Senior tight end Michael Loberg expected to see his role increase for Geneva.
The Vikings’ outlook for Week 8 against St. Charles East included more throws in his direction, and once those plays started to hit, he just wanted to make sure to keep it going.
“There were a few plays that were in the game plan,” Loberg said with a smile. “When those worked once, we kept doing it, and they just repeatedly worked. It feels great.”
It led to a great performance. Loberg scored four touchdowns Friday for the Vikings in a 42-20 DuKane Conference victory over the Saints, including one in each quarter.
The win also allowed Geneva (6-2, 4-2) to lock down a playoff berth.
“We got the win,” Loberg said. “I’m happy about that. It was fun scoring four TDs, but it was a team thing. We clinched the playoffs, and it felt good to do that with my buddies.”
Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen said tight end can be an overlooked part on offense.
That made watching one of his team’s hardest workers put together a career game even more special — especially since that effort began well before the Friday night lights.
“He’s just a great kid,” Thorgesen said of Loberg. “He works extremely hard. I was happy to see him reap that success because of what he does on the practice field.”
Loberg said junior quarterback Nate Stempowski is one of his closest friends on the team, and their chemistry was on display against St. Charles East (1-7, 1-5).
“It just kept coming our way, and we kept doing our thing,” Stempowski said. “If they’re on that day, you always want to get them the ball every possession and see what they can do.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Loberg offers the Vikings a wide array of skills. He hasn’t dropped a pass all season, and he’s as comfortable blocking with the offensive line as he is running routes.
“He’s very athletic,” Thorgesen said. “He comes from an athletic family. He’s a big kid. One thing that really stuck out to us is he has great hands and he’s actually a pretty fast kid.
“He just brings senior leadership, a big target and a safety valve for Nate. He’s a 6-4 kid with great hands. We’re happy that he’s with us.”
Stempowski knows what Loberg brings to the team, even in games that he doesn’t score four TD.
“He’s a really skilled tight end,” Stempowski said. “He’s a dog in the trenches, too. He can get down and make some good blocks. He has great hands. He’s good for catching and blocking.”
Athleticism associated with the last name Loberg is nothing new over the past decade in Geneva.
His brother, Matt, is a 2015 graduate who went on to play football at Butler. His sister, Grace, is one of Geneva’s all-time greats, going on to a stellar volleyball career at Wisconsin. His other sister, Anna, is a redshirt sophomore volleyball player at South Alabama.
“They’ve done a ton for me,” Michael said. “My brother helps me so much with football. He watches film with me. And their competitiveness helped me all through my life.
“It lets me know, if you work hard enough, you can do it.”
Geneva is preparing to face St. Charles North (6-2, 4-2) in Friday’s regular-season finale. Last season’s edition of that game didn’t go the Vikings’ way in a 35-20 loss that still sticks with them.
“We feel great,” Loberg said. “Last year didn’t turn out like we wanted it to. This year, we’re all ready and fired up for this game.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.