Geraghty's foot proves valuable to Jags

During the first two weeks of the young 2008 football season, Blue Springs South kicker Brian Geraghty has practiced countless onside kicks.
“It’s kind of funny,” quarterback Blaine Dalton said Friday night at Park Hill High School, where a Geraghty onside kick played the biggest role in a crazy 35-34 overtime victory for the Dalton Gang, “but I don’t remember him getting one down in practice.
“Most of his kicks were low and stayed on the ground in practice. But that one tonight was perfect. It was like it went exactly 10 yards and popped up in the air just in time for one of our guys to catch it.
“This was one of the wildest games I’ve ever been a part of.”
The Jaguars trailed 21-3 in the first quarter and appeared to be on the verge of starting this season 0-2 when the South offense finally got on track.
Finally, Dalton and Trayon Jones hooked up on a 26-yard touchdown play with 2:05 left in the game, cutting the deficit to 28-25.
“I have total faith in my quarterback,” Jones said when asked about that drive. “If he throws me the ball, I’m going to do my best to catch it. He had a great night. It was a great win.
“But we don’t win unless Brian gets the kick down.”
Everyone in Kansas City north knew the Jags were going to follow that score with an onside kick.
“I just wanted to give us a chance to get the ball,” said Geraghty, who had kicked a 33-yard field goal, but missed on a 38-yard attempt in the third quarter. “I felt bad after I missed the one field goal, but the guys were really supportive on the sidelines and pumped me up.”
When asked about his onside kick practice routine, Geraghty said, “We do work a lot on it, but you never really know how it’s going to bounce. Tonight, it was perfect.”
Coach Greg Oder grinned when asked about the game-turning kick.
“You can practice it, but you can’t really practice it full speed or guys are going to be knocking into each other out there and getting hurt in practice,” Oder said.
“Tonight, it was perfect. It was absolutely perfect.”
A Jaguar grabbed the ball, but no one was sure who came up with the play of the game.
“I don’t know,” Oder said, as he asked players and assistant coaches who might have come up with the bouncing ball. “I’m just glad a white jersey grabbed it.”
But the Jaguars still needed a field goal to tie the game. They started from the Park Hill 49 with 1:03 left.
“We knew if we got close, Brian would get the field goal,” said Dalton, who was 23 of 42 for 260 yards and three touchdowns.
On a fourth-and-six, Dalton hit Jones for 12 yards. Dalton then took off on a 14-yard run, that ended when he was whirled around by two Trojan defenders.
A 5-yard pass  to Michael Vann gave South the ball on the 14. Following two incomplete passes, Geraghty trotted onto the field.
“I was really confident,” said Geraghty, who was a South soccer player who kicked footballs on Friday nights. “I knew I could kick the field goal, and I think the way the guys showed confidence in me after I missed the earlier field goal helped.”
He drilled it, setting the stage for an overtime period that South fans will always remember.
“Tonight,” Geraghty said, “I feel like a football player.”
A voice from the Park Hill gym rang out, “You are a football player!”
There was laughter as the team headed to the row of buses, getting ready for what would surely be a joyous ride back to South.
“We don’t get that onside kick and none of this is possible,” Dalton said, checking a text message on his cell phone.
“Hey Dalton! Go Mizzou!” cried out a young fan, decked out in Park Hill gear.
Dalton looked in his direction, smiled and waved.
“That was cool,” said Dalton, who will play football at Missouri next year. “It was a good night.”