By George H. Scheetz –
Batavia High School vs. Geneva High School is one of the longest-running high school football rivalries in Illinois. Since 1913, the schools have played 99 games in 105 years; the century game will take place at Bulldog Stadium in Batavia Friday.
As Batavia’s Public Library director, I arrived in late December 2004. It did not take long for me to discover that the annual Batavia – Geneva football game was a really big deal. I caught the fever and Batavia’s first run to the State championship, game in 2006, made the condition chronic.
Batavia took second that year and won State championships in 2013 and 2017.
I soon found gaps in the all-time records and so began a fascinating, often frustrating, research journey, culminating in The Biggest Game of the Year (2012), a many-faceted history of the rivalry, updated annually. The current version is available online at tinyurl.com/biggestgame.
“The rivalry has significant meaning and is among the most storied in the history of football in Illinois,” said Mike Gaspari in a new foreword to the new edition. Gaspari compiled a 26–10 won-loss record against Geneva as Batavia’s head football coach, 1985–2010. He observed that “the Batavia – Geneva rivalry brings out the absolute best in each community. There is motivation for, pressure on, and of course, great focus within both programs.”
And yet, said Gaspari, “I witnessed great sportsmanship and integrity. This is the result of the leadership of both programs, school districts, and communities.”
Gaspari was offensive coordinator on the 2013 State championship three years after he stepped down as head coach to allow Dennis Piron to be the head coach. Gaspari moved to offensive coordinator at Aurora University.
Except for an unprecedented 19-year win-streak by Geneva, 1967–1985, under head coach Jerry Auchstetter, the series has been remarkably even. Batavia has won 43 games, lost 51, and tied five. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) implemented tie-breaker rules in 1975, so ties are now a thing of the past.
As noted in the 1924 Gecohi, Geneva’s yearbook, and called the Viking since 1948, the rivalry is the “Biggest game of the season,” for both communities and strange things happen now and again. The 1960 game, won by Geneva, 13–12, had “probably the most bizarre TD in the history of the Little 7.” Both schools were founding members of the Little 7 Conference. The 1981 game was won by Geneva, 6 – 0, on a “wild interception-fumble-touchdown play” in the fourth quarter. The 1958 game, a 6 – 6 tie, “featured…a total of 12 fumbles.”
These facts and many others are found in the 2018 edition of The Biggest Game of the Season, which runs the gamut from statistical highlights, such as most lopsided scores, to playing fields, and from athletic conferences to school traditions, school colors and nicknames.
Both schools moved this season from the Upstate Eight Conference to the first-year DuKane Conference.
George Scheetz is the director of the Batavia Public Library.