The Batavia football team will try to mimic what Geneva does all week in practice, in preparation for the Section 5 Class B Tournament next week.
But they got better looks than they will get all week Friday night in a 40-12 loss. The blowout spoiled the Batavia homecoming, but will hopefully give the team some ideas how to pull the upset next week as the Blue Devils will be the No. 8 seed, going up against No. 1 Geneva for the second straight week.
The Panthers are the No. 4 ranked team in the state and looked like it right off the bat, taking control of the game in the first quarter.
Quarterback Bobby Martin hooked up with DeAnze Williams and Junior Collins on passes before finding Derrious Thomas in the end zone on a 25-yard pass.
Batavia went three-and-out and Martin went right back to work.
There was a 21-yard strike to Collins before Martin scored on a 15-yard keeper, making the score 13-0 after a period of play.
The Blue Devils came out in the second quarter and Rob Williams entered the game at tailback. Williams injured his hip last week and was not expected to play, but was looked at by doctors just hours before the game and allowed to play, with limited duties.
He moved the ball five yards on that carry, but Batavia was pushed back on the next play and wound up in a fourth-and-6 situation.
QB Joe Canzoneri found a receiver, but he was two yards short of getting the first down.
The Blue Devils finally made a stop on defense, but a pass interference call helped prolong the Geneva drive. Martin found Collins after that and moved his squad down to the 15-yard line.
A short run and two incomplete passes set up a fourth-and-9. The Panthers knew where to go with the ball as Martin lofted a ball up into the end zone and Thomas skied above the defender and pulled down his second score of the game, giving Geneva a 21-0 advantage.
Thomas then made a play on defense, intercepting a Canzoneri pass and returning it deep into Batavia territory. But a personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Geneva pushed the ball all the way back to midfield.
Williams had a 38-yard touchdown run shortly after that.
Batavia had a shot to score late in the first half when Vinny Pedro ripped off a 25-yard run and Canzoneri found a receiver on an 11-yard pass with one second left. But the final pass of the half fell incomplete.
The Batavia coaching staff found something at the half and made some good adjustments, allowing the home squad to finally start moving the football.
Anthony D'Aurizio broke off a 31-yard run and eventually scored on a 3-yarder. Geneva did answer right back with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Williams.
D'Aurizio and the Batavia offense again marched the football down the field, but a fumble gave the Panthers the ball back and killed all momentum.
Williams scored the final Geneva points in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard run. D'Aurizio scored another touchdown in the closing seconds on a 4-yard run.
Geneva improves to 6-1 while Batavia falls to 3-4. The two squads will play again next Friday night in the opening round of the playoffs, in Geneva.
