Golf: Leafs Win Over ROWVA-Williamsfield, Finish 8th At Ottawa

September 16 - Country View Golf Course
Maple Leafs 155 ROWVA-Williamsfield 171

GHS Results
Medalist: Kwin VanKerrebroeck (35 / -1)
3rd: Drew Kelly (38 / +2)
T4th: Ashton Veloz (41 / +5)
T4th: Brody Clementz (41 / +5)
T4th: Kellen VanKerrebroeck (41 +5)
8th: Grady Bernahl (43 +7)

JV Results
Medalist: Jaxon Ernst (36 / E)
2nd: Brock Marshall (44 / +8)
3rd: Aiden Brudos (45 +9)
4th: Eli Palmer (49 / +13)
5th: Gavin Davis (50 / +14)
6th: Joseph Thoene (54 / +18)

September 15 - Pirate Invitational - Deer Park Golf Club
Maple Leafs Finish Tied For 8th Overall

Final Standings
1st: Normal University (283)
2nd: Burlington Central (284)
3rd: Ottawa (290)
4th: Arlington Heights St. Viator (295)
5th: Sycamore (312)
6th: Streator (313)
7th: Maple Park Kaneland (315)
T8th: Maple Leafs (318)
T8th: Morris (318)
T8th: Peoria Christian (318)
11th: Spring Valley Hall (320)
12th: Aurora Marmion (327)
13th: LaSalle-Peru (329)
14th: Dixon (331)
15th: Yorkville (337)
16th: Minooka (340)
17th: Bartonville Limestone (346)
18th: Yorkville Parkview Christian (359)

GHS Results
T24th: Kwin VanKerrebroeck (77 / +7)
T24th: Brody Clementz (77 / +7)
T41st: Drew Kelly (80 / +10)
T62nd: Grady Bernahl (84 / +14)
T70th: Kellen VanKerrebroeck (85 / +15)
T70th: Ashton Veloz (85 / +15)

Next Up
09/17 - 1:00: at Bettendorf Invitational (Palmer Hills Golf Course)
09/18 - 3:30: at Galesburg, Alleman (Bunker Links Golf Course)
09/19 - 1:00: at Pekin Dragon Classic (Lick Creek Golf Course)
09/20 - 8:30: at Pekin Dragon Classic (Lick Creek Golf Course)

Green Machine BRAKEdown – Week 4

Leafs Expect to be Challenged by Moline

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Moline, Quincy and Geneseo.

It's nice to see Geneseo up there tied for the lead with the two largest schools in the Western Big Six after one week of league play.

Now, the Maple Leafs take on one of them when they head over to Browning Field in Moline on Friday evening, Sept. 19.

This isn't a big unknown for Geneseo's players, who start competing against the Maroons in junior high school.

“They're (Moline) very good,” said Geneseo Coach Matt Furlong. “They started their season against three good opponents.”

Moline, like Geneseo, is 2-1. The Maroons opened with a 30-24 loss to Rockwood Summit, of Fenton, Mo., a traditional power in Missouri.

Then Moliine got a win over Sycamore, an old Geneseo rival from the 70s and now an established power in Illinois Class 5A. Sycamore scored a touchdown late, getting to within one point at 21-20.

The Spartans went for a two-point conversion and the win.

Moline stopped it.

Then last week, the Maroons were 36-20 winners over Sterling as WB6 play began.

“We'll be challenged,” Furlong said.

“Moline has a rangy sophomore quarterback,” said Furlong. “We'll see some spread stuff. But they’re solid running the ball, too.”

“Defensively, they're big up front and aggressive,” said Geneseo's coach. “They like to play downhill, so we'll mix in some counter action and our passing game.”

Rochelle's domination (41-14) of the Leafs in Week 1 knocked Furlong and his staff off balance for a bit.

“Well, we were certainly not at our best,” Geneseo's coach said.

But the Leafs were in control in wins over Assumption and Rock Island “We have good physicality now. We're finishing blocks and tackles.”

“Our quarterback, Jackson McAvoy, has developed more understanding of what this offense is trying to do, and our backs are blocking for each other,” Furlong added.

“I'm happy with where we're at,” Geneseo's coach said. “We're putting things together. Also during the summer we developed good senior leadership.”

“We have a good foundation, but now we have to build quick.”

NEW TURF – Fans will note something new at Browning Field . . .an artificial playing surface. Now, all Western Big 6 stadiums sport that feature.

BRAKEdown - Week 3

Can Leafs, Rocks continue histories? 

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

 

As a kid, I grew up in Rock Island and along the way became quite a sports fan. Mostly high school football and basketball. Also softball and, when it came along, girls high school basketball.

I read Murray and Nolan Hurt in The Argus and Paul Carlson in The Dispatch and listened to Don Sharp on WHBF. 

Well, didn't we all? 

I remember a crisp fall evening in Public Schools Stadium, when Rocky quarterback Steve Wilson was lighting up the gridiron with dimes dropped on flanker Bryan Crompton and wide receiver Al Bream. 

I marveled at how fast they could take the Rocks down the field. 

Later, our family moved to Geneseo and I wondered how bored I might be watching a team “that couldn't throw” the football. 

My first Geneseo game as a fan came about this time of year, when big, bad Rochelle came to town – and dazzled us with their power show. Fullback smash, off-tackle right. More of same. Then repeat. 

But anything but boring. A Geneseo defensive player years later told me “I saw that sweep coming right at me and next thing I knew I was spitting out a couple teeth.” 

Rochelle won that game, 18-13. The student sections which met behind the south goal posts were out shaking hands with, and not fists at, the other side. 

Those were the days. And the games. 

Jump ahead a few years. Geneseo's “Green Machine” had been born, that night against Rochelle went unbeaten in their next 52 games before losing another one. A local, regional and state institution was born and the problem now was how to keep feeding it. 

But all this time, the state's 10th and 12th-winningest football progams – Geneseo and Rock Island – have been just a few wins apart, and they still are. 

They haven't faced each other very often. That's because the schools have tended to be near the top (Rock Island) or lower (Geneseo) on the enrollment ladder. 

But cities have grown and both schools are closer to the middle of the spread now. 

They find themselves in the same WB6 Conference, and playing each other every fall. 

Rock Island has had a rough start this season but one thing I expect will continue: If Rock Island can get the ball out in space to its speed people and; if Geneseo can stay disciplined with its blocking and tackling, this should remain an exciting and unpredictable series between two schools who have done their thing well for a long, long time.  

And I am glad I have lived to see it happen!