×

Ginoble made statement in final game with Sock

KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Loyalsock’s Geno Ginoble (59) wraps up a Scranton Prep player on Friday at Williamsport during the Lancers’ PIAA Class AAA first-round playoff game. The Lancers lost, 31-28.

Geno Ginoble is Loyalsock’s answer man. Anyone who wants to know about the Lancer offseason, simply need ask Ginoble.

He was at every offseason weight-lifting session. He was at every offseason work. Ginoble took no days off and epitomized the spirit that made Loyalsock a District 4 champion for the first time since 2009. How fitting then that Ginoble made one last statement in his final game, playing against the state’s No. 2-ranked Class AAA team. Fitting then that Ginoble showed why he has become one of District 4’s premier defensive linemen.

Ginoble was a force against Scranton Prep in Friday’s state tournament game, making eight tackles, including five that went for zero or fewer yards. Prep won a 31-28 thriller, but Ginoble showed again that he is not only a relentless worker, but also quite a football player.

“There were times that I knew he hit the running back because I could hear it. It was crazy,” safety Jacob Waltz said. “We had a game plan for him to do that stuff and he really played up for us.”

“He answered. All we asked our defensive line to do was match the aggression, come out with intensity and match the aggression,” linebacker Hunter Webb said. “That’s how we played, and Geno was doing that and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Ginoble emptied his tank, doing all he could to extend Loyalsock’s season. It was a microcosm of his entire scholastic career. As a freshman, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound defensive end was part of a freshman team that did not win a game. As a senior, he helped lead Loyalsock to a district championship and a near upset of a state title contender. Ginoble kept working and kept improving and so did the Lancers. It was not a coincidence.

Ginoble was an excellent player not just because he worked and displayed his talent, but because he made those around him better. He helped set a tone this past offseason and was a player who never backed down from any challenge. That asset was vital throughout the season as Loyalsock bounced back from three heart-breaking losses, kept moving forward and peaked at the perfect time.

“Geno was a weight room warrior. He’s really unselfish. He’s out here to make plays for the other guys and the linebackers which is how our defense is set up,” senior wide receiver Brock Hepler said. “When he gets his shot he makes his plays. He’s a big part of our success. He’s a big-time player.”

“He worked his tail off. Geno did so many things for the team, whether it was in workouts or playing through pain and adversity,” Loyalsock coach Justin Van Fleet said. “He’s working his tail off in the class room to become a student who is not only reliable and confident, but also someone who could be a mentor to the younger kids on the team. He truly embodied those characteristics we’re hoping to teach.”

All that hard work paid huge dividends as Ginoble put together a super senior season. Ginoble made enormous strides from last season and became one of the defense’s most dependable players. He averaged 5.6 tackles per game and had seven for loss while adding two sacks. He consistently freed up others to make plays, demanding attention from offensive linemen.

A year after making 27 tackles, Ginoble finished the season with 70 and he was a constant presence in the Prep backfield Friday. The Cavaliers featured one of the biggest lines Loyalsock encountered all season but Ginoble was tough to move, consistently fighting through and finding the ball-carrier. He had two tackles for loss and three more that went for no gain. Prep moved the ball well early, but Ginoble was key in the defense stiffening in the second half and forcing four straight 3-and-outs in the second half.

When Loyalsock needed to make a big stand late in the first half, Ginoble delivered again. He combined with fellow senior Cole Cavanaugh to stop Matt Gilmartin for no gain from the 3-yard line and helped hurry the quarterback a play later into throwing an end zone interception to Webb.

“I tried to get everyone together and bring that chemistry up and have everyone work hard in the offseason to make us better in the season,” Ginoble said. “Going out there and looking at all the seniors and all my best friends, after all that hard work and dedication we all put, in it’s pretty special looking back on everything.”

Prep is a physical team, but Ginoble is a fierce competitor. In a battle of wills and strength, Ginoble consistently prevailed. Look at film throughout Loyalsock’s first 12 games and one will see the same results. He played some of his best games against Loyalsock’s toughest competition and made a season-high 12 tackles against HAC-III champion South Williamsport.

And Ginoble did all this while playing in constant pain. A hand injury, in addition to other multiple bumps and bruises, bothered Ginoble throughout the season. Nobody, though, could ever tell. The man who never missed an offseason workout never missed a game either. Ginoble elevated his performance during the postseason, averaging 6.3 tackles per game and helping Loyalsock allow six points during a six-quarter span during the district tournament.

“I’m a little cocky guy so I always go out there and say I can block you … And I can’t block him,” Waltz said. “He’s real tough.”

“Geno Ginoble, he’s an absolute animal,” Webb said. “He’s one of the best defensive ends I’ve seen through my whole high school career. His moves are crisp and he’s our most improved player by far.”

Ginoble will not play another game at Loyalsock, but a college career could be beckoning. His high school legacy is secure, too. Loyalsock has a good core coming back next year and looks like a potential title contender again.

It was a hard journey toward that championship this season, but Ginoble helped Loyalsock scale that mountain. Follow his example and Loyalsock could keep doing even bigger things in coming years.

“He really put himself out there for his brothers and he loved this team,” Van Fleet said. “I told the underclassmen this is something you have to work for every year. Following the leadership of these seniors and Geno and understanding that heart is the secret ingredient is what we’re hoping to continue on this train with.

“When I look at Geno Ginoble, that’s a success story.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today