Geneva defense, led by senior LB core and young DBs, rises to occasion throughout playoff run

GENEVA — Geneva senior Sean Lane didn’t really expect to get his hand on the ball.

With 10 seconds left in the first half of the Class 6A state semifinal game between Geneva and Cary-Grove, the senior linebacker lined up in the backfield as the Trojans went to attempt an extra point that would have tied the game at 14-14.

But instead, Lane managed to get his hand on the kick, knocking it down, and helping Geneva keep a 14-13 lead heading into the locker room.

“I was just messing around, throwing my arms up in the air and then I just timed it up with the jump and got my hands on it,” Lane said. “I was pretty excited, because I knew they would have to go for two. And based on how our defense had been playing, that wouldn’t be easy for them.”

Lane’s blocked kick was one of the many big plays Geneva’s defense has made in both the 28-26 semifinal victory over Cary-Grove, as well as the quarterfinal win over Lake Forest, to help the Vikings return to the state title game for the first time since 2008.

“The defense has been playing well all season, but these last two games, they’ve really stepped it up,” Vikings coach Boone Thorgesen said. “As anybody will tell you, you win in November with great defense, and they’re playing their best at the end of the year when it matters most.”

“When our defense clicks, it will just click and we’ll know it,” Lane said. “And that’s what’s been happening in these last few playoff games, and it’s been really nice.”

While the Vikings’ offense expected to be explosive throughout the season with its boat-load of talent, the defense came into this season with a couple of questions. After graduating a big group of starters from a season ago, it left the team with a young group consisting of mostly juniors, with a majority not having experience at the varsity level entering the season.

One position in particular that took a big hit was the linebacker corps, with Lane being the only returner with big minutes for the Vikings in 2023. But even so, he’s emerged as the main threat from the middle of the field from the Vikings, leading the team with 84 tackles, including a team-high 11 in the semifinal.

“Sean coming into this season was head and shoulders above where he was as a junior, and you could see it right from the start,” Thorgesen said. “And like anything, he just keeps getting better and better, and he’s playing some of his best football right now.”

And while Lane was the only returner on the linebacking corps, he’s had some help from some newer seniors, with guys like Troy Velez, who made the permanent move to defense after mainly being a running back in 2023, and Gavin Burt, a Marmion transfer, stepping up and helping secure the middle part of the defense.

“They’ve been some pretty big additions to the linebacker corps,” Lane said. “Gavin has been someone I can depend on and know that there’s always going to be someone right there to make a tackle, even if I mess up or do something. And Troy is one of the most high-motor kids on the team, and the energy brings to the defense is just unmatched.”

Another group that had some questions heading into the season was the defensive back room. And while the group has the most youth on the team, returners like junior Dane Turner and Dylan Reyes have stepped up to lead the young unit through the playoff gauntlet.

“We just kind of took leadership of making sure everybody was prepared,” Turner, who leads the team with five interceptions, said. “We have a young group, but throughout the playoffs, everyone’s been clicking a lot more. And it shows on the field with how much time and effort our DB group has been putting in.”

Turner and the young group got their big chance to show just how much they’ve improved throughout the season in their quarterfinal matchup against Lake Forest. In that game, the Vikings forced four turnovers, with their defensive backs forcing four of them with three interceptions and a forced fumble.

“Knowing that we can do stuff like that and have games like that just allows us to play a lot more free,” Turner said. “At the DB position, you’ve got to put yourself out there and risk it all. So that sort of game just boosts everybody’s confidence and allows them to play more free and aggressive and make plays on the ball.”

Turner also managed to make a big stop for Geneva in the semifinal against Cary-Grove. With the Vikings leading 28-26 following a Trojans’ touchdown with 5:30 left in the game, they needed a stop on a potential game-tying two-point conversion.

Knowing they needed a big-time play to stop the triple option, Turner was the first player to meet Cary-Grove RB Holden Boone in the backfield, and managed to slow him down enough for his teammates to wrap him up and stop the back short of the goal line.

“I just feel like whenever the game gets tight and we need a big stop or something to happen, our defense always tends to come through in those crucial moments,” Turner said.

Geneva’s defense will face its toughest opponent yet when they take on East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Stadium in Normal.

And while they know they’re coming in as an underdog, it’s a feeling that the Vikings, especially its defense, have embraced a couple of times this season.

“Everyone’s been doubting us all year,” Turner said. “Going into the Batavia game, no one really had us winning that game, no one had us beating Cary-Grove either. So at this point, why not keep proving them wrong?”