Geneva stays undefeated with shellacking of Lake Park

ROSELLE – An efficient Geneva offense executed nine plays to score five touchdowns in the first quarter of Friday night’s DuKane Conference game at Lake Park’s West Campus.

The defense contributed a sixth TD on a fumble return to give the Vikings a commanding 42-0 advantage over the Lancers after the first 12 minutes.

Highlight reel worthy plays in the third quarter kept the lopsided contest entertaining in Geneva’s 63-13 win.

The dynamic duo of quarterback Anthony Chahino and receiver Talyn Taylor sparked the first-quarter scoring barrage by teaming up for three of the touchdowns.

After a quiet second quarter with only one Vikings TD, the third quarter featured three touchdowns in a row, two by Geneva (4-0, 2-0) and one by Lake Park (2-2, 0-2).

“We have a very explosive offense. No. 1 (Taylor) and 12 (Chahino) are very, very good players,” Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen said. “Anytime we get those guys going early like tonight, it’s a good thing. They are a very hard matchup.”

“We have great kids, they played physical and really hard. We weren’t the better team tonight, we were banged up on defense and that really hurt us,” said Lake Park coach Chris Kirkpatrick.

The Vikings wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, Chahino connected with Taylor for 57-yard scoring pass on Geneva’s first play from scrimmage. Starting from the Lancer’s 6-yard line, Geneva’s also only need one play — a Michael Rumoro scamper — to cross the goal line for the second time.

The Vikings’ third and fourth TD drives of the quarter needed two plays to score. Taylor ended the third possession with a Chahino 26-yard scoring pass. Finnegan Weppner finished the Vikings’ fourth TD drive of the opening period, hauling in a 58-yard touchdown pass.

Linebacker Troy Velez grabbed a ball knocked loose by the Vikings’ defensive line on Geneva’s 45-yard line and returned it all the way to put his team up 35-0 with 4:48 left to play in the quarter.

“I was being patient, letting my boys do their job,” Velez said. “I saw the ball on the ground, scooped it up and took it home.”

The Vikings’ last scoring drive of the first quarter needed three plays and ended with Taylor’s third touchdown, a 31-yard pass.

“Everything was working,” Taylor, a Georgia commit, said about the productive quarter. “The O-line, the QB and the defensive all had a great week of practice, and it showed tonight.”

After completing his fifth scoring touchdown on a 43-yard pass to Bennett Konkey with 4:40 left in the half, Chahino turned over quarterbacking duties to junior Brock Phillip.

During Lake Park’s opening third-quarter drive, Viking Owen Homewood snared a George Tzamouranis pass at Geneva’s 42-yard line for a pick-6.

On the ensuing kickoff, Lancer Kendan Ratini caught the ball at the Lancers’ 30-yard line and returned it for Lake Park’s first touchdown of the night.

“Ratini continues to rush the ball well. He’s a rising start to keep an eye on,” Kirkpatrick said.

On the first play of Geneva’s next drive, Dominic Dileonardi scrambled 80 yards for the Vikings’ final score of the game.

Lake Park scored its second TD on a 2-yard Tzamouranis run in the fourth quarter.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20240920/prep-football/geneva-rolls-to-an-easy-victory-against-lake-park/