Green Machine BRAKEdown - Week 9

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Quincy! Then, Time to Crank Up for Playoffs!

Here we are again, just ahead of the last regular season game – already in the playoffs – and now trying to win a seventh game in an effort to try and improve our seeding, which probably isn't bad to start.

Geneseo is 5-1 in the Western Big Six football race, alone in second place behind Moline (6-0 WB6), which has clinched a share of the league championship.

Beat Quincy Friday night at Flinn Memorial Stadium in Quincy and it's a guaranteed second place finish behind Moline in the conference race.

Not bad, Leafs! Not bad at all.

Leaf Coach Matt Furlong thinks that might be good enough to earn a home game in the playoff opener.

That would be even better!

Lose to Quincy, and it's likely a second place tie with two teams, but possibly a second round home game, if Geneseo gets that far.

Furlong said he believes Geneseo will remain in Class 4A.

We'll take it!

Quincy is not the multi-talented outfit it has been the last three years.

“But it's still a very good high school football team,” Furlong said. “But they sent six or seven kids to Division One programs. That many can impact every position in their lineup.”

“Their quarterback is more committed to the running game, but last year's QB (the coach's son) was so good throwing they almost didn't have to run,” Furlong said.

When they did run, they were very, very explosive.

“They do have good size in both lines,” the coach said.

“They run pretty much the same stuff, with some alterations figuring in because of physical limitations,” he said.

“We have to play in control,” said Geneseo's coach. “Our offense must stay ahead of the chains. Going down there to play is a challenge.”

Geneseo has beaten Quincy twice in eight tries. The first was 33-7 in 1987 when Quincy filled in for a Chicago team on the Geneseo schedule that couldn't come because of a teacher's strike.

The second win was 42-7 in 2021 after the Leafs had joined the WB6.

Sterling beat Quincy 38-17 last week, putting the Warriors back in contention for a piece of second place. “I wasn't surprised Sterling won,” Furlong said. “But I was surprised by the score. Sterling really got its offense in gear after halftime.”

Furlong said the week off helped the Leafs to rest and heal up some aches and pains. “Overall, our health is pretty good,” the coach said.

Geneseo hosted a Freshman/Junior Varsity game (which the Leafs won) – and did Senior Night and Hall of Fame introductions.

The crowd was big and many stayed around post-game for fireworks.

“We made the most of an unfortunate situation,” Furlong said. “We took advantage of a rest. A lot of good things came out of it.”

Green Machine BRAKEdown - Week 8

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Geneseo had just beaten Sterling 31-10, and it was BIG!  

You could tell by the body language of the Maple Leafs football players, during and especially after the game. All positive . . . forward, like the slash on the Buffalo Bills' helmets. 

They were airborne! Never mind their ground-bound reputation. They positively flew over to their victory bell to officially open the celebration. 

“It was an exciting night,” said Geneseo Coach Matt Furlong. “I'm so proud of these kids and coaches.” 

“On defense we played to the level we thought we could. We didn't allow a defensive touchdown,” Furlong said.  

Sterling's TD came on a kickoff return. The other points were from a field goal. This from a Sterling team averaging a bit over 35 points a game coming in. But it also was an offense without a senior among the starters. 

“Our offensive staff spent a lot of time breaking things down. The guys absorbed a lot, but really it was a matter of the guys just going out and executing,” he said. 

“The atmosphere was fantastic. It was playoff game energy!” 

While we're on that subject, the win was Geneseo's fifth of the season, which makes them playoff eligible. Should the Leafs win one or both remaining regular season games, it will enhance their seeding in post-season play. 

But Friday's win was about more than playoffs. It was about at least a possible reversal of what Sterling started doing to Geneseo in 2015, beating the Leafs, often in one-sided fashion. 

Geneseo's last win over Sterling was in 2014. They didn't play in 2020, but Sterling's win streak over the Leafs stood at nine games when they teed it up last week. 

That's a lot of frustration and hurt pride building up against the dam. 

It's true the Leafs came up with a few different looks for Sterling, on both sides of the football, on Friday. 

“But, it came down to trusting the guy next to you,” Furlong said. “Our coaches and seniors have been 'bought in' for a while. But we took another major step with that win,” said the coach. 

“We even are starting to get that 'buy-in at younger levels,” Furlong said. “Our seniors have been passing it on to our four ball boys. And I couldn't help notice how excited they all were.” 

Remember, those younger boys haven't been around long enough to hear a big adult crowd really roar. Well, they have now and they want more! So do the rest of us. 

“Things are going in the right direction,” Furlong said. 

The exclamation point Friday was when Geneseo fullback Mark Nelms scored a touchdown – mostly untouched – from about 12 yards out on a fullback smash. 

Even that had meeting in this rivalry. 

Students and community members ran out to the victory bell to share the moment with Geneseo's players. And they stayed for a time. Furlong said he spotted former Leaf great Wayne Strader carrying his “beat Sterling!” sign by the bell. 

“I'll bet it was 45 minutes to an hour before people started wanting to leave,” Furlong said.  

People want to make good times last, especially during these uncertain times. 

ALLEMAN GAME – At the time of this writing, the status of Friday's Alleman game was uncertain. Tentatively, as of this Sunday night writing the game is on. Alleman had just 11 players healthy for Moline and forfeited last week's scheduled game. 

However, several Pioneers were on injury protocol and will play if they get clearance – which we may learn on Monday.

Basketball:

December 12 - GHS Gym
Maple Leafs 72 Alleman 55
Overall Record: 3-4 (2-1 WB6)

GHS Stats (Points - Rebounds - Assists - Steals - Blocks)

Underclass Score
Alleman 55 JV Maple Leafs 50

Next Up
12/15 - 6:00: vs Ridgewood (at Monmouth United)
12/17 - 7:30: vs West Central (at Monmouth United)
12/19 - 7:30: vs Knoxville (at Monmouth United)