NBCSportsChicago.com preps reporter "Edgy" Tim O’Halloran spotlights 100 high school football teams in 100 days. The first 75 team profiles will focus on teams making strides across Chicagoland and elsewhere in the state. Starting Aug. 5, we’ll unveil the @NBCSPrepsTop 25 Power Rankings, leading up to kickoff on Friday, Aug. 30.
School: Geneva
Head coach: Rob Wicinski
Assistant coaches: Reed Allison, Gary Campana, Jim Kafer, Frank Martin, Brett Shannon, Shaun Ratay, Scott Stuewe, Joe Ninni and Brad Wendell
How they fared in 2018: 3-6 (3-4 DuKane Conference). Geneva failed to qualify for the IHSA state playoff field.
2019 regular season schedule:
Aug. 30 @ Niles Notre Dame
Sept. 6 vs Kaneland
Sept. 13 vs Wheaton South
Sept. 20 @ St. Charles North
Sept. 27 vs St. Charles East
Oct. 4 vs Batavia
Oct. 11 @ Wheaton North
Oct. 18 vs Lake Park
Oct. 25 @ Glenbard North
[MORE: 67 Days to Kickoff - Kaneland]
Biggest storyline: The Vikings won their final three games of last season. Are signs pointing to a turnaround? Can the program get back to their winning ways of old? Is an IHSA state playoff bid within reach in 2019?
Names to watch this season: QB Alex Williams (Sr.) and WR/DB Michael Ninni (Sr.)
Biggest holes to fill: The Vikings will need to replace several graduated starters on both the offensive and defense lines from a season ago.
EDGY's Early Take: The Vikings program has missed the state football playoff field the past three seasons. It's a bit of a surprise since they had been in the postseason in 11 out of the previous 12 seasons (2004-2015). Geneva has a handful of key contributors back this fall including senior QB Alex Williams (6-foot-6, 195 pounds). If the younger linemen can develop sooner rather than later, the Vikings have a shot at challenging for a state playoff spot.