Geneva offense in high gear in win over Elgin

Updated: September 17, 2011 12:49AM

After three mostly nerve-grabbing games, Geneva’s football team needed a laugher.

The Vikings got it Friday night at Burgess Field in the form of a 45-14 victory over Elgin.

Geneva (4-0, 2-0 Upstate Eight River) raced to a 17-0 first quarter lead against the game, but overmatched, Maroons (1-3, 0-2).

Elgin was playing without senior running back Dennis Moore (ankle) and head coach Dave Bierman turned the majority of the running over to sophomore Jaylen Clemons.

“He’s (Bierman) got a sophomore quarterback (Ryan Sitter) and a sophomore running back (and) a really young group,” Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said. “When you go out there with sophomores it’s sometimes difficult to get done what you want to get done.”

Actually, both Clemons and Sitter played well. Clemons carried 24 times for 89 yards and scored on an 11-yard run and Sitter was 9 of 25 for 133 yards and connected with Gage Teschner on a 25-yard touchdown.

It wasn’t nearly enough against a Viking offense that is operating at full bore on every play.

Senior quarterback Matt Williams was an efficient 9 of 15 for 221 yards and three touchdowns. That included a 53-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Hess on what was actually a broken play. It was supposed to be a screen pass but Elgin’s defense saw it coming.

“Our tackle waited too long (on his block) and kind of gave it away,” Wicinski said.

That forced Williams to scramble but, while he was running, he spotted an open Hess. So he shot-putted the ball to him and Hess did the rest, rambling 53 yards to score.

“That’s Matt,” Wicinski said with a smile.

It was that kind of night for the Vikings.

Tailback Parker Woodworth carried only 12 times (all in the first half) but picked his way through the Maroons for 106 yards and touchdown runs of 17 and 12 yards, fullback Ben Herrera scored on a seven-yard pass from Williams and a 17-yard run and wide receiver Ben Rogers caught three passes for 106 yards.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.