Trying to make a play to extend a drive that could potentially put Friday night’s game away, Geneva’s Nate Stempowski leaned on his hours of studying and preparation.
No, not on the practice field or in the classroom, but rather his gaming console.
“I just ran around like Madden and made some moves,” Stempowski said of the popular video game. “I had guys blocking downfield for me and I just used my speed.”
The senior quarterback was referring to an electrifying 31-yard run late in the fourth quarter with the Vikings up by three points. He juked his way to the first down and capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Reyes on fourth down.
That iced a 20-10 DuKane Conference win at St. Charles North in the regular-season finale.
Stempowski completed 14 of 19 passes for 138 yards and the TD for Geneva (7-2, 5-2). He also ran 23 times for 119 yards, with all but 30 of those yards coming after halftime.
Ethan Plumb tried to keep St. Charles North (6-3, 4-3) in it with his arm. He completed 24 of 42 for 232 yards. Joelle Holloman scored the North Stars’ only TD for North with a 2-yard run late in the third quarter. Anthony Taormina added eight catches for 65 yards.
Stempowski, playing without his top receiving target in four-star recruit Talyn Taylor, put the team on his back. The 31-yard run came on second-and-12 with the Vikings leading 13-10 late in the fourth.
It forced St. Charles North to use all its timeouts to try to get the ball back.
“Half the things he does we can’t coach,” Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen said of Stempowski. “He goes out there and makes plays, and he’s been doing that for as long as he’s been wearing a jersey here.
“He’s our guy. He’s a great kid. He’s reaping the success this year with all the hard work he’s done. He’s a winner, man.”
After three straight plays to running backs, it was fourth-and-2 at the 7. The Vikings could have attempted a field goal to make it a six-point game, but they decided to go for the win.
“I just told my guy, I know you’re going to be open,” Stempowski said of Reyes. “Be ready to catch this ball and get a first down or even a touchdown.”
That’s exactly what Reyes did, putting the Vikings up 20-10 with 1:39 left and the North Stars out of timeouts.
“I was on the ground face down,” Stempowski said. “I was so dead. I was so tired from the run, so I didn’t celebrate much. After I took a breath, I went crazy.”
St. Charles North had a 96-yard kick return called back due to a penalty to start the game. The North Stars went on a long drive regardless, but an interception in the end zone thwarted that momentum.
And in the end, Geneva never trailed.
“There are things you do that win games and things you do that keep you from winning games,” St. Charles North coach Rob Pomazak said. “We did too many things that kept us from winning. We were right there.”
The win for Geneva was important not just for playoff seeding but also in terms of perception.
“This was special,” Thorgesen said. “We’re tired of the narrative that we can’t beat a good team. Our kids were ready to play, and I’m just so proud of them. We play pretty hard.”
That’s especially true of Stempowski, the Vikings’ leader.
“He’s special,” Thorgesen said. “Everybody asks about the kid. The best thing I can say is that he’s a winner. I’ve said all along he’s a winner. He makes winning plays.
“I’m extremely proud of him.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
