morris, 28-26.
The run to the quarterfinals was the Leafs’ deepest penetration into the post-season in 10 years.
Now, they want more.
Yes, they lost some talent to graduation. Most good high school teams do.
Kye Weinzierl, running back, receiver, linebacker and deep back, was voted Western Big Six Player of the Year and was an all-stater.
Quarterback Jackson McAvoy was the top rusher and a great leader.
But as Furlong reported via WQAD-TV8’s Jonah Krell, this year’s Leafs “are as far along as we’d expect them be in week six or seven.”
If you have to play or coach against this bunch by then, that’s not good news.
“Our leadership is really coming along,” Furlong said. “We’re already adding detail things, like how best to finish off blocks, runs and tackles.”
“As coaches, we are really seeing their confidence in themselves increase,” the coach said.
Furlong said Geneseo has “plenty of returning talent,” which includes:
Mark Nelms, senior fullback;
Offensive linemen Joshua Stahl, Ethan Brown and Jadyn Shipman;
Defensive linemen Erik Bjorkman and Taefyl Freeman;
Defensive backs Jack Mickley and Jayden Wexell.
Peters figures to be a major weapon at kicker. During the green/white scrimmage, he was deadly on short-and mid-range kicks. He was good on a 44-yarder.
Peters tried a pair from 57 yards, was wide right on both, but had the distance. His last-second kick beat Rochelle last year in the first playoff game.
He’s not a varsity returnee, but angular, long-armed quarterback Luca Turigliatti showed promise with his ballhandling during the scrimmage game.
The Leafs open at Davenport Assumption on Friday, Aug. 21. Last season, Geneseo was a 26-18 winner over the Knights, who wound up as a 5-4 playoffs qualifier.
Declining numbers of players, far and wide, is leading to scheduling problems.
Alleman is not fielding a varsity team and Geneseo officials are looking for a team to fill that late-season date.
Problems in Decatur led to a team dropping its date against Rochester . . and state mega-force Rochester has a Friday opener now set at Moline . . which has four times Rochester’s enrollment, heading to the non-league game.
Moline is defending Western Big 6 champion, but the Maroons face weeks three and four dates with Sterling and Geneseo, which many believe to be the top contenders to unseat Moline as league champion.
Meanwhile, Moline has a week two non-conference game against Sycamore . . .which is no one’s soft touch.
Friday’s game lists a starting time of 7 p.m.
Assumption plays at a relatively new complex near the school at 1020 East Central Park Ave. In Davenport. School officials say buying tickets online on Bound might get you in quicker. However, action by the Iowa legislature forces all schools to accept cash admissions for athletic events.
