Dylan Gehl Finishes 7th At State As GHS XC Concludes The 2023 Season!

2023 GHS Boys Cross Country Team State Finalists (Photo Submitted)

GHS Freshmen Brooklyn Smith Prepares To Begin The State Race. (Photo Submitted)

The Geneseo High School Boys Cross Country team capped off their season with an 18th place finish (446 points) at the IHSA 2A State Finals this past Saturday in Peoria. Marion High School (112 points) were winners of the championship. Junior Dylan Gehl earned himself a state medal with his 7th place finish and also set the second best GHS Boys XC time at Detweiller Park with a 14:48.36. Dan Chenoweth holds the top time of 14:24 which was set during the state finals in 2006. Also competing for the Maple Leafs were Sam Mosbarger (3rd/15:14.89), Jaxson Sottos (131st/16:10.65), Jack Kreiss (186th/16:48.23), Max Johnson (194th/16:53.58), Kaden Elmer (200th/17:00.59), & Aidan Bries (205th/17:06.19).

Brooklyn Smith concluded an impressive freshman season for the Lady Leafs as she finished 56th overall at last Saturdays 2A State Finals. With the time of 18:28.54, Smith finished 11th out of the 56 freshman runners. A bright future is ahead for Brooklyn and the Lady Leafs!

Green Machine: BRAKEdown - Post Playoffs

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Playoff opponent was one of those 'tough outs'

Low bridge!!

What you do now is get up, dust yourself off, and go looking for the horse. . . so you can ride again.

IC Catholic Prep of Elmhurst was the low bridge that took down the Leafs on Saturday evening, Oct. 28.

The final was 35-12 and yes, the better team won this first round Class 4A playoff game.

The Knights were last year's Class 3A state champions and Geneseo Coach Larry Johnsen Jr. thinks they might appear in yet another championship game this season.

“It will take quite a team to beat them,” the coach said, mentioning various areas of strength the Knights possess. “Depth could be an issue for them, but they've got the skill kids.”

The positive for Geneseo, the coach said, “was our guys played hard,” he said. “They left it all on the field.”

“It was a tough start for us,” Johnsen said. Geneseo came out throwing on the game's first play from scrimmage. It was a sideline pass, and IC Catholic's Joey Gliatta intercepted at Geneseo's 16-yard line.

On first down, Gliatta ran under a touchdown pass from quarterback Dennis Mandala, and it was 7-0 just 11 seconds into the game.

The Leafs went three-and-out, then Mandala threw a 43-yard touchdown pass, and Geneseo was in a 14-0 hole at the 7:57 mark of the first quarter.

“We came back and got some points,” Johnsen said. “But ultimately their athletes took over the game. They reminded me of Quincy in the way they kept taking shots.”

What Geneseo wanted to do coming into this game the Leafs did on their third possession.

It was a 72-yard drive that took 8:03 off the clock, ended with a score, and cut ICC's lead to 14-6. Junior running back Kolten Schmoll-Burton gave it fuel with some slashing runs into the heart of the Knights' defense.

Quarterback AJ Weller kept the drive alive with a 14-yard scramble on a fourth down and 12 play. Weller got the touchdown on a play from the 11 where he got the Knights to bite on a hard fake to the left, then rolled around an open right side for the score.

“After we stumbled, we settled down some,” Johnsen said.

But a 77-yard, 11-play drive put ICC up 21-6 at halftime.

Running backs Aaron Harvey (#5) and Gliatta (#33) provided the speed and power, respectively.

It was more of the same in the second half, with quarterback Mandala throwing in passes to Iowa recruit K.J. Parker (#14).

“We contested them, but the law of averages says a team with their talent is going to make big plays,” Johnsen said.

So, a Geneseo team that started fast had a tough back end of its season and finished at 6-4.

“We were inches away from being 8-1 heading into the playoffs,” Johnsen said.

“Quincy was better than us,” Johnsen said. The Leaf coach thought Rock Island could have been a win. But, it got away.

And then, there was Sterling. “That was a really emotional loss for us,” said Johnsen.

Geneseo said goodbye to 21 seniors, who gave the Leafs an experienced and physical bunch with which to battle WB6 opponents.

“Off-seasons are huge,” Johnsen said. “Bodies change over the winter and into the spring.”

“We have a smattering of experience coming back, and that's something,” he said. “We're in a bit of a cycle now where our numbers are down. Depth will be a concern for us.”

“We did work in a number of younger guys this season, especially on defense. But we're losing a big batch, and that will be hard for us.”

Scheduling will be important for the Leafs. “Right now, we don't have our first two games set,” he said. Will Alleman be back? “We're not sure yet,” Geneseo's coach said. “If not, that's another date to fill, right between Sterling and Quincy.”

Life in high school football is about change and adaptation. The Leafs will head into the trainer's room with their future in front of them and the reality that they can control their end of that.

The Maple Leafs Plus A Lady Leaf Heading To The XC 2A State Finals!

IHSA 2A Geneseo Boys & Girls Cross Country Sectionals

The Maple Leafs Boys Cross Country team are heading to state! With their third place finish, GHS will compete at the IHSA 2A State Championships on Saturday November 4th! With 129 points, GHS finished behind only Washington (100) and sectional champ Morton (70) as junior Dylan Gehl (15:34.40/2nd), senior Sam Mosbarger (16:04.40/8th), and sophomore Jaxon Sottos (16:40.30/28th) ran the best GHS boys marks at Richmond Hill since 2018!

The Lady Leafs Girls Cross Country team took eighth overall with 212 points, 13 behind Lemont who took the final team spot for the state finals. GHS freshman Brooklyn Smith (20:01.40) finished 15th overall and qualified individually for next weekends state meet!

The state title meets will be ran at Detweiller Park in Peoria. Brooklyn is scheduled to run at 11:00am while the Maple Leafs run at 12:00pm. Best of luck to all!


GHS Boys Results
Dylan Gehl (15:34.40 - 2nd)
Sam Mosbarger (16:04.40 - 8th)
Jaxon Sottos (16:40.30 - 28th)
Aidan Bries (17:13.40 - 52nd)
Max Johnson (17:15.90 - 54th)
Jack Kreiss (17:29.10 - 65th)
Kaden Elmer (18:22.70 - 100th)

GHS Girls Results
Brooklyn Smith (20:01.40 - 15th)
Lucille Wachtel (21:05.20 - 42nd)
Ayla Schultz (21:15.50 - 48th)
Elanor DeBlieck (21:20.80 - 51st)
Katlyn Seaman (22:11.70 - 73th)
Emma DeBaene (22:30.80 - 78th)
Jeslen Rink (22:31.00 - 80th)

Maple Leafs set to race at the Geneseo Sectional on Saturday October 28 at Richmond Hill. (Photo By GHS Boys XC)

2023 WB6 All-Conference Football

Congratulations!

#77 Nolan Femali
1st Team Offense

#72 Kaden Salisbury
1st Team Defense

#10 Jackson Reade
1st Team Defense

#3 AJ Weller
1st Team Special Teams & Honorable Mention Offense

#51 Connor Mitchell
2nd Team Offense

#83 Luke Johnsen
2nd Team Offense

#75 Owen Skovronski
2nd Team Defense

#15 Cooper McKeag
2nd Team Defense

#32 Nathan Dunker
2nd Team Defense

#27 Jeron Neal
Honorable Mention Offense

#18 Brayden Combs
Special Teams Honorable Mention

Green Machine: BRAKEdown - Week 10

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Leafs get a “re-do” - in the playoffs!

The Rock Island game? “Really disapointing,” for the players,” said Geneseo coach Larry Johnsen Jr., “and frustrating” for the coaches,” he said. But that game also is ancient history.

Well, it had better be, because Johnsen, the coaches and the Maple Leafs have a playoff game to prepare for. So much to do, so little time. . .

Well, the time factor will be a little different, because the game against IC Catholic Prep doesn't start until 5 p.m. Saturday in Elmhurst.

“We do have that extra day to prepare,” Johnsen said. “It's an extra day of recovery. If gives us time to get things done and to get us fresh for Saturday,” he said.

The coach said preparation for a playoff game is different, “because all of our focus in on one game,” Johnsen said. “During the regular season, you're also thinking about future games.”

“It's more efficient, because we'll only work on one facet at a time, offense or defense. And we'll have the entire coaching staff watching both units, and they can observe and suggest things,” said the coach.

“We'll have to be careful to balance work and rest.”

Geneseo (6-3) was the second-largest enrollment school to make it into Class 4A. The Leafs drew the number 10 seed in the northern bracket. The Knights are number 7. “They are a tough draw for us, that's for sure,” Johnsen said.

The Knights are 7-2. “Playoffs are all about match-ups,” Johnsen said.

“The first two rounds are kind of a weeding out process,” he said.

The Knights have a “wide-open offense,” Johnsen said. “They have a lot of good athletes and they're really explosive.”

“They play a really good schedule. They have multiple skill position players, who have drawn the attention of Texas A & M and Iowa,” the Geneseo coach said.

“We'll try to keep the ball; that's our chance. We'll want to limit their touches and force turnovers.”

“They usually show a 4-3 defense, but it depends on what we do,” the coach added.

IC Catholic Prep is a school of 320 students, according to a story in The Chicago Tribune. The IHSA has inflated that enrollment to to 608.3 for playoff class purposes.

The school draws students from 40 communities, the story said.

The Knights won the state championship in Class 3A last year.

You may recall this school when it was called Elmhurst Immaculate Conception. Geneseo beat the Knights 21-16 in the Class 3A quarterfinals. The Leafs went on win their third consecutive state title with a 13-0 record.

This year's Knights score 34 points and game and yield 19. Geneseo scores 32 and yields 13, but remember, they're opponents from opposite sides of the state.

Knights quarterback Dennis Mandala (5-10, 165) has completed 90 of 138 passes for 11 touchdowns. Joey Gliatta (5-10, 175) has rushed for 1,056 yards, a 10-yard average and 17 touchdowns.

Four receivers have yardage totals ranging from 212 to 611 yards.

Against Rock Island, the Leafs again started fast on their opening drive. But Rock Island started getting stops using a similar stunt/blitz package that led to Geneseo losses to Sterling and Quincy.

The Leafs came out aggressive and physical on defense and forced a fumble Owen Skovronski recovered in the red zone. The Leafs had to settle for a field goal on that one and had another close approach, but no touchdown.

“Defensively, we played pretty well,” Johnsen said. “Offensively, there were several times we were a block away, maybe two, from making big plays.”

Late in the game, with the lead, the Rocks showed good clock management in doing what Geneseo wants to do – keep the ball away from the opposing offense.

Regarding Saturday, Johnsen said, “everybody has to be 'on.'”

XC Teams Advance In Regionals! Host Sectionals This Saturday!

Top Five: Pictured are L-R  1.)  Dale Johnson (Sterling), 2.)  Dylan Gehl (Geneseo), 3.)  Sam Mosbarger (Geneseo), 4.)  Dom Cantarini (Galesburg), 5.)  Brecken Fahrenkrug (IVC).

2023 Lady Leafs XC Sectional Qualifiers! (Photo Courtesy Of GHS Girls XC)

Another great day for Geneseo High School Cross Country as both the Maple Leaf & Lady Leaf teams placed 2nd at the IHSA 2A Galesburg Regional this past Saturday October 21st! With 55 points (12 behind Sterling) for the boys and 73 (42 behind Dunlap) for the girls, they both advance to the Geneseo Sectional this Saturday at Richmond Hill! Lady Leafs will race at 11:00am and the Maple Leafs will follow at 12:00pm.

Maple Leaf Results
2nd Dylan Gehl (15:59.30)
3rd Sam Mosbarger (16:11.70)
9th Jaxson Sottos (16:57.80)
19th Max Johnson (17:39.10)
24th Aidan Bries (17:53.70)
25th Jack Kreiss (17:56.10)
26th Graysen Carlson (18:03.00)

Lady Leaf Results
4th Brooklyn Smith (19:57.80)
6th Lucille Wachtel (20:30.90)
20th Emma DeBaene (21:37.70)
21st Elanor DeBlieck (21:41.50)
22nd Ayla Schultz (21:52.30)
27th Jeslen Rink (22:13.60)
32nd Katlyn Seaman (22:57.90)