East St. Louis beats Geneva for 11th Illinois football state championship: Live updates recap

Flyers show off their balanced offense with a track meet of a victory for the Class 6A title

Ronnie GoMiller, left, had a huge game in the 2024 Class 6A Illinois high school football state championship game. / Ricky Slaughter

East St. Louis is back in the Illinois high school football Class 6A state championship game, but the Flyers will have a new foe in 2024.

Geneva knocked out back-to-back state champ Cary-Grove in the semifinals to advance to the final.

The last time Geneva played for a state championship was in 2008, when the Vikings lost to East St. Louis in the 7A title game.

ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

Geneva will try to get the ball to senior five-star wide receiver Talyn Taylor, a Georgia Bulldogs commit, early and often.

Four-star East St. Louis senior defensive back Charles Bass, a Missouri Tigers commit, will be tasked with slowing Taylor down.

Follow along below for live updates from the Class 6A Illinois high school school football state championship game, which is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 30.

You can also watch East St. Louis vs. Geneva live on the NFHS Network (subscription required).

East St. Louis vs. Geneva, Class 6A championship game live updates

1ST QUARTER

We're underway! After a delay of game on the opening kickoff (What?!), East St. Louis backs up five yards and kicks to Geneva, which starts on its own 15 after a 10-yard holding penalty. Flaggy start here.

Quick three-and-out for Geneva, which gains no yardage and punts. East St. Louis starts its first drive on its own 47, 10:56 left.

Holding nullifies a big run by TaRyan Martin, who ran to the 4 after two first-down completions. East St. Louis on the Geneva 11.

TOUCHDOWN EAST ST. LOUIS! Larevious Woods runs for a 6-yard TD on a very easy opening drive for the Flyers. It's 6-0 with 8:52 left after the extra point goes wide left twice (a roughing-the-kicker penalty nullified the first miss).

Big kickoff return by Talyn Taylor puts Geneva at midfield to start the Vikings' second drive.

Huge hit by Phillip White sets up a third and 12 for Geneva on the East St. Louis 40.

William Pascoli gets Geneva's first big play on offense with an 18-yard catch and a first down. Vikings are in the East St. Louis red zone with just over six minutes left.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Fourth-down pass falls incomplete and East St. Louis takes over on its own 26 with 5:25 left, leading 6-0.

Ronnie GoMiller makes a highlight-reel catch, and Chris Bennett scores on the following play, but a holding penalty calls it back. 2:48 left.

TOUCHDOWN EAST ST. LOUIS! Kendrick Lyons fires a bullet to Ronnie GoMiller, who makes another great catch for a 4-yard touchdown. Extra point is barely good and it's 13-0 with 38 seconds left.

END OF 1ST QUARTER: East St. Louis 13, Geneva 0

2ND QUARTER

Geneva starts the quarter with a fumbled snap but recovers, then a short run and has to punt. East St. Louis ball on the Geneva 45, 10:38 left.

TOUCHDOWN EAST ST. LOUIS! Larevious Woods runs for his second TD of the day, this time from 21 yards out to make it 20-0 Flyers with 9:01 left.

Back-to-back passes from Anthony Chahino to Finn Weppner have Geneva in the East St. Louis red zone.

TOUCHDOWN GENEVA! Anthony Chahino finds Talyn Taylor in the corner of the end zone for an 8-yard TD. It's 20-7 East St. Louis with 8:04 left.

TOUCHDOWN EAST ST. LOUIS! TaRyan Martin pounds into the end zone for a 2-yard TD after two big runs by QB Kendrick Lyons set it up. It's 27-7 Flyers with 5:14 left.

TOUCHDOWN GENEVA! Anthony Chahino finds Michael Rumoro out of the backfield for a 10-yard touchdown catch-and-run to make it 27-14 East St. Louis with 2:44 left.

TOUCHDOWN EAST ST. LOUIS! Chris Bennett takes the ensuing kickoff and takes off for an 84-yard touchdown. Flyers have scored touchdowns on every possession, and this was the quickest. It's 34-14 with 2:32 left after Reece Shanklin hit a 35-yard extra point.

TOUCHDOWN GENEVA! Anthony Chahino sneaks it in from a yard out after an incredible 25-yard catch by Bennett Konkey set it up. Our track meet is at 34-21 East St. Louis with 30 seconds left.

INTERCEPTION! Dylan Reyes picks off a deep ball inside the Geneva 5, and the Vikings stop the East St. Louis offense for the first time today.

HALFTIME: East St. Louis 34, Geneva 21

3RD QUARTER

Geneva kicks short for a fair catch, and East St. Louis starts on its own 28.

FUMBLE! Lex Griffith recovers a fumble on what would have been a turnover on downs anyway. Big chance here for Geneva, which takes over on its own 36 with 7:24 left, trailing 34-21.

TOUCHDOWN GENEVA! Finn Weppner catches a perfect 30-yard pass from Anthony Chahino to punctuate a quick three-play drive. We have a ballgame. 34-28 East St. Louis.

TOUCHDOWN EAST ST. LOUIS! Ronnie GoMiller catches a short pass over the middle and takes off for an 81-yard touchdown. Flyers up their lead back to 41-28 with 5:57 left.

East St. Louis forces a three-and-out and gets the ball back on the Geneva 45 with about four minutes left.

TOUCHDOWN EAST ST. LOUIS! Larevious Woods runs for a man-sized 31-yard touchdown, shedding several tackles on his way to the end zone for a third time today. It's 48-28 Flyers with 2:27 left.

INTERCEPTION! Raheem Floyd jumps the route and gets a pick in the red zone, returning it to the East St. Louis 37. 48-28 East St. Louis with 24 seconds left.

END OF 3RD QUARTER: East St. Louis 48, Geneva 28

4TH QUARTER

East St. Louis starts the quarter with a first-down run and is in Geneva territory again.

INTERCEPTION! Joseph Pettit gets a big-man pick at the line to stop a clock-chewing drive by East St. Louis deep in Geneva territory. Vikings take over with just under six minutes left in the game, trailing 48-28.

INTERCEPTION! Quincy Minor gets another red-zone interception for East St. Louis, and the Flyers can ice this game with 3:07 left, leading 48-28.

FINAL: East St. Louis 48, Geneva 28

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports