Geneva defensive line playing unusual numbers game

It's not just the play of the Geneva defensive line that stands out.

It's their numbers.

Wearing No. 95, Andrew Clausen looks like you'd expect a 6-foot-5, 270-pound lineman. So does No. 47 Trey Hemming and No. 61 Jordan Grimes.

But the other two linemen, Cory Hofstetter and Frank Boenzi, get into their stances wearing No. 5 and No. 7, respectively.

That's No. 7, like you'd expect to see on a quarterback like John Elway's back, or No. 5, maybe a running back.

But two hulking defensive linemen?

"Me and Frank like these numbers," Hofstetter said. "We like being single digits, it's out of the ordinary."

So is seeing Hofstetter on Geneva's good hands team, a spot normally held by wide receivers, tight ends and defensive backs. But there was the 6-foot-4, 245-pounder coming up with an onside kick in the fourth quarter against St. Charles East.

The explanation for that is simple, according to Geneva's two-sport star.

"(Baseball) Coaches have me at first base, I've got to scoop that," Hofstetter said.

Standing out: Not much went the way St. Charles East wanted it to Friday night in a 34-7 loss to Geneva.

One bright spot was the play of junior wide receiver Tyler Nutting, who led both teams with 7 receptions for 86 yards.

"Tyler is a great athlete," Saints coach Ted Monken said. "When he gets the ball he can do some nice things with it. He's just working on being a consistent performer. Because when he is on he's as good as anyone we have."

Hot ticket: As of noon Monday, Aurora Christian had sold 600 special dedication for the debut of its new football stadium Friday night.

Tickets are available either at the high school or the elementary school. The stands seat 1,100 and extra bleachers are going to be set up for the opener, but fans also might want to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

The Eagles hope to have 2,000-plus for the opener. They play Rockford Christian Life at 7 p.m.

Looking ahead: The Eagles' home debut isn't the only excitement on the West side of Aurora Friday night. A couple of miles away, Buck Drach and the Blackhawks put their 2-0 record on the line against another 2-0 team, Naperville Central. It's the type of game West Aurora needs to find a way to win if it is going to end their 13-year playoff drought.

Western Sun and Upstate Eight play kicks off Friday. St. Charles East and St. Charles North are both at home against Waubonsie Valley and Streamwood, respectively.

Kaneland is the only Western Sun team at home, hosting Rochelle. The last time the teams met in Rochelle, the Knights held on for a wild 54-44 victory.

Geneva travels to Yorkville while Batavia plays at Glenbard South.

In the Suburban Catholic, 2-0 Marmion wants to make a statement against Marian, while Aurora Central travels to Montini.

Upon further review: When we reported last week that Sean Grady's two interception returns Friday night were Geneva's first defensive touchdowns since 2001, we were wrong. It should have said the first regular season defensive touchdown since 2001. Geneva had a pair of key defensive scores in its 2004 playoff run.

Matt Darnall (against Carmel) and Matt Skaar (against Freeport) both scored defensive touchdowns. Thanks to the readers who have pointed that out.