Geneva at Madison football: Preview capsule for Oct. 12 game
Oct. 11—Geneva at Madison
What: CVC Lake Division game
When: 7 p.m., Oct. 12
Where: Dick Hamblin Field
Records: Geneva 7-1 (3-0 CVC Lake), Madison 7-1 (3-0 CVC Lake)
Last week: Geneva def. Lakeside, 49-6, Madison def. Jefferson, 44-7
Playoff position: Geneva has clinched a playoff spot and is second in Division III, Region 9, Madison is 11th in Division III, Region 9 and would likely clinch a playoff berth with a win over Geneva.
For the record: For all intents and purposes, this is the CVC Lake Division championship game. Whoever wins gains at least a share of the title and will be favored in Week 10, too. There's also a bunch of playoff points on the line. Madison needs a win here more than Geneva as it is 11th in Region 9. ... Madison's lone loss was in Week 1 to undefeated Perry, 32-7. Geneva's lone loss was in Week 5 to Perry, 36-20. ... Madison has been led by dual-threat QB Carson Alley, who has run for 593 yards and 17 touchdowns while also passing for 561 yards and 10 scores. Fellow back James Poe has run for 481 yards and seven TDs, while Sonny Salajcik has run for five scores. Defensively, Demetrius Williams has seven tackles for loss and five sacks. ... Similarly to Madison, the visiting Eagles heavily rely on the run. Bryce Peet (695 yards, nine TDs), Luke Smith (688 yards, 11 TDs) and Hayden Diemer (398 yards, nine TDs) have all had success on the ground. Kenny Young has thrown for 390 yards and six TDs. Linebackers Matt Wright and Peet anchor a physical defense. ... The big key for both teams is slowing down (or stopping) the run game and forcing the opposition to pass. That puts the pressure on the offensive and defensive lines. Whoever controls the trenches will win. ... Madison leads the series, 38-32-1. Madison won last year, 13-7, but Geneva won the three before that.
Way we see it: All seven members of the panel picked Geneva.
