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Even with 4-0 record, Geneva sees room for improvement

I have to admit that I have always liked weather.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a meteorologist - that is, until I found out how many math and science courses I would have to take in order to become one.

By the way, I can't think of too many other professions where you can be wrong half the time yet not find your job in jeopardy.

Even today, I still pay a great deal of attention to weather forecasts.

Some spring, I'd love to get an opportunity to be a Midwest storm chaser for a day.

For now, I'll stick to writing about high school football with a few weather terms thrown in for good measure.

Last weekend served as a barometer reading of sorts for St. Charles East and St. Charles North with the 2 District 303 schools playing host to 3-time defending Upstate Eight Conference champion Batavia and perennial power Geneva, respectively.

Both St. Charles teams left the field last Friday night knowing they still have a lot of work ahead if they hope to contend with their neighboring counterparts.

Batavia (3-1, 2-0) put a damper on the Saints' homecoming festivities with a 40-7 victory, as the Bulldogs went on a 28-point unanswered second-half surge to turn their 12-7 halftime advantage into a rout.

At St. Charles North, the North Stars (3-1, 1-1) put their unbeaten mark on the line against a high-powered Geneva (4-0, 2-0) team that had averaged 36-plus points in its first 3 games.

After having allowed just 17 points - total - in their first 3 contests, the North Stars gave up that many points in the first quarter alone during their 31-13 loss to the Vikings.

"I thought our defense was on the field too much," said North Stars coach Rob Pomazak, whose team managed just 78 yards of first-half total offense compared to the Vikings' 217.

"We gave them a short field and you can't do that against a team like Geneva," added Pomazak. "A lot of it came down to execution. Third and fourth downs were not good for us."

It didn't help that some of the North Stars' top offensive threats, including tailbacks Dom Sidari, Billy Duhownik and wide receiver Brendan Joyce, were missing due to injuries.

There were some positives.

Senior backup quarterback Nathan Didier accounted for 111 of the North Stars' 212 total yards in less than 2 quarters of playing time and scored on a 33-yard run.

Meanwhile, sophomores Tyler Mettetal (5 receptions, 56 yards, 1 TD) and tailback Eric Lins (15 carries, 30 yards) gained invaluable experience. Senior defensive back Nick Zamecnik recorded a pair of interceptions for St. Charles North.

"Tyler just got back from a broken toe so it was great to have him back in action," said Pomazak. "Eric is a sophomore we just called up. It was a pretty big stage for a lot of these guys in their first start. We were going up against a great football team."

The Vikings received their usual contributions from third-year varsity veterans Pace Temple (6 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TDs) and Daniel Santacaterina (16-of-30, 252 yards, 2 TDs).

"Pace and Dan showed why they're Division 1-caliber football players," said Pomazak. "They find each other and they make big plays when they need to."

Temple, who added a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown from his defensive back position, was the holder on field goals and extra points, and returned punts, did everything except sell programs.

"He's one of the better ones," admitted Vikings coach Rob Wicinski. "He's a special player."

A player who is still undecided on his college plans.

"I'm sure he's going to find a really nice home when somebody realizes and gets their act together on him," added the coach.

Despite their first 4-0 mark since 2011, Wicinski almost sounded apologetic after watching his team get outscored 13-7 by the North Stars in the second half.

"We're going to go back and look at tape and see what's going on," said Wicinski. "It just feels a lot like the Richards game (22-19 win in Week 2). I feel almost a little dirty - I need a shower. But I can't complain."

"It's exciting," said Northern Illinois-bound Santacaterina. "The thing is we aren't at our best yet. We've got to be a lot better. It's a good thing that we're 4-0 but there's still room to improve."

Another marked improvement last Friday night was the weather.

After 3 consecutive stormy Friday nights, I appreciated the dry conditions for Week 4.

However, a fierce storm is brewing in the UEC River.

High school football fans - circle the date Friday, Oct. 17 on your calendars.

That is when Geneva will travel to Bulldog Stadium to take on rival Batavia - rain or shine.

You can reach Craig Brueske at csb4k@hotmail.com

  Junior running back Justin Taormina looks for an opening Friday at St. Charles North. Jeff Knox/jknox@dailyherald.com
  Senior Pace Temple caught two touchdowns and returned an interception for another score Friday at St. Charles North. Jeff Knox/jknox@dailyherald.com
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