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Geneva has its way with Elgin

Taormina and Temple.

Sounds like a headliner magic act in Las Vegas.

But it's simply become a headliner offensive machine for the Geneva Vikings football team.

Running back Justin Taormina rushed for 3 touchdowns and wideout Pace Temple caught 3 touchdown passes - all in the first half - to make visiting Elgin disappear rather quickly Friday night and trigger a 56-6 Upstate Eight River blowout.

When Justin Nebel added a 5-yard touchdown run with 2:08 left in the first half, Geneva (5-0, 3-0) enjoyed a 49-0 lead that set the slaughter-rule running clock in motion in the second half and allowed several reserves to see action.

"When I see a hole, I just go and take off," said Taormina, who took off on scoring runs of 30, 18 and 5 yards in building his season total to 10 rushing touchdowns.

"It's a great feeling because the offensive line has been working their butts off and we are really executing on offense," Taormina added.

Temple (4 catches, 81 yards) hauled in touchdown passes of 8, 15 and 36 yards from quarterback Daniel Santacaterina in only a half of action.

"We just wanted to come out with the same mentality and take care of business, and we did that tonight," Temple said. "Everyone got in the game and got some reps."

Even though the Vikings struck early and often in taking a 35-0 lead after one quarter, the Geneva defense did its part.

To say the defensive front of Matthew Loberg, Stephen Kemp, Jack McCloughlan and Thomas Alwin had a good night would be an understatement. They helped the Vikings hold Elgin to 38 yards rushing, no yards passing, and just 2 first downs in the first half. "Just staying disciplined and taking it one game at a time," said Kemp, who used his quickness off the snap to spend plenty of time in the Elgin backfield with his fellow linemen, while linebacker Wyatt Shodeen helped fill any running gaps.

"It's working on discipline, pursuit and breaking down (the offensive line)," Kemp said of the keys for Geneva to keep improving.

Geneva coach Rob Wicinski is sold on the improvements his defensive squad has made this year, especially after trying to engineer his team's offense against it in practice.

"I'm struggling in practice against these guys," Wicinski said. "We do several minutes of one-on-ones and I have to ask the defensive coaches if these guys are that good, or I'm just that bad."

In addition to aggressive pursuit of the ball carriers, the Vikings also tossed in a spectacular defensive play in the form of safety Brock Perry's leaping interception and balancing act to keep both feet inbounds late in the first half.

Elgin (0-5, 0-3) fared better in the second half against Geneva subs, compiling 83 yards rushing and tallying its lone score on a 1-yard plunge by Trae Sallis in the third quarter.

The Maroons' wishbone offense is designed to move the chains on the ground behind quarterback Dontrell Gaddy, who carried the ball 19 times and fought for every inch of the 60 yards he gained.

But with the rushing game stifled, Elgin had no passing attack, nor the time to execute one because of pressure.

Geneva displayed its depth, particularly at running back with power back Liam Burns returning after an opening-week hamstring injury. Burns compiled 92 yards on 8 carries. David Burchard got in on the action, ripping off a 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

As a team, the Vikings rushed for 335 yards.

"There is a reason Geneva is ranked fifth in the state," Elgin coach Kyle Rohde said. "I've been coaching against them for seven years, and I think this is the best team they've had."

Because of the obvious mismatch his team was facing, Rohde said he was honest in his game plan.

"I told our kids what this team was all about and how it was going to be, and we just wanted to try to get something going against them," Rohde said.

"But I sure wasn't going to tell them we could come in here and beat them by 50 points."

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