Kane County Chronicle Football Notes: Tommy Diamond sparkling as centerpiece of Geneva defense

GENEVA – Tommy Diamond continues to ascend as a centerpiece in the Geneva defense – and it only takes a handful of plays to see why.

Whether Diamond flashes for two sacks in the Vikings’ 42-0 win over St. Charles East last week or sports 33 total tackles, a team-high through six weeks, the junior linebacker is seemingly anywhere he needs to be.

“Tommy is a great player and he’s only getting better,” Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen said. “He’s only had about [six] games on varsity, but he’s just getting better and better.”

“Tommy plays with great energy [and] great enthusiasm,” Thorgesen continued. “Flies around and when you can do that [as] a defensive player, it’s contagious, you know? That’s what I think is one of the greatest compliments about Tommy: It’s contagious.”

That energy and enthusiasm then spreads across the football team.

“Defensive players on our team see it; everyone sees it and they want to play [that way] because it’s fun,” Thorgesen said. “He’s a good football player for us.”

Diamond averages 5 1/2 tackles per game, has 16 quarterback hurries, and two interceptions on the season.

“For me, a big [part of my impact] is just effort,” Diamond said. “I try my hardest every play. I go all out knowing I can rest later, but I don’t want to leave [any] regrets on the field. I go as hard as I can.”

Matejko returns for St. Charles East

Saints senior running back Trent Matejko is a major piece for the offense. After missing the previous two weeks with a torn PCL in his left knee, Matejko returned to the starting lineup in the Saints’ loss to the Vikings.

Matejko ran for 39 rushing yards for the night, but also had a 52-yard touchdown run called back on a holding penalty.

“It was great to have him back and the guys up front for him, too,” Saints coach Nolan Possley said. “The effort is there.”

The Big Game(s)

Week 7 in the DuKane Conference is unofficially ‘rivalry week’.

Perhaps one should be most circled of interest: Geneva (5-1, 3-1) will face Batavia (4-2, 3-1) for their 104th meeting in program history at 7 p.m. Friday in Batavia.

The Vikings have not defeated the Bulldogs since Dennis Piron became Batavia head coach, dating back to 2011. In the last five meetings, the Bulldogs have shut the Vikings out and outscored them a convincing 209-0.

Could this year be the year to turn the tide?

“I feel like we’ve got a good shot,” Diamond said. “We got a lot of momentum riding with us right now. [The loss to St. Charles North] was tough, but we came out focused in practice this week and we’re going to carry it on next week. We’re going to be very locked in the whole week.”

St. Charles North (5-1, 4-0) hosts St. Charles East (2-4, 0-4) at 7 p.m. With a victory, the North Stars will clinch a postseason berth for the first time since the 2018, when St. Charles North made it all the way to the Class 7A state final.

The North Stars have beat the Saints in consecutive seasons, but fell short 31-21 in 2019.

‘Pink Out’ and ‘Kick-a-Thon’

On Oct. 7, the St. Francis and St. Charles football programs will host a pair of respective initiatives for their contests.

The Spartans, along with the cheerleading squad and band, will host a ‘Pink Out’ to support breast cancer research.

Also that evening, the annual Kick-a-Thon, which has raised over $1 million since its inception, will commence during halftime of the St. Charles East and North football game.

This year, the funds raised for Kick-a-Thon will benefit three programs: The Colette A. Miles Foundation, the Hardy Strong Foundation and Fox Valley Food for Health.

The Colette A. Miles Foundation strives to “provide comfort and support services to families affected by cancer.” Support can include anything from financial support for medical bills, child care during treatment and more.

The ‘Hardy Strong’ Foundation was founded in honor of former St. Charles East star basketball player, Justin, who died following his battle with Stage IV stomach cancer. The foundation supports a scholarship fund to a future senior athlete demonstrating qualities Hardy demonstrated on the court.

Fox Valley Food for Health promotes nutrition-focused education for the community and also helps provide meals to families experiencing a serious health challenge.

T-shirts for the crosstown event are $10 and can be bought during respective school lunch periods with cash or a check. To donate to Kick-a-Thon, click on the link here and use the QR code.