Wheaton North rolls past Geneva
If Johnny Peltz is going to share Wheaton North’s quarterback position, Clayton Thorson would seem the perfect complement.
Their connection runs deep.
“We’ve been best friends, born in the same hospital, grown up together, we’ve known each other our whole lives,” said Peltz, the Falcons senior and incumbent starter. “The connection, it’s there.”
Nobody can argue with the results.
Peltz and Thorson, a junior, each threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and No. 10 Wheaton North rolled to a 34-7 win over Geneva on Friday at Wheaton’s Rexilius Field.
The Falcons (2-0) have outscored their two opponents by a combined 83-7. All systems go heading into DVC play.
“This was one of the games we had marked on our calendar,” Peltz said, “because we lost to them last year.”
Peltz started the first and third quarters Friday, with Thorson rotating in behind center in the second and fourth periods. When one is at quarterback, the other lines up at receiver. Either way, the Falcons offense hummed.
After a missed field goal on its opening possession, Wheaton North scored touchdowns on five straight drives. Patrick Sharp, who ran for 71 yards, shed several tackles en route to a 21-yard touchdown run to start things.
Thorson connected with tight end Tom Colletti on a 3-yard scoring strike and ran in an 8-yard keeper for a 20-7 halftime lead. Peltz scored on a 6-yard run in the third quarter and capped things off with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Matt Biegalski.
“We’re very fortunate to have the two (quarterbacks) that we do,” Falcons coach Joe Wardynski said. “They block for each other, they catch balls for each other and they’ve handled the situation great so far. We’re going to keep using both of them because they’re effective. Both of them deserve to be on the field.”
Count Peltz as on board with it.
Thorson, a big 6-foot-4 target, passed for 72 yards and also had 7 receptions for 96 yards. Peltz completed 11 of 14 passes for 132 yards.
“Whatever the coaches want, I’ll do,” Peltz said. “Whatever it takes to win.”
The final score doesn’t indicate it, but a young Geneva team made strides from Week 1.
After 6 lost fumbles against Oswego, the young Vikings (0-2) played turnover-free football Friday and controlled the clock with 70 plays from scrimmage. The Vikings mounted a nice 17-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the second quarter to momentarily cut Wheaton North’s lead to 13-7. On the touchdown Joseph Boenzi ran 13 yards to the Falcons 1, fumbled, but tight end Connor Feeney recovered it and scored. Bobby Hess gained 68 yards and 22 carries, and sophomore quarterback Daniel Santacaterina completed 13 of 28 passes for 129 yards.
“We’re just green. We need to grow up fast,” said Geneva coach Rob Wicinski, whose team plays at rival Batavia next week. “We just have to hang in there and not get buried too deep. Next week should be interesting.”
Despite the early missed field goal, special teams keyed the Falcons’ early scoring. Biegalski returned a kickoff to the Falcons’ 44 to set up their third touchdown. Wheaton North earlier had a long punt return. All three of their first-half scoring drives started near or past midfield.
“Last year special teams was a big difference in the game,” Wardynski said. “They got two onside kicks and they got a fake punt. We really stressed it this week.”