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Sports

GAME DAY: Geneva vs. Rock Island

Later today, Vikings will find themselves between the Rocks and hard place.

Here's the good news ….

OK, can't think of any. Rock Island is just a load of hurt after a two-and-a-half-hour drive, a team with nasty qualities like speed, size and ambition.

The Rocks are ranked sixth in the Associated Press Class 6A poll, and Rock Island head coach Vic Boblett's team rarely loses at home.

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And if that't not scary enough, Boblett has 12 returning starters from a 2009 team that won the Western Big 6 conference championship and advanced to the playoffs.

"I was just reading a press clipping of their size—I thought I was looking at the University of Iowa," Viking head coach Rob Wicinski said. "He (Boblett) says he's got two 4.4 (40-yard dash) guys on the team, and guys that go 6-6, 6-5—270, 280, 340."

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Rock Island has won 29 of its last 34 games, according to the excellent Quad-Cities Online Web site.

"Boblet is such a great coach and just to play him with a normal Rock Island group is a challenge, but they're talking state championship this year," Wicinski said.

This just in: There is some good news, after all. The Rocks lost their home-opener last year. The bad news is they went 8-2 and didn't lose again in 2009 until the playoffs.

And of course the Rocks have not lost back-to-back opening games since 2005-06.

"It's fun," Wicinski said.  "We love the opportunity."

And Geneva Patch loves to read your comments: How do you think the Vikings will fare today? 

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