Geneva’s Michael Ratay approached 200 yards rushing in Friday’s game against visiting Glenbard South.

But given the exuberance he displayed following his final 4 yards of the night, it’s likely those were the most satisfying.

Ratay ran behind left tackle and dove into the end zone from 4 yards out with just 24 seconds left to play to lift the Vikings to a hard-fought 14-7 Western Sun Conference win over the Raiders. He celebrated by flipping the ball to the referee and lifting his arms in the air as his teammates surrounded him.

“He is a horse,” Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said of Ratay.

That was definitely the case late in the game as he ran on the Vikings’ (4-0, 2-0) final 11 plays of the game. After three first-half interceptions, Ratay’s number was going to be called time and again in the second half.

“We’re still struggling a little bit with our passing game and we had three interceptions so we got gun-shy, but the offensive line said ‘Let’s go, we can move him,’” Wicinski said. “And when your offensive line tells you that, I’m going to follow their lead.”

However, nothing came easy for Ratay, as evidenced by his shredded jersey and slight limp after the game.

“Ratay’s a heck of a running back and they’ve got a really nice offensive line,” said Glenbard South head coach Dan Starkey, whose defense limited Ratay to a long run of 27 yards.

"Defensively we’re a gap control team. Our kids get in gaps and play football, and our kids are pretty smart. They usually know what’s coming at them.”

A turnover- and penalty-plagued first half yielded to a much crisper second half. And after gaining just 86 yards in the first 24 minutes the Raiders (2-2, 1-1) nearly matched that on their first two drives of the second half. Ryan McKean’s punt return to the Geneva 44-yard line led to the game’s first score moments later. Trace Wanless hit Austin Teitsma for a 22-yard gain, and on the next play Kevin Marshall found Jon Holland for a 22-yard touchdown.

Glenbard South stuffed Geneva on its next possession before driving to the Vikings’ 4-yard line, but Nick Sams’ 22-yard field goal attempt was blocked. The home team then embarked on an 80-yard drive that ate up seven-and-a-half minutes on the game clock and culminated in Ratay’s 1-yard plunge.

Cory Hofstetter, who was in on the blocked field goal had his hand in the action on the next defensive series, scooping up an air-mailed long snap and taking it to the Raider 5-yard line. Three plays later Ratay crossed the goal line on his last carry of the night.

“He (Starkey) had a great gameplan and Glenbard South is just tough as nails. They’ve always been,” Wicinski said. “It’s just a tough matchup for us. It’s been like that year in and year out.”
The Raiders also held Geneva scoreless until the fourth quarter last year before falling in the end.

“It was a fun game tonight,” Starkey said. “Unfortunately we came out on the wrong end of the stick, but our kids battled their butts off and that’s all we ask them to do.

“We had several kids going both ways, there was a lot of hitting going on and I think the kids in white did a great job, so I have nothing but positive things to say about our guys. Geneva has a very good football team. We’ve lost to two good 7A football teams, and like I told our kids, we’re a good football team, and by the end of the year it’s going to show in our record.”

Game breakdown
SCORE BY QUARTER    1    2    3    4
Glenbard S.                        0    0    7    0
Geneva                                0    0    0    14

3RD QUARTER: GS

Jon Holland 22-yard pass from Kevin Marshall (Nick Sams kick), 6:18

4TH QUARTER: GHS

Michael Ratay 1-yard run (Sean Grady kick), 2:29;

GHS

Ratay 4-yard run (Grady kick), :29

PASSING: GS

Marshall 15-26, 203 yards; Trace Wanless 5-10, 67 yards;

GHS

Brandon Beitzel 6-16, 71 yards

RUSHING: GS

Marshall 14-21;

GHS

Ratay 42-181; Drew Fagot 6-18

RECEIVING: GS

Holland 8-134; Wanless 2-41; Kyle Slott 5-39; Austin Teitsma 1-22; Curtis Ford 1-16; Sam Mitchell 1-9; Nick Slezak 2-3;

GHS

Jason Holmes 2-21; Ratay 1-12; Michael Santacaterina 1-12; Grady 1-5

DEFENSE: GS

Slezak 1/2 sack; Brian Duffy 1/2 sack, tackle for loss; Ryan McKean interception; Louis Erkins fumble recovery; Slott interception; Connor Douglas fumble recovery, interception;

GHS

Cory Hofstetter pass deflection, blocked kick, recovered fumble; Trevor Hyslop interception