Vikings' secondary steps into spotlight

He hadn't seen his team score a defensive touchdown since the 2001 season against Fenton.

But Geneva coach Rob Wicinski might have been the least surprised person at Burgess Field when Sean Grady returned not one but two interceptions for touchdowns in Friday night's 34-7 win over St. Charles East.

That's because Wicinski sees Grady doing the same thing to his offense each day in practice.

"He's doing it to me all the time in practice. It didn't surprise me," Wicinski said. "He's worked real hard in the off-season. He's a jack of all trades. He doesn't come off the field."

The strength of the Geneva defense starts up front with linemen like Andrew Clausen, Cory Hofstetter and Frank Boenzi. The Vikings have three-year starter Brennan Quinn leading the linebackers.

That can leave the secondary overlooked, but they came to the forefront Friday.

"I'm low key, stay out of spotlight," Grady said. "I do my job, let them do their job. It'd be out there playing football if there was 5,000 people there or there's nobody out there."

It was closer to the 5,000 Friday, and they saw Grady turn the game around.

His first interception came on the first play of the second quarter in a 0-0 game. He returned it 77 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 lead, even though the Saints had dominated the game to that point.

"He's looked good in doubles and committed himself to the off-season and he's one our team leaders," Geneva defensive coordinator Frank Martin said.

"Sean Grady is a heck of a football player but it's a team effort. The linebackers are making their drops and the defensive line is working hard. Any time you can have a player do that it is definitely something special."

Grady wasn't finished. With St. Charles East driving for a touchdown late in the game, he again jumped a slant and took the ball the other way, this time an even 100 yards for another touchdown return.

"Sean is the man," Hofstetter said. "He's so fast. Probably the best game I've ever seen him play." Grady wasn't the only member of the Geneva secondary who stepped up. Michael Sanatacaterina also intercepted a pass in the second quarter, and that set up a short field for the Vikings, leading to the first of three Michael Ratay touchdown runs.

"We do have a nice secondary but our line deserves everything they get," Sanatacaterina said. "They are animals up there and they go to work."

Like Martin, Grady credited his entire defense for his big night.

"It's an eye-opening experience. It's awesome. I couldn't have done it without the rest of the defense getting pressure," Grady said. "I was just the one lucky standing there when he threw it there. I just kind of jumped the route hoping it was right, and got lucky he threw it."

How hard is it to return an interception 100 yards in the closing minutes of a game after you've been on the field for much of the 47 minutes?

Hard, but well worth it, said Grady.

"A little bit tired," Grady said. "But it's one of those good worn-down feelings."