Staff Reports
GERADLINE – After spotting Collinsville an early lead, ninth-ranked Geraldine scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a two-score lead at halftime en route to a 41-27 Class 3A Region 8 football victory on Friday.
It was the 14th straight win by the Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1) in the DeKalb County series.
Collinsville’s Quintavious Rogers got the Panthers (4-2, 2-2) going with his 70-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Mason McAteer with 4:08 to go in the first quarter.
McAteer completed 20 of 35 pass attempts for 285 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 24 yards on seven carries with two scores.
Rogers finished the game with seven catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
Geraldine’s Jon Beck Wade tied the game at 6 with his 1-yard run late in the first, but McAteer put the Panthers back out in front early in the second on a 4-yard touchdown run. The extra point made it a 13-6 game.
Wade ran for146 yards on 18 carries and two scores. He also passed for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Wade later returned a Panther fumble 47 yards for a score. The point after tied the game at 13.
Wade then connected with Joseph Garcia on a 17-yard touchdown pass, and Braxton Franklin found Owen Walling for a 20-yard score to give the Bulldogs a 27-13 edge at halftime.
Jordon Lankford opened the third-quarter scoring with a 44-yard touchdown run, building the Bulldog lead to 34-13.
Another McAteer-to-Rogers touchdown connection went for 66 yards to pull Collinsville within two scores again 34-20, but Wade closed out the third quarter with a 54-yard touchdown run to give Geraldine a 41-20 advantage.
McAteer had a 1-yard touchdown run with 7:55 to go in the fourth quarter for the final.
Collinsville travels to Sylvania on Friday.