NEWS

Bulldogs upset Green Machine

Amy Boldt
The Streator ball carrier is brought down by a host Green Machine defenders including from left: Curt Jensen, Zach Hungate and Blake Croegaert during Geneseo’s Homecoming and Senior Night game against the Streator Bulldogs on Oct. 10.

Fundamentals were key in the Green?Machine’s Oct. 10 showdown with Streator, but Geneseo just didn’t seem to have it as the Bulldogs captured their first-ever win over Geneseo, 28-17.

“We can’t make mistakes,” said head coach Larry Johnsen. “In the first half we gave up some big plays. The fumbles crushed us. Our fundamentals were not good. We turned the ball over, dropped passes and we were not tackling.”

Streator jumped out to an early lead with a Marlin Washington touchdown on a 7-yard pass from Derek Schneeman and Kyle Kendall added the PAT kick.

The Green Machine managed to get on the board later in the first quarter with a 27-yard field goal by Luke Lembke for a 7-3 score.

Geneseo took its first lead of the contest in the second quarter on a 4-yard TD run by Jake Ballegeer and Lembke added the PAT. Streator’s Schneeman put the Bulldogs ahead again on a 56-yard run, but the kick was blocked. Streator led the game 13-10 at halftime.

The Green?Machine started off the second half with a 33-yard TD run by Collin Akers and Lembke added the PAT for the 17-13 advantage. The Bulldogs countered with two scores by Moore — a 54-yard pass reception from Schneeman and then Moore ran the ball in for the two-point conversion, while the second TD was a 25-yard run and Kendall added the PAT.

Geneseo continued to fight back as the squad looked to score, but costly turnovers resulted in a scoreless fourth quarter for the Green Machine. Streator was also held scoreless in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs emerged with the victory.

The Bulldogs made the most of their possessions as they ran for 185 yards on 32 carries and 120-passing yards on seven completions.

Geneseo rushed for 230 yards on 43 carries and finished with 53 passing yards on five completions. The team also ended the night with one interception and five fumbles with three lost to Streator.

Running the ball for the Green Machine were Akers, 12 carries for 74 yards; Aaron Kotecki, 12-54; Zach Hungate, 8-41; Michael Atwell, 7-34; Ballegeer, 3-18; and Logan Patton, 1-1.

Atwell passed for 53 yards on five completions to Lembke, 2-18; Adam Haviland, 2-17 and Akers, 1-8. Streator’s Moore came up with the interception.

Hunter Fiers and Hungate came up with two fumble recoveries, while Streator’s Moore, Tom Segovich and Ronnie?Taylor scooped up three of Geneseo’s fumbles. Michael Possin finished the night with the lone sack of the game for a loss of 4 yards.

Five Green Machine players came up with tackles for a loss Friday night — Possin, 2-7; Lembke, 1-3; Kotecki, 1-2; Ballegeer, 1-1 and John?Deppe, 1-1.

“You can over analyze the would’ve, could’ve, should’ve, but it just didn’t happen tonight,” said Johnsen.

The Green Machine (4-3 overall and 2-2 in the NCIC) will be on the road tonight at 7:30 p.m. against Dixon.