Sterling’s defense, run game come through in win over Geneseo

STERLING – Sterling’s defense continues to get it done.

The Golden Warriors beat Geneseo 13-6 on homecoming Friday night to win a fourth straight game as coach Jon Schlemmer earned his 100th victory.

Sterling (4-2, 3-0 Western Big 6 Conference) held Geneseo (3-3, 1-3) scoreless until the Maple Leafs scored a touchdown with 3:12 to play. It was the first touchdown Geneseo scored against Sterling since 2019.

Sterling was able to ride their run game to victory as Wyatt Cassens and Cobey Shipma helped grind out the clock in a 10th straight win over Geneseo. It’s been tough sledding at times for Sterling running ball this season, but the Golden Warriors came through when it mattered to hold off the Maple Leafs.

“It’s tough to run the ball in this league, and that’s a good defense,” Schlemmer said. “We haven’t ran the ball as we’ve wanted to. We have to continue to get better at that, but we keep taking steps forward, and that’s what we’re excited about.”

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Early on, the short pass game served as Stelring’s run game.

QB Drew Nettleton started the game 8-of-8 passing as Shipma’s 1-yard plunge gave Sterling a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Seven minutes later, Nettleton hit Kaedon Phillips deep down the sideline for an 81-yard touchdown pass that made it 13-0 after a Ryan Gebhardt kick.

Geneseo dominated time of possession almost 2-to-1 in the game, but Sterling made stops when it needed to. The Leafs were 2 of 4 on fourth down and 5 of 12 on third down. Sterling had 201 yards of offense and Geneseo had 193.

“I thought we played as physical as we have on the defensive side of the ball,” Schlemmer said. “Really excited to see the way our kids played tonight.”

Offensively, Nettleton finished 15-of-16 passing for 142 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s not always the big hitter, but it’s an extension of the run game,” Schlemmer said. “When you can do that, it’s really good.”

Shipma led the backfield with 46 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, and Cassens added 23 yards on four carries. Shipma said it was a good win.

“They put up a good fight,” he said. “They’re good at running the ball, but we are too.”

Sterling’s Cobey Shipma avoids a tackle against Geneseo Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at Sterling High School. (Alex T. Paschal)

The game looked to be well in hand until Geneseo converted on fourth-and-12 with a 31-yard pass from Jackson McAvoy to Kye Weinzierl. McAvoy finished the drive with a rushing score before Sterling was able to close out the victory. McAvoy completed 2 of 5 passes for the run-focused Leafs.

Kolten Schmoll-Burton led Geneseo with 105 yards on 21 carries. Gage Tate led Sterling with eight tackles.

After a fourth straight victory, Sterling seems to have found its recipe for success.

“We really bounced back,” Nettleton said. “Everybody’s been putting in a ton of work.”

Sterling has its biggest test of the season so far with a road trip to Quincy next week.

“We’ve seen what they’ve been able to do this year so far, and last year, obviously they came down here and beat us in a close game,” Schlemmer said. “Just got to have a great week of practice. Our kids know what’s down there.

“It’s going to be a really good challenge for us.”

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