Yorkville’s Gavin Geegan knew he was going to get his shot to start this season as a senior at running back, but he entered the offseason with another goal.
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At the urging of Foxes coach Dan McGuire, Geegan got to work on his receiving skills after not catching a pass all last year. He enlisted the help of his father Tim, who played at Streamwood.
“I’ve just been working on my game and my coach is giving me that chance,” Geegan said. “That was the one thing he told me to work on, and I got to it, and it has been improving.
“I’m happy with how it’s going.”
Geegan would spend time catching passes from his father to build up the reps that he needed.
“We just went to the field and worked on routes,” Geegan said. “It’s just getting more reps.”
After playing last season behind TJ Harland, who ran for 773 yards, Geegan is the lead back now.
Geegan has rushed for 221 yards and four touchdowns on 47 carries for the Foxes (2-1, 0-1). He also has five catches for 85 yards, meaning he’s nearly eclipsed his 322 yards from last season.
Making catches, which is what McGuire wanted to see improve, has stood out.
“He’s receiving the ball well,” McGuire said. “I don’t think he’s had to do it too much in the past. (Harland) last year did both. Gavin is a good athlete. It just comes down to repetitions.
“A kid like Gavin can learn anything.”
While Geegan’s physical work in the offseason impressed McGuire, who was more fascinated with how Geegan used his mind to give himself more advantages.
“He’s matured in terms of setting up his blocks,” McGuire said of Geegan. “Friday, he did a nice job of setting things up and using that in his runs. He’s a physical kid and fast, but a lot of kids are fast and big now.
“He’s learned how to use his intelligence. That’s been helpful.”
The Foxes have an unpredictable offense with Geegan and junior quarterback Max Delgado leading the way.
Delgado has thrown for 331 yards and a TD while rushing for 122 yards and two TDs. His ability to use his legs, along with Geegan’s improved receiving, has made the Foxes more diverse.
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“Having a dual threat that can run or pass, you don’t know what’s going on,” Geegan said. “A lot of misdirection. Even last game, Max and I had the same number of carries. It’s really spread out.”
Delgado, meanwhile, loves having Geegan at his disposal.
“Gavin is just an all-around weapon,” Delgado said. “Teams really have to game plan for him. It opens up everything for us. We use him a lot.”
With football in mind, Geegan juggled his travel baseball schedule over the summer. In the spring, he hit .311 for Yorkville.
“We never want a kid to have to choose a sport,” McGuire said. “At our banquet at the end of last year, I said I’d rather you be involved in something and competing.
“I don’t think you can ever replicate competition. He deserves a lot of credit.”
When it comes to his future, Geegan still doesn’t want to choose a sport. If given the option, he would love a shot to play both football and baseball in college.
“I’d have to find the right school for it,” Geegan said. “I have a couple schools talking to me about both. It would be a fun experience.”
Before that comes to pass, Geegan wants to see the Foxes bounce back Friday against Minooka (1-2, 1-0) after last week’s 20-7 loss to Bolingbrook.
“We’re hoping everyone responds correctly,” Geegan said. “We’re going to come back hungry.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.