Boys Lacrosse: ‘They really are something special’ Unbeaten Geneva showing no sign of slowing down

Alex Porter balanced playing both varsity level quarterback and lacrosse for two weeks at Geneva while the respective seasons blended into one another.

That was a challenge in of itself.

“Friday night, I would go play in a football game and then Saturday morning, I’d go play in a lacrosse game,” said Porter, a junior defender for Geneva’s lacrosse team. “I’d go to football practice straight to lacrosse practice. For a full two weeks, I was doing that.”

“Physically, that was tough; that was a long two weeks,” Porter said. “...I don’t think I struggled too much [balancing the demand] doing it. I don’t think it was too much. I’ve been playing multiple sports my whole life, so there’s always been that rush from one sport to the other.”

This lacrosse season’s been quite a rush.

The Vikings continue to run through the lacrosse season at an impressive rate. Geneva (9-0, 5-0) has not lost a game and is averaging 19 goals per game with little sign of slowing down.

“We just got to keep our head level and focus on the goal ahead and not get too arrogant,” Porter said. “I think things will go our way. It’s just about working hard and keep doing what we’re doing what we’re doing.”

Geneva’s dominance perhaps shouldn’t surprise.

The Vikings returned 20 players from their 2019 varsity team, suggesting that they were set up for success. Ten seniors and 13 juniors complement four sophomores across 27 total players, and that overall camaraderie continues to translate into convincing victories.

Geneva’s closest call came against St. Charles North in a 8-7 win on April 30. The rest have been lopsided in the Vikings’ favor.

“A lot of these players, even though they didn’t get to play last year, a lot of them were playing varsity as freshmen and sophomores,” first-year head coach Lucas Rojas said. “They already had experience that half of varsity teams usually don’t have.

“I think just composure and their ability to know the pace of the game of the speed already; [plus] they’ve already been in situations and games at that level, it really made [preparing] for the season easy going into it,” Rojas continued.

Vikings junior attackman John Marietti already has 38 goals and 19 assists thus far on the season; fellow juniors Tyler Costello (24 goals) and Andrew Close (23 goals) make up a lethal trio.

“This attack group is a special group,” Rojas said. “They’re the type of guys where you can give them the ball and they can go score. Any head coach would love this attack group. They really are something special.”

Marietti has played lacrosse for six years to this point and plays a club season through the summer, True Lacrosse in Lombard.

“I think everyone on [Geneva varsity] is just really passionate about the game and everyone is very skilled,” Marietti said. “Most of my teammates also play club, so we’re all pretty much playing year-round practicing and what not.”

A highlight of this season for Marietti is an initiative that senior teammate and captain Clark Giansanti helped organize.

“He’s really brought us closer together as a whole Geneva lacrosse family by introducing groups,” Marietti said. “We meet one to two times a week with the junior varsity team and we all talk about personal things and life on and off the field. I definitely think that has definitely helped us come together. It seems to be going good.”

“We’ve got a very strong junior-[laden] squad,” Marietti continued. “...Everyone has a drive to succeed in the game. Everyone puts in that hard work and really works their hardest to succeed. It’s paid off.”