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player ready...The Navigato triplets’ chemistry is obvious, but it’s not the only reason Geneva still hasn’t lost a game.
The sophomore-senior backcourt of Jack McDonald and Matt Johnson also play like they’ve got some kind of twin connection.
The No. 13 Vikings were the picture of cohesion Friday night, treating their Senior Night fans to the Upstate Eight Valley championship with a 74-56 victory over St. Charles East.
Dom Navigato (26 points, four blocked shots) was a force on both ends, McDonald scored 16 points, and the high-energy Johnson had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists as Geneva ran its record to 26-0 with three regular-season games remaining.
“It is nice because we won conference and now we can play everyone,” Johnson said. “Now we can get equal minutes and rest for the playoffs. (Going undefeated) is not a goal in my eyes, but if we get it that’s great. Otherwise, big whoop.
“We’ve had such a great year, one or two losses isn’t going to reflect our season. Everyone gets minutes — that’s a win.”
Geneva has yet to play a ranked team, but the Vikings clearly have distanced themselves from the good teams on their schedule like St. Charles East (15-8, 6-3).
Their backcourt may be underrated, individually and as a tandem, despite the attention the undefeated run has received.
Even though McDonald is two years younger, Johnson said they grew up playing together. It’s the benefit of a neighborhood team.
“I think our whole team plays really well together,” Geneva coach Phil Ralston said. “That’s the specialness of the bond of this group. We’ve got some great senior leadership and we’ve got some really good young players and they’ve been able to come together. The outcome is the team that is certainly better than the sum of its parts.
“I don’t think there is any way I could have conceived we’d be where we’re at right now. Last summer we didn’t know what we had.”
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.
Player of the game: Dom Navigato, Geneva, 26 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks.
Key performers: Geneva — Matt Johnson, 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists; Jack McDonald, 16 points, 3 3-pointers. St. Charles East — Justin Hardy, 19 points, 6 rebounds; Zach Mitchell, 15 points.