Geneva’s Michael Loberg catches 4 TD passes in win over St. Charles East

GENEVA – When Geneva’s offense needed a spark, quarterback Nate Stempowski found Michael Loberg.

Repeatedly.

The senior tight end caught four touchdown passes as the Vikings downed St. Charles East 42-20 in a DuKane Conference game Oct. 13 at Burgess Field.

The Vikings (6-2, 4-2) wrapped up a playoff berth. The Saints dropped to 1-7, 1-5.

Stempowski carried much of the load, running for 175 yards and a score. Troy Velez had 102 yards and a rushing touchdown for the Vikings.

The Saints had a potent receiving weapon of their own in Sheko Gjokaj, who caught 12 balls from quarterback Mac Paul for 172 yards and two scores.

The Vikings’ offense sputtered early. Despite reaching the red zone three times, they scored only once, with Stempowski finding Loberg all alone in the end zone. They also fumbled at the Saints’ 3-yard line and turned it over on downs at the 11.

The Vikings’ defense made plays when it needed to with Eli Curry and Rocco Lampiasi hauling in interceptions.

Geneva broke the game open in the third quarter, scoring three times. Loberg scored once in each quarter, the last time on a fourth-quarter screen.

“Nate gave me all the passes I needed. The O-line blocked great. It’s really just a team thing,” Loberg said. “Every ball that I got thrown was perfect from Nate. Coaches called great plays. We ran the ball great.”

Paul and Gjokaj kept the Saints in the game. Gjokaj’s first score, a 25-yarder in the second quarter, made it 7-6. It stayed that way until Loberg caught his second touchdown with seven seconds left in the first half.

“It was one of those games where we really didn’t get into a rhythm,” Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen said. “Give credit to St. Charles East. We moved the ball well in the first half. We just didn’t put it in the end zone. That fumble on the first drive was a killer.”

After intermission, the Vikings started to move the ball consistently. They took the second-half kickoff and moved 55 yards, all on the ground, with Velez taking it in for a touchdown from five yards out.

The Saints answered with Gjokaj’s second score, but the Vikings added two more scores to pull away.

Paul finished 21-of-37 passing for 286 yards for St. Charles East.