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Batavia picks off Geneva

Nick Bernabei and the rest of his senior class have been dreaming of beating Geneva since they were kids, a staple for every little Batavia boy who grows up a Bulldog.

Even the wildest and happiest of those dreams couldn't have matched the script that unfolded in front of another standing room only crowd packed into Batavia Friday night to watch the series' 95th meeting.

Bernabei opened the scoring by intercepting Geneva's Northern Illinois-bound Daniel Santacaterina on the third play of the game and returning it for a touchdown. That turned out to be the first of five interceptions for the Bulldogs' ball-hawking defense, and Josh Leonhard added another pick-6 in the fourth quarter as the Batavia defense made the difference in a 26-20 victory.

Geneva (7-1, 5-1) might still lead the series 51-40-5, but it is Batavia (7-1, 6-0) in control lately, clinching a fourth straight Upstate Eight Conference River title Friday.

"We've grown up wanting to beat Geneva, to achieve this in such a tight game is just surreal," Bernabei said. "We knew they were going to be passing the ball. We knew we were going to have to get picks. They are a high-powered offensive team. We had to force turnovers."

That the Bulldogs did, six total. Geneva matched Batavia in the first half, forcing three Batavia turnovers, but the Bulldogs took care of the ball in the second half to a win a game despite being outgained 457-237 and allowing an 85-yard kick return to Justin Taormina.

"How fun, how crazy. Football is a crazy game," Batavia coach Dennis Piron said. "If they don't turn the ball over it's a different game but us too. It was the kind of game you expect from Batavia and Geneva especially when the teams are good. A chess match mix and match."

Batavia often double teamed Geneva's star wide receiver Pace Temple or had help near while aggressively jumping routes and mixing up its coverages.

"Santa saw Pace one-on-one and he wanted to get him," Bernabei said of his big play. "I just got underneath the route and picked it. I had all the adrenaline going, I saw the end zone and said, 'I'm getting in it.' That was huge to start off the game."

Ahead 7-0 after just 50 seconds, Joseph Gross followed with another first-quarter interception that left the Bulldogs just 16 yards for their second touchdown, a 5-yard run from Zach Garrett that made it 14-0.

Geneva's defense held on a 4th-and-1 early in the second quarter, and the big-play Vikings offense finally got going. Santacaterina hit Mike Landi for a 31-yard strike and Taormina broke free for a 29-yard touchdown run down the right sideline, a 2-play drive to bring Geneva within 14-7.

Brock Perry and Sean Chambers both recovered Batavia fumbles in the first half, and the later led to Santacaterina's 25-yard touchdown pass that Jack Wassel caught despite the Bulldogs being called for pass interference, tying the game at 14.

Both teams had a chance to go ahead in the last minute of the first half. Temple intercepted Kyle Niemiec at Geneva's 2-yard line after the Vikings had been stopped on a 4th-and-1 at their own 15. Santacaterina nearly drove the Vikings the length of the field in the final 45 seconds but Eddie Golden broke up a pass to Landi in the end zone as time expired.

Neither team scored in the third quarter. The Vikings had a 12-yard touchdown run by Max Woodworth called back, and on Geneva's next drive Golden came up with the first of his two second-half interceptions.

Garrett capped Batavia's longest drive of the night - 54 yards - with a 2-yard run on 4th-and-goal on the first play of the fourth quarter and a 20-14 lead after the PAT was blocked.

Leonhard immediately followed by coming off the right edge and intercepting a short screen pass, making a cut in the open field and going 45 yards for a touchdown and a 26-14 lead.

"I came off the edge, Santacaterina looked at me, I saw him, it looked like he was going to throw it over me but I jumped for it and it came right to me and I ran for my life," Leonhard said.

Taormina quickly got Geneva back in the game returning the ensuing kick 85 yards, and this time Geneva missed the point after to trail 26-20.

Niemiec ran for a first down and found Canaan Coffey for another before Perry made a big hit on 4th-and-1 to give Geneva the ball back with a chance to go ahead.

Another pick from Golden - the third straight attempt that ended in an interception - halted the Vikings. Geneva's defense again held Batavia on 4th-and-5 - the Bulldogs finished 0-for-3 on fourth downs - giving the Vikings one last chance at their own 25 with three minutes left.

Santacaterina threw to Temple for 14 yards, Temple again for 12 more and Wassel for 18 and a first down at Batavia's 31-yard line after Wassel slipped cutting back with an open field ahead.

Leonhard's sack put Geneva in a hole, and after a holding penalty brought back Woodworth's long gain on a screen and Santacaterina overthrew Temple deep, the Bulldogs sealed the game with heavy pressure on Santacaterina on third- and fourth- and long.

Santacaterina finished 17 of 39 for 277 yards while Taormina ran for a game-high 100 yards.

"Considering the way we buried ourselves I'm proud of the way they fought," Geneva coach Rob Wicinski said. "You can't win games like that with those kinds of turnovers. It's a shame. We pride ourselves on being disciplined but some movement up front and some big plays called back. You can't play against two teams. I'm hurt for the kids. They played hard. Batavia kudos. They did a nice job defensively down the stretch."

The win certainly meant a lot to the Bulldogs, the defending state champs who have reloaded and kept control of the UEC River with a lot of new faces.

"At the beginning of the year everyone was saying we lost a lot of seniors," Leonhard said. "We had faith in ourselves. Practice all summer, in the back of our head we were thinking about Geneva the whole time. We prepared well and came out with a 'W.'"

Images: Batavia vs. Geneva football

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