Green Machine: BRAKEdown - Week 8

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Week 8 and it's getting exciting!

Now it's Week 8, and the football season is more exciting than ever for both Geneseo and Quincy.

Both are going to the playoffs, and both have a shot of gaining at least a share of the Western Big Six championship.

Quincy (7-0) and Geneseo (6-1) meet Friday night at Flinn Stadium in Quincy.

A Quincy win means an unshared conference championship for the Blue Devils, who haven't won the WB6 since 2016. The Blue Devils finish their league season with this game.

Geneseo, which qualified for the playoffs for the 43rd time with last week's 63-6 run past Mendota, still have a conference home date against Rock Island next week.

But with two more wins, the Leafs will have at least a piece of the WB6 crown, and a shot at a playoff opener at home.

“The playoffs are a big deal. That's an accomplishment,” said Geneseo Coach Larry Johnsen Jr. “We've reminded the kids that they have something to play for.”

They know. And it starts with a Quincy team that is electric on offense.

“Very explosive,” Johnsen said. “They have guys who can run who are as athletic as heck. They're deep in the skill positions and they have big guys up front.”

Both teams have had trouble against Sterling during the last two weeks.

I don't remind you about the closing seconds of Geneseo's loss to Sterling.

When Quincy played Sterling, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 21-0 first half lead. And yet, it wound up 35-33 for Quincy.

What happened? Turnovers. Four of them and they helped get Sterling back in the game.

Sterling scored a touchdown with 2:07 left to play, then went for a two-point conversion to tie.

Quincy's Jack Hammock used his closing speed to knock down the conversion pass, then the Blue Devils held on.

Quincy led 443 to 326 in total yardage. And, go ahead and read something into both those numbers . . .just for fun.

The Blue Devils lead with their offense and quarterback Bradyn Little. He was 14-for-28 for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and had one interception against Sterling.

Running back Jeraius Rice Jr. rushed 24 times for 184 yards and caught four passes for 97 more.

Wide receiver Tykell Hammers had six catches for 109 yards and three touchdowns.

When Quincy snaps the ball, it's like the lid on a jack-in-the-box pops off, and jackrabbits fly out and scatter.

“We cannot simulate in practice how fast it happens,” Johnsen said. “We need to hold on the first couple series to get acclimated,” he said.

Johnsen said Quincy's defense “will bring pressure. Their big linemen are mountains to move, then you've got linebackers bringing pressure,” he said. “And they've got good athletes on their third level.”

“We need to have the same mentality we did against UT,” Johnsen said. In that one, Geneseo scored touchdowns on its first eight possessions and put up 55 points. “Our best defense will be keeping our offense on the field,” Geneseo's coach said.

Last week against Mendota, “we were a little sluggish at first, but the guys got going and that is what was important. We had a very emotional game against Sterling, some kids got a little banged up, and it was important to get back on the field.”

“We're movin' on,” he said. “We want to play this game our style. Play loose and have a good time. I'm sure they (Quincy) will be preparing for us, too.”

Green Machine: BRAKEdown - Week 7

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Leafs (really) Close, but Prize Yet to Come

Geneseo's crowd was up at a decibel level sufficient to wake up the echoes and shake down thunder.

Quarterback AJ Weller was back in the game, leading the Green Machine down the field late in the fourth quarter, trailing 7-3.

“It was loud,” said Geneseo Coach Larry Johnsen Jr.

“It was total chaos on the sideline, for a while,” Johnsen said. “We were penalized once for having 13 men on the field,” the coach said.

It only seemed like the Sterling defense had that many for most of the night. 

“The coaches couldn't hear each other. The players couldn't hear us,” Johnsen said.

Still Geneseo willed itself forward, getting to Sterling's two-yard line, where the down linemen on each side could hear each other breathing despite the racket. It came down to fourth-and-goal from the six, with 10 seconds left to play.

The Leafs launched running back Jeron Neal into the defense. He hit a seam, then bellied to the right and went down in a churning mass of bodies at the right front of the end zone.

The officials ruled the ball was inches short of the goal line.

Geneseo's crowd was dumbstruck. Everything seemed frozen in time, for just moment.

Sterling's defense had let the air out of Geneseo's green and yellow balloons. Again. Those balloons spit and spun crazily and crashed. There was no horn noise blaring from the scoreboard. Geneseo's celebratory fireworks remained grounded.

Frustration. Elevated frustration.

So, now what? Most Geneseo fans had visions of the Maple Leafs catching – then passing – the Golden Warriors, all in one night. One glorious, in-your-face-Sterling night.

But, what happened Friday may lead to happier moments, yet this season, for this Geneseo team, which was and remains – good.

“Our defense played really well, our best game of the season for the most part,” Geneseo's coach said.

But Sterling's defense was at the top of the story, like it has been for a number of years now.

The Warrior defenders flew around like they usually do, but none better than tackle Kendric Muhammed (#68). “He won his battles up front and made big plays,” Johnsen said.

Still, Geneseo was able to move. The Leafs had 15 first downs to Sterling's six. Geneseo rushed 48 times and netted 136 yards. For Sterling: 24 rushes, 130 yards. Geneseo was five-for-14 passing for 47 yards. For Sterling: two-for-12 passing for 43 yards.

That adds up to 62 plays and 183 yards for Geneseo, and 36 plays for 173 yards for Sterling. Those numbers are lot closer than they have been for years.

Close works in hand grenades, but not in football. It was still no cigar for Geneseo.

“It was just one game. If we don't bounce back, ,. if we lose the next one, than we'll have let Sterling beat us twice,” Johnsen said.

“We're still in the hunt in the WB6,” said Geneseo's coach. “A three-way tie for the championship is still possible, even a home playoff opener is still possible,” he said. “Our goals are still out there in front of us. It's just that now we're not in total control of our destiny.”

Geneseo had first possession against Sterling. The Leafs drove 63 yards in 8:41, but Sterling's quickness on defense started showing up after the Leafs crossed the 50. Brayden Combs kicked a 24-yard field goal to put Geneseo up 3-0.

The Warriors took a 7-3 halftime lead on a nice-but-fourth-and-11 touchdown pass play.

Leafs fans noticed defensive back Weller come off the field during the drive. He didn't come out to start the third quarter.

“Migraine,” Johnsen said. Jackson McAvoy, a sophomore, filled in at quarterback in the third quarter, and did a creditable job.

But Weller came back to start the fourth, and led Geneseo's second major drive, this one also 63 yards in 2:54, ending at the Sterling one-yard line, whereupon the Warriors quarterback ran 99 yards for a score as time ran out.

UP NEXT: MENDOTA

Now comes a non-conference game as Mendota, a rival from the days of the NCIC Southwest division, visits Bob Reade Field.

They last met in the 2009 playoffs. Geneseo leads the series 22-19-1 – and has won the last 19 in a row.

Mendota got its first win last week, over Port Byron Riverdale.

What will be the Leafs' mental state for Mendota?

Speaking on Sunday afternoon, the Leafs coach said. “We'll find out starting Monday.”

PLAYOFF PICTURE - Geneseo became playoff-eligible with its win over Galesburg. One more win guarantees the Leafs a spot in the dance itself. “We've still got a lot to play for,” Johnsen said.

Green Machine: BRAKEdown - Week 6

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Leafs Want to Rekindle Sterling Rivalry

Sterling: An old and respected opponent. But a rival?

“We told the guys after we beat Galesburg last Friday that it's not a rivalry if only one team is winning,” said Geneseo Coach Larry Johnsen Jr.

Sterling has won its last 8 games against Geneseo, including the last three by shutouts.

“The games haven't been close,” Johnsen said. “To us, that's a big deal.”

But don't expect this 5-0 Geneseo team to come out foaming at the mouth about beating Sterling. The Leafs will have their ears back, though. That's the kind of dog you worry about before a fight.

“I'm not ready for Friday,” Johnsen said early this week. “We have got a lot to get done. But we are excited for the challenge.”

Johnsen said Sterling “makes you uncomfortable by taking away things you most like to do.”

On defense, that has meant Sterling playing single man coverage in the secondary, and attacking the Leafs with stunts and blitzes.

The Warriors have gotten to Geneseo's point of attack ahead of the Leafs, sometimes, and messed up the running game. “They've been like sharks attacking,” Johnsen said.

“They have good athletes on defense who can run in space and make plays,” said Geneseo's coach.

On offense, the Warriors are “fundamentally sound, with a system that they repeat and repeat,” Johnsen said.

It's the Sterling version of the wing-T and it works.

“Their quarterback is really fast,” Johnsen said. “And they've got a down lineman who is a Power 5 prospect.”

Lucas Austin is the 6-7, 255-pound lineman. Offensively, the quarterback has averaged 94 yards and 4.6 per carry in two conference games, and has completed 16-of-26 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns.

Sterling lost its first two games, 28-17 to tradition-rich Metamora, (now 3-2) and 42-28 to a strong Wheaton St. Francis team (3-2).

In league play, the Golden Warriors were 23-19 winners over United Township and 45-14 over Galesburg.

Then last week, Sterling played an interesting “crossover” game at another former NCIC school, Princeton, which started the season as the top-rated team in Class 3A.

Princeton led 8-6 at halftime, and wound up winning 28-6. “Princeton has a very nice, physical team,” Johnsen said.

It's no secret that this is one of the more physical teams Geneseo has had in a while.

But, you've got to mix skills with quickness and brawn. Are the Leafs better-equipped to handle Sterling's blend than in recent years?

“We'll see,” Johnson said.

Johnsen's keys to bringing down Sterling:

“Penalties affected us Friday against Galesburg,” he said. “We can't afford to be behind the chains.”

“We have to be prepared for their blitzes and pick them up,” Geneseo's coach said. “They'll show you a lot of second-level movement and you have to pick it up.”

“And, we need to get their offense off the field,” Johnsen said.

That doesn't sound like a difficult formula.

“No, but it can be against a good team,” said Geneseo's coach. “Video might tell you one thing, but it can be altogether different when you go against it live. You can't replicate an opponent's speed or quickness in practice.”

Geneseo running back Jeron Neal and quarterback AJ Weller ranked first and third, respectively, in WB6 rushing after the first two league games. Neal was averaging 131 yards per game and 9.4 per carry. Weller was at 120 yards per game and 8.2 carry.

That sounds like something out of the '60s or '70s.

Speaking about time gone by, this has been Geneseo's homecoming week and Friday is Hall of Fame Night at Bob Reade Field.

There's a lot riding on this game.

Expect a tsunami of sound!

Green Machine: BRAKEdown - Week 5

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

The Big-Eaters Up Front Are Plowing the Row!

For some of us, watching Geneseo engulf and devour UTHS 55-21 was a trip back in time.

The Leafs' space eaters up front went forward, and the UTHS linemen went back. Or down. On both sides of the ball.

“The guys did a really good job,” Coach Larry Johnsen Jr. said.

Johnsen said he wanted to see his team score on every possession.

How about eight possessions, eight touchdowns? The Leafs did that. (They had a ninth possession, with reserves driving against reserves, and time expired).

“I thought both of our lines controlled,” Johnsen said. Numbers bear that out: Geneseo ran 69 plays, to UT's 42.

And check this one out: 416 yards of rushing by the Leafs, on 60 carries. Including all 8 touchdowns.

Geneseo runs a number of substitutes into both lines. “We want to keep fresh legs in there,” Johnsen said.

When was the last time a Geneseo varsity team put up those kind of numbers on the ground?

Quarterback AJ Weller added 106 passing yards, to it, so that totals out to 522 total yards by the Leafs.

UT gained 334 and that's a lot for a team on the short end of the score. But, it was a tribute to the skills of quarterback Matthew Kelley, who hit Geneseo with three masterful plays.

“UT has an experienced offensive line,” Johnsen said, “and Kelley and his receiver, Korey Randle, made some fantastic plays.”

One of those plays put the Panthers up 7-0 early, the first time in this 4-0 season that Geneseo has trailed.

There was no panic, as the Leafs quickly answered with 7.

“I was looking for a letdown, after a big win (Moline), but we didn't get that, and that is a good sign,” Johnsen said.

“We're doing things we haven't been able to do in the recent past,” Johnsen said. “But remember, we're playing with older kids this year. And they have some abilities.”

“Our backs ran hard, too,” Johnsen said.

Weller gained 192 yards on 18 carries including six touchdown runs as the Leafs hammered UT with quarterback sweeps. “AJ has good instincts,” Johnsen said.

The Leafs ran inside to set up the outside stuff. Running back Jeron Neal gained 125 yards on 18 carries, one for a score. He was complemented by Joshua Steines, who added 65 yards with 14 runs. “Those two really complement each other,” Johnsen said.

Kolten Schmoll-Burton continues to split seams on his carries.

“Our inside running game forced UT to make some adjustments, with their backs having to come up to make more plays,” Johnsen said. Geneseo then hurt UT with Weller's quarterback sweeps.

This week: Galesburg

Friday night, the Leafs visit 1-3 Galesburg and the same message applies: Dominate up front. “We have to control both lines, tempo and limit their possessions,” Johnsen said.

“They have some nice players. They're young, it's their homecoming, and we better be ready for a test on the road,” Geneseo's coach said.

“They have three guys who are electricity in a bottle,” Johnsen said.

After beating Limestone 41-7, the Silver Streaks were buzzed 53-14 by a very good Dunlap team. They then lost 35-14 to Indian Lake of Trafalgar, Ind., then 45-14 last week to Sterling.

Defense has been a problem for the Streaks, who were 3-6 last year. A Sterling reporter's research revealed that all three wins came against opponents that finished with one win each.

Galesburg was 0-5 against playoff-bound teams, and during a 1-5 stretch, the defense yielded a minimum of five touchdowns per game.

Running back Amarie Richardson and quarterback Gino Williams have some quick feet, as does defensive back Markis Lewis. The Streaks also have a defensive lineman who is said to be a college prospect.

Oh, one more thing: Geneseo's kickoff coverage gradually improved during the UTHS game. “If you can't kick it to the end zone, at least kick it high,” Johnsen said, “so that your defense can run down and make a play.”

“Little things,” Johnsen said, “lead to big things.”

Green Machine: BRAKEdown - Week 4

New Mission: Build on a Historic Win

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

After last Friday's historic Geneseo win over Moline, this week United Township and standout quarterback Matthew Kelley come to Bob Reade Field.

 Geneseo (3-0, 1-0) needs to be ready. Kelley can turn an unprepared team inside out.

 “I think he may be the most dangerous quarterback in the conference,” Geneseo Coach Larry Johnsen said, well aware that there are other good signal-callers in the WB6.

 “Kelley runs and throws really well,” said Geneseo's coach. “He has some weapons around him, too,” said Johnsen, “enough to make you sweat.”

 UTHS is 1-2 overall and 0-1 in the league after last week's 23-19 home loss to Sterling. In that one, a Panther snap over their quarterback's head resulted in a Sterling touchdown just 15 seconds into the game. The Panthers never quite caught up.

 “Last year, UT played Loyola in week two. Loyola was one of the best teams in the nation last season, and I'm not sure UT ever quite recovered from that, Johnsen said.

 Regardless, Kelley threw for more than 1,200 yards in league games last season.

 “We have to be able to run the ball and keep their offense off the field,” Geneseo's coach said. “If possible, we want to put points on the board with each of our possessions.”

 When the Panther offense is on the field, Geneseo's challenge will be to keep UT's speed merchants in front of them.

 “We had a big win last week and we will respond to it. Will we let down, or build on it? We've got to be ready to go,” Johnsen said.

 Leafs 24, Moline 21

 We called Geneseo's 24-21 win at Moline historic because it ended a 14-game winning streak by the Maroons in WB6 play. Also, the Maroons had a five-game winning streak going against Geneseo. And . . .it was the first Geneseo win over Moline since the Leafs joined the WB6.

 Geneseo's bunch of three-year starters played the role of the more experienced team on the field, especially on the Leafs' drive to the winning field goal during the last four minutes.

 A key: 300 rushing yards by Geneseo, which was way more than the Leafs totaled in their two previous games against Moline.

 “We're only a third of the way through this season and of course we don't know what will happen,” Johnsen said. “But it was a fun game, that's for sure,” he said.

 “We're getting better, after having played three teams, each better than the previous one,” Johnsen said. “But,” he said, “we have a ways to go yet.”

 Leafs have been stepping up to plug gaps. How about running back Kolten Schmoll-Burton, who came in for teammates who were cramping, to run 8 times for 84 yards, including a 40-yarder?

 Running back Jeron Neal had 137 yards on 10 carries, including a 41-yard touchdown run on Geneseo's first offensive series, and an 89-yard blast a bit later on.

 Geneseo went with a six-man defensive front to try and limit Moline's ground game. “You do that and you leave something else open,” Johnsen said, noting two long over-the-top completions that flipped the field for the Maroons. “Credit Moline with making some really good plays,” said Johnsen.

 “I do think we controlled the line of scrimmage,” Johnsen said. “We wanted to take away Moline's inside trap with their fullback. But, there were places we lost contain a few times.”

 “Regardless of what scheme we're using, we have to be able to run the football,” Johnsen said. “It's who we are.”

 Kicker Brayden Combs came through again for Geneseo, booting the 27-yard game-winning field goal with 36 seconds left, then watching as Jake Rapps sealed the deal with a closing seconds interception at about the 35-yard line.

 What followed: A noisy Browning Field parking lot, and “a good bus trip home,” Johnsen said.

Green Machine BRAKEdown - Week 3

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Leafs preparing to battle WB6 champs

An ancient axiom of football states that teams show their most improvement from week one to week two.

Because of the way things have started out this season, Geneseo Coach Larry Johnsen Jr. thinks that might wind up being said about his Maple Leafs about the span between weeks two and three.

And it would be good, because the Leafs are going to Browning Field in Moline on Friday to face the defending WB6 champions.

The Leafs established their physicality early in their 27-7 win over Grayslake Central, and pretty much kept it.

Geneseo led 13-7 at halftime, “then we seemed to shift into neutral for a while,” Johnsen said.

The Rams went on a long third quarter drive, “which is something we don't like to see done against us, because it's usually what we do to other teams,” the coach said.

The Rams had success from their running formation, but then shifted into their shotgun passing scheme after moving into Geneseo territory.

“They lined up and came right at us,” Johnsen said, “but finally we got the big stop.”

“We missed a big tackle for loss, then there were some penalties involved,” Johnsen said.

Geneseo quarterback AJ Weller came up with the game-breaker with his 80-yard touchdown run.

“This game was a big confidence-builder for our guys,” Johnsen said. “We showed some improvements from the first game (a 56-0 win over Chicago Comer).”

“We got the momentum back after shifting into neutral,” Johnsen said. “Our defense had to make some plays. We had to play four quarters and that was good for us.”

“But we have to get better. While showing improvement, we also saw a lot to do.”

Now comes Moline. Graduation hit the Maroons hard, “but they're the biggest school in our conference,” Johnsen pointed out. That should translate into big, fast and strong kids, he said.

Lisle Benet Academy really got into Moline's grill work during a 38-7 pounding of the Marroons last Friday at Browning.

Benet's head coach wanted especially to keep a lid on Moline's speed. Mission accomplished there. Moline rushed for 159 yards and passed for 13 in the contest. Running back Adrian Cooper, a 6-1, 200-pound junior who started last year, gained 111 yards on 11 carries and scored on a 17-yard run in the first quarter.

Benet had 234 yards of total offense in the first half alone.

Johnsen, though, expects Moline's defense to be better than the one the Leafs faced against Grayslake Central.

Johnsen said the Leafs have a physical running game, “but we need to clean up some things,” he said.

Quarterback AJ Weller's speed and ability to read defenses and make quick decisions are paying dividends for the Leafs offense. “He's a good athlete, very competitive,” Johnsen said. “And he'll be the first to tell you that long runs happen because of the work the guys out in front of you are doing.”

“We're trying to balance our offense,” Johnsen said. “That makes it harder for teams to prepare for us.”

Geneseo got two first quarter field goals from Brayden Combs. “He baled us out,” Johnsen said. “He is doing a great job, and he's handling playing both soccer and football.”

“We've been pushing our guys hard in practice,” Johnsen said. “We're hoping to grow an attitude of being successful, and we're going to keep watering that.”

Johnsen added, “This will be a big week to see just where we're at.”