By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current
Hub star's injury changes dynamics of Leafs vs. Hubs II
Do you remember back after Geneseo opened its season with a 41-14 loss at Rochelle . . . and I warned in this space that we could see Rochelle again . . .in the playoffs?
I wasn't kidding. It's going to happen . . .Friday evening, Oct.31, at Bob Reade Field.
What happened? I thought Rochelle was up in Class 5 now. . Well, it was, but enrollments in many schools have changed, Geneseo Coach Matt Furlong explained. He said parochial schools were particularly impacted after COVID and anyway, Rochelle, Sterling and Morris – are all in our bracket in Class 4A.
But meaningful, if not so much fun, for the Rochelle Hubs.
In the season opener between the Leafs and Hubs, number #10 for Rochelle, Dylan Manning, was about to return the first kickoff of his career. His only thought was 'don't let the first man down tackle me!'
He didn't. None of them did. Manning took the return 100 yards.
Manning was the key returnee from a very good Rochelle team two years ago.
Fast forward to week 6, Morris vs. Rochelle. After Manning's last play of the game, he came off the field, got sick, and was rushed to a hospital.
He had the first surgery to relieve pressure on his brain and a second procedure Oct. 11 because of infection, according to the Rockford Morning Star.
Since then, Rochelle's season has become a community and team prayer vigil for Dylan Manning.
There have been three football games since. Rochelle won all three to finish playoff eligible at 6-3. They were not against the heavy end of the Rochelle schedule, but this diverted some attention away from the obvious.
One thing I'm sure of is that Friday's game will be a typical Rochelle-Geneseo rock -em, sock 'em slobberknocker from years gone by.
You don't expect traditional powers to make a bunch of changes because one guy is not on the field. They will come together, over the football.
Furlong praised Rochelle's physicality after that first game; “They got off the ball well,” Geneseo's coach said. On both sides of the ball they did – limiting Geneseo to 155 net yards and a 2.9-yards per play average.
Manning rushed 15 times for 173 yards and one touchdown in addition to his touchdown kick return.
In his absence, Rochelle has leaned a little more on Roman Villalobos, its other big back. “Rochelle's linemen block straight ahead, with their power back coming fast right behind them,” Geneseo's coach said.. “but they'll still go to their slot backs from time to time.”
“The Leafs did some adjusting on offense in the second half and wound up with two scores.
That whole night in Rochelle was a tough one to sit through. Before the varsity game, the Rochelle freshmen beat Geneseo 50-7. That Geneseo team went on to post a winning record against the Western Big Six frosh teams.
“We were playing a lot of untested guys in Week One,” Furlong said.
“Our effort was very good,” Furlong said, “but we didn't respond well when trying to make plays. We were acting as individuals, not as a team.”
“This time, it will be more about us and executing as a team,” Furlong said. “We never got into a flow that night,” Geneseo's coach said. “The boys' perceptions of themselves have changed.”
You can say that again, coach.
Last Friday, Quincy scored the first seven points.
Geneseo put up the next 45. All in a row. That works great in football . . and hand grenades.
“We'll be watching for team concepts in everything we do,” Furlong said. We'll be watching for how we respond to things that don't go our way.”
Right before halftime, Quincy quarterback Hunter Schuckman tried to score from a yard out on a dive. Two officials disagreed on the touchdown call, but the TD was denied and Quincy was hit with an aiding the runner penalty.
“All of a sudden we're running the kick team in there and you hear that they said he aided the runner,” Quincy's 19-year veteran head coach Rick Little told Quincy Herald-Whig sports editor Mike Thomas.
“There's not a flag thrown, so that was a little confusing,” Little said.
That took a touchdown off the board and Geneseo went off at halftime with a 21-7 lead, instead of 21-14.
Little didn't make a big issue about not getting the touchdown, but said, “We can be frustrated with that call, but it doesn't matter if we don't come out after halftime and compete,” the coach said.
“I think you have to give a lot of credit to Geneseo with their ability to just get off the ball,” Little said. “I thought they did a great job of running their offense the way they do.”
Former Geneseo Coach Denny Diericx calculated that Quincy's down linemen averaged 260 pounds. But the Leafs' big eaters moved them.
Geneseo rushed for 331 yards. That's a championship number in high school football. Quarterback Jackson McAvoy found his option pitches to speed back Kye Weinzierl unavailable most of the game, but tucked and ran 27 times for 217 yards and two scores.
Fullback Mark Nelms burst inside for 82 yards on 17 carries.
Quincy running back and linebacker Mason Dent told Herald-Whig Sports Editor Mike Thomas “We had our keys, but their linemen did a good job at getting who they needed to.”
“Honestly, they just bullied us around all night,” Dent said.
FIVE IN PLAYOFFS – The Western Big Six counted five playoff teams on Saturday night. They were first place Moline (6-0), second place Geneseo (5-1), along with Quincy, Sterling and United Township.
