Safe to say, he saw this one coming. Geneva’s Joe Pettit figured this scenario was a possibility long before the Class 6A playoff pairings were announced last month, and here it is. “I’ve been waiting for this game since we walked off the field last year,” Pettit said. “They’re definitely a great team and a great program, but we’re not going to back down. I think we’re ready. “I feel like that loss provided motivation, and as much as anything, brought us to where we are right now.” A three-sport standout and senior starter on both lines, Pettit will be in the middle of the action at 1 p.m. Saturday when Geneva (11-1) plays host to Cary-Grove (12-0) in a state semifinal. It’s a rematch of last year’s 42-7 second-round win by the Trojans on their way to a state title. Cary-Grove, powered by its vaunted triple-option running attack, has set a high bar with four state championships and three runner-up finishes since 2004, three of the titles coming since 2018. “Last year was the first time in five years we’ve faced that offense,” Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen said. “It’s not something we see. We know what’s in store for us. “I don’t think you can truly mimic it. They do it so well. And it’s not just the offense. They’re tough kids, very well coached, and have played a ton of football the last couple years.” Geneva’s Michael Rumoro (20) celebrates with Joe Pettit (55) after scoring a TD against Burlington Central in the third quarter of a Class 6A second-round game Saturday, Oct. 9, 2024 in Geneva. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News) Thorgesen and his coaching staff included workouts in summer camp against playoff teams like Jacobs and Sycamore that have similar option attacks to help prepare for a possible rematch. Geneva goes with more of a pro-style offense featuring a strong passing attack paced by senior quarterback Tony Chahino and Georgia recruit Talyn Taylor, an all-state senior receiver. Pettit, along with fellow three-year starter at guard James Bucholz, anchors a veteran line that provides strong protection for Chahino. It includes second-year starters in junior center Cameron Ziegler and senior tackle Will Anthony, who are joined by junior tackle Nicholas Elliott. Pettit was also named first team all-state for Class 6A by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association. “It’s definitely an honor,” he said. “But the goal I want most is winning a state championship.” Geneva’s Finnegan Weppner (8) pulls in a pass against Lake Forest during a Class 6A state quarterfinal game in Lake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Mark Ukena / The Beacon-News) On defense, Pettit starts at one end with junior David Avitia at the other and junior Rino Bianchi at nose guard. Pettit, a two-time state qualifier in wrestling and all-state player in rugby for the Fox Valley Predators, has twice set program weightlifting records for football at Geneva. This summer, the 5-foot-11, 245-pound Pettit had a 365-pound bench press, a 565 squat and a 285 clean for a 1,215 total, breaking the mark of 1,105 he set last year. “I think a lot of the credit for that goes to the guys on the team around me, pushing me in the weight room,” Pettit said. “It’s something our class has focused on in trying to turn things around. We came in as freshmen when coach Thorgesen got the job. “I feel like does things for our benefit and has helped build a good culture here. We’ve also gotten a lot of support from the community and alumni.” Geneva’s Dominic Dileonardi (22) looks for the end zone against Lake Forest during a Class 6A state quarterfinal game in Lake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Mark Ukena / The Beacon-News) Pettit said he actually started rugby in first grade, three years before football and four before wrestling. “I learned how to protect myself in a contact sport,” he said. “I’d recommend it to anyone to help teach safety.” Pettit said his two older brothers — Josh, a sophomore rugby club player at Grand Canyon, and John, a senior football player at Carthage — “had roles in shaping what I am, especially in the weight room.” Thorgesen believes playing defensive tackle in college will be part of Pettit’s future. “It’s a numbers game,” Thorgesen said. “If he was 6-3, college coaches would be knocking on my door all the time, but he’ll play somewhere, probably on defense. “He’s an incredibly strong kid who has a brawler mentality, but it’s not only strength. He has quickness with a burst and brings a lot of pop. He’s a hard-nosed kind of kid you build around.”