GENEVA, IL – The meeting between the Batavia Bulldogs and the Geneva Vikings will be instantly legendary after Batavia senior kicker Caleb Peters (#17) delivered a 27-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Bulldogs to a 24-21 victory on Friday night.

The dramatic win, secured at Geneva’s home field, improves Batavia’s overall record to 4-2 (3-1 DuKane Conference). The Bulldogs came into the contest with an identical 3-2 record as their rivals.

The high-stakes finish began with the teams staying on the same side of the field for the overtime period. Geneva was on offense first.

During the Vikings’ possession, quarterback Benjamin Peterson (#4) attempted to pass to wide receiver Bennett Konkey (#8), but the pass fell incomplete. The Vikings were ultimately unable to score a touchdown on the possession.

Following this, the Batavia Bulldogs took over on offense with the opportunity to win the game with any score. The Bulldogs drove the ball downfield. A critical moment occurred just before the field goal attempt: a pre-snap penalty—a five-yard Delay of Game infraction—pushed the Bulldogs back.

Kicker Caleb Peters, maintaining his composure under intense pressure, stepped up and drove the kick high and true through the uprights. The ball cleared the crossbar, triggering a sideline-clearing celebration as the Bulldogs secured the walk-off victory, to the cheers of the Batavia fans.

The game was a tight, back-and-forth contest throughout regulation, with the score deadlocked at 21-21 at the end of the fourth quarter. Batavia was led on offense by quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren, while the Geneva Vikings’ attack featured quarterback Benjamin Peterson and receiver Bennett Konkey.

The victory marks Batavia’s first overtime win in the rivalry since a multi-overtime affair in 2003, ensuring Caleb Peters’ effort is forever etched into the history of the Batavia-Geneva Classic. The Bulldogs now carry significant momentum deeper into their DuKane Conference schedule.

Batavia’s Michael Vander Luitgaren was selected by attending local media members as the game’s Most Valuable Player and awarded a trophy and medal from Great American Rivalry Series. Geneva’s Wyatt Curry and Batavia’s Owen Chenoweth received the Scholar Athlete Award from the Great American Rivalry Series.