Bears Sink Vikings, 35-32

What happens when two very evenly-matched teams play each other in the first round of the IHSA playoffs?

You have a game that ends with a very close score.

The Bears prevailed over the visiting Geneva Vikings this afternoon, 35-32. But it wasn’t easy, as the Vikings, led by strong-armed quarterback Matt Williams, held the lead for much of the game.

“We made some adjustments after the half, and putting (Taylor) Coleman and (Rocky) Triggiano on the offensive line made a big difference,” said the Bears’ running back/linebacker Mike Shield. “We also did a better job of staying on set calls in the second half. There was less shifting on the defensive line.”

The start of the game was rocky for the Bears. After a solid return to the 45-yard line by John Orlando, a penalty pushed them back 20 yards. Then, on the first play from scrimmage, Mike Rantis fumbled and the ball started tumbling backwards toward the end zone. Vikings linebacker Drew White fell on it in the end zone and just like that Geneva was up 7-0.

Lake Zurich started moving the ball downfield on their next possession, but Brandon Markert coughed up the ball at the end of a nice run at Geneva’s 17-yard line for the Bears’ second straight turnover.

The Bears’ iron-clad defense forced the Vikings’ offense to go three-and-out, but they were unable to do much on their next series.

The Bears’ defense finally forced a turnover of their own when Chris Rantis recovered running back Parker Woodworth’s fumble on Geneva’s 27-yard line. After a 6-yard run by Shield and a 5-yard keeper by Till, Till ran the ball in from 15 yards out, tying the score at 7 apiece.

After Mike Leiva kicked the ball out of bounds at the Geneva 35-yard line, the Vikings marched down the field for another touchdown. The drive didn’t start well, with Williams getting sacked on the first play. But Woodworth then went to work, demonstrating Geneva’s fine ground game. After he broke off several runs for long gains, Geneva found themselves at Lake Zurich’s 12-yard line.

Williams then connected with tight end Connor Feeney at the 2-yard line, and two plays later Woodworth ran it in for a 14-7 Vikings advantage.

The Bears started to move into Geneva territory on their next series, as Till began to air the ball out with a completion to Jack Lynn and and two to Orlando. Orlando made a deft second effort to pull in the ball on the second of his catches after it bounced off his chest. Mike Shield also had a 15-yard burst up the middle as the Bears got down to the Vikings' 30-yard line.

But Till’s pass on a 4th-and-7 was incomplete, and Geneva took over on downs. An encroachment penalty by the Bears gave the Vikings a first down on the second play of the series, pushing the Vikings up to their own 45-yard line. A few plays later, Lake Zurich was flagged for pass interference, and Geneva moved up to the Bears’ 39-yard line.

Matt Williams then showed off his big arm with a 34-yard strike to wideout Ben Rogers, advancing inside Lake Zurich’s 5-yard line. After Woodworth was dropped for a loss of four, Williams ran it in from 12 yards out, increasing Geneva’s lead to 21-7.

“They sure were a tough team,” said Bears running back Connor Schrader after the game. “They had some big, physical players, a lot of good players, and the team was very well-coached. We definitely had our work cut out.”

Probably the turning point for Lake Zurich was their next possession. It started with a 29-yard return by Orlando to the Bears’ 35-yard line. Schrader then ran the ball for 9 yards to the 44-yard line, followed by a 5-yard gain for a first down. Schrader ran the ball two more times, breaking into Vikings territory.

After another run by Schrader, a 7-yard gain to Geneva’s 31-yard line, a facemask penalty against the Vikings moved the ball up to the 23-yard line. Schrader ran it to the 17-yard line followed by an 11-yard run to the six. After a 3-yard run by Rantis, Till ran it in on a keeper, narrowing Geneva’s lead to 21-14 with 1:57 left in the half.

The Bears’ stout defense stopped Geneva cold on their next possession, forcing another three-and-out. Lake Zurich started on their own 41-yard line with 1:22 remaining until halftime. Till hit Shield with a 22-yard completion, followed by a 17-yarder to Lynn to Geneva’s 20-yard line. Till then ran the ball down to the 1-yard line and scored on a dive over the middle, knotting the score at 21-21 going into the half.

The Vikings kept the ball on a drive that lasted 9:26 opening the third quarter. Amazingly, because of a costly double penalty at the end of the drive deep in Lake Zurich territory, they came away with only a field goal. William did much of the heavy lifting during the series, mixing a variety of short passes with short runs.

But the Vikings were flagged for an illegal motion penalty and also intentional grounding, backing them up 20 yards and costing them a down. Williams then nailed a 44-yard field goal, giving Geneva a 24-21 advantage.

The Bears started off slow on their next possession. But Till, as he’s done so many times when he’s needed a big play, found Lynn open for a 25-yard completion, spotting the ball on Lake Zurich’s 49-yard line. Then Mike Shield busted loose for one of the most important and memorable runs of his career, rambling 51 yards for a touchdown and a 28-24 Bears lead.

The Bears cemented their victory on the Vikings’ next possession, when running back Bobby Hess fumbled on Geneva’s 25-yard line with Colton Moskal recovering for Lake Zurich. Till’s 15-yard touchdown run upped the Bears lead to 35-24.

The score stood until a short punt by Mark Weber gave Geneva the ball at the Bears’ 34-yard line. Williams then hit Tyler Hickey with a 20-yard pass over the middle and then again with a 19-yard completion down to the 1-yard line. After a solid goal-line stand by the Bears, Woodworth finally ran it in for the score on the Vikings' third attempt. Williams then connected with Kevin Curtin in the end zone for a two-point conversion. With Lake Zurich up 35-32, the Vikings were a field goal away from tying the score with 2:32 remaining in the game.

Geneva tried an onside kick, but Sean Lynch recovered at the Bears’ 49-yard line. Lake Zurich continued to run the clock down on their possession. With a little under a minute remaining, Mike Shield was just short of getting a first down at the Vikings’ 44-yard line, setting up a fourth-and-inches situation for the Bears.

Steven Kuhn, who had taken over for Till after he incurred a high ankle injury earlier in the quarter, then got the first down on a quarterback sneak, allowing the Bears to run out the clock.

“We still need to correct some mistakes,” said Schrader after the game. “We have to get to that point where we’re really playing Lake Zurich football. We’re not quite there yet.”

“We need to be a little cleaner on defense,” said Shield. “Earlier in the game, we were just a block away from being where we need to be. It was  almost happening, but we weren’t quite there. The second half was a lot better.”

Bears Pause: Zach Till rushed for 129 yards on 22 carries with four touchdowns, while passing for 128 yards. He was 9-for-12 in the air, accounting for 257 of the Bears’ 384 total offensive yards. Shield was a yard shy of the century mark with 99 yards on 14 carries. John Orlando had 48 yards on four catches. Matt Williams was 13-for-18 for 231 yards for Geneva. Geneva had 327 total offensive yards. Both teams finished with 19 first downs. Till suffered a high ankle injury while running to the left sideline on a keeper deep in the fourth quarter. The severity of his injury is not known.

Next Up: Lake Zurich will travel to Glen Ellyn next week to play Glenbard West. The Hitters defeated Prospect Saturday afternoon, 34-7. The date and time are not yet confirmed.

Final Word: As promised, a shout-out from Bears running back Connor Schrader to his "d-line worldwide."