GENEVA — Entering his fifth year leading the Geneva football program, Don Shymske finds himself in a little different predicament heading into the 2026 season.
The winner of 37 games in his first four seasons, with playoff appearances in each, Shymske enters this year’s campaign with a lot more question marks than he has had at any time during his coaching tenure.
kAm“(6 925 2 =@E @7 72>:=:2C 7246D H9@ 92G6 D66? E96 7:6=5[” $9J>D<6[ E96 C6:8?:?8 pD9E23F=2 r@F?EJ r@249 @7 E96 *62C[ D2:5 C676CC:?8 E@ 9:D E62>D 😕 E96 A2DE] “(6 925 2 =@E @7 4@?E:?F:EJ 😕 E92E C682C5] (6 =@DE 2 =@E @7 E92E[ 2?5 E92E 😀 E96 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 82>6 😕 9:89 D49@@= 7@@E32==]”k^Am
kAmv@?6 7C@> =2DE D62D@?’D h\b E62> E92E >256 :E E@ E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 E96 s:G:D:@? xxx[ #68:@? h A=2J@77D 2C6 <6J A=2J6CD — AC24E:42==J 2== @7 E96> D2H E96 7:6=5] %96 >@DE ?@E23=6 @?6 2C6 pD9E23F=2 r@F?EJ !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C qCJ46 !66E[ 4@F?EJ D4@C:?8 =6256C r256? !C@J 2?5 EH@\H2J DE2?5@FE #:43:?65 7@C ?62C=J a[d__ J2C5D CFD9:?8 2?5 dd E@E2= E@F495@H?D]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 E@ ECJ 2?5 C6A=246 H92E H6 =@DE[” $9J>D<6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 $9J>D<6 😀 ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE E96 AFKK=6 @7 9@H 9:D a_ae t28=6D H:== =@@<[ 96 😀 DE2CE:?8 H:E9 H92E 96 @HD 2?5 3F:=5:?8 @77 @7 E92E]k^Am
kAmu:CDE[ E96 DF446DD7F= 7@C>F=2 7@C v6?6G2 7@@E32== H:== C6>2:?]k^Am
kAm“(6 ;FDE 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 4@?E:?F6 H92E H6’G6 5@?6[” $9J>D<6 D2:5[ C676CC:?8 E@ 9:D AC65@>:?2E6=J CF?\@C:6?E65 (:?8\% @776?D6 2?5 A9JD:42= 5676?D:G6 A9:=@D@A9J] “%96 D496>6D 2C6?’E 492?8:?8] xE 😀 ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ 4@249 E9@D6 ,?6H. 8FJD FA 2?5 86E E96> FA E@ DA665]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96C6 2C6 7:G6 DE2CE6CD C6EFC?:?8[ E92E 8C@FA 92D 2 4@FA=6 @7 A:==2CD E@ 3F:=5 2C@F?5 😕 D6?:@C =:?6>6? y24@3 r=6>6?D 2?5 qC256? $E2C<]k^Am
kAmr=6>6?D[ 2 E9C66\J62C DE2CE6C[ 2?49@CD E96 @776?D:G6 =:?6 2E E24<=6]k^Am
kAm~? 5676?D6[ E96 d’“”[ af_\A@F?5 E24<=6 C64@C565 ee E24<=6D[ :?4=F5:?8 6:89E 7@C =@DD 2?5 7@FC D24 H:E9 `b BF2CE6C324< 9FCC:6D]k^Am
kAm$9J>D<6 D2:5 r=6>6?D 3C@<6 E96 D49@@=’D H6:89E =:7E:?8 E@E2= E9:D @77D62D@? 2?5 E@@< @? >@C6 @7 =6256CD9:A C@=6 9625:?8 :?E@ 9:D 7:?2= D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D E96 ,pD9E23F=2. r@F?EJ {:?6>2? @7 E96 *62C =2DE J62C[ 2?5 96 567:?:E6=J 5:5?’E C6DE @? 9:D =2FC6=D[” E96 4@249 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$E2C< C6EFC?D 2D @?6 @7 E96 @776?D:G6 8F2C5D 2D H6==[ C68:DE6C:?8 bc E24<=6D[ H9:49 :?4=F565 b]d D24]k^Am
kAm“$EC6?8E9 😀 567:?:E6=J E96C6 7@C 3@E9 @7 E96>[” $9J>D<6 D2:5] “(6’G6 925 A=6?EJ @7 8FJD H9@ H6C6 DEC@?8 3FE 4@F=5?’E >@G6] q@E9 @7 E9@D6 8FJD 2C6 G6CJ 28:=6] y24@3 😀 C62==J =:89E @? 9:D 766E] qC256? 567:?:E6=J 92D G6CJ 8@@5 DA665 7@C 2 8FJ H9@ 😀 8@:?8 E@ A=2J @776?D:G6 2?5 5676?D:G6 =:?6 7@C FD]”k^Am
kAmw625:?8 :?E@ E96 AC6D62D@?[ $9J>D<6 D2:5 E96 5676?D:G6 D:56 😀 H96C6 96 766=D 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 D6EE=65 2E E9:D A@:?E 😕 E6C>D @7 H9@ H:== A=2J H96C6]k^Am
kAm$6?:@C =:?6324<6CD ~H6? s2G:D Wea E24<=6DX 2?5 qC@5J w2>> Wde E24<=6DX 2C6 C6EFC?:?8 DE2CE6CD[ H9:=6 4=2DD>2E6 }2E6 wFE496?D Wae E24<=6DX D2H 2 =@E @7 24E:@? 😕 E96 5676?D:G6 324<7:6=5 =2DE D62D@?]k^Am
kAmp A2:C @7 ;F?:@CD — :?D:56 =:?6324<6C v2G:? “F66? Wae E24<=6DX 2?5 D276EJ r@@A6C sF3DA=6 E:>6 @? E96 5676?D:G6 D:56 @7 E96 32== =2DE D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“%96J 6249 7:==65 😕 2?5 DE2CE65 2 4@FA=6 82>6D 7@C FD H96? H6 925 D@>6 8FJD 9FCE[ 2?5 3@E9 5:5 2 ?:46 ;@3[” $9J>D<6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C DEC6?8E9 😀 E96 C6EFC? @7 <:4<6C +2492CJ |4z:??6J[ H9@ 564:565 E@ ?@E A=2J D@446C 2?5 7@4FD @? 7@@E32== E9:D 72==]k^Am
kAm|4z:??6J 3@@E65 e` 6IEC2 A@:?ED =2DE J62C 2?5 7C6BF6?E=J A:??65 @AA@?6?ED 566A @? <:4<@77D] %96 DEC@?8\=68865 ;F?:@C 2EE6>AE65 ;FDE EH@ 7:6=5 8@2=D =2DE D62D@?[ 3FE H:E9 v6?6G2’D :?6IA6C:6?46 @? @776?D6 E9:D J62C[ 96 >2J 36 42==65 @? >@C6 @7E6? E@ AFE FA A@:?ED 7@C E96 t28=6D]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 8@E 2 C62==J DEC@?8 =68 2?5 E92E 42? 36 2 H62A@? 7@C FD[” $9J>D<6 D2:5] “w6’D 2=D@ 86EE:?8 C6AD 2E 92=7324< 2?5 2D 2? @FED:56 =:?6324<6C] x’5 6IA64E 9:> E@ AC@323=J D66 E96 7:6=5 D@>6H96C6]”k^Am
kAm$9J>D<6 D2:5 96 2?5 9:D DE277 2C6 7@4FD65 @? ;FDE 86EE:?8 36EE6C 6249 52J] p H:??:?8 D62D@? 2?5 C6EFC? E@ E96 A=2J@77D 😀 46CE2:?=J E96 8@2=[ 2?5 96 9@A6D E96 H:??:?8 923:ED 56G6=@A65 E96 =2DE D6G6C2= J62CD 4@?E:?F6D H:E9 E9:D E62>]k^Am
kAm“%96 DF446DD E92E H6’G6 925[ E92E’D 2== 😕 E96 A2DE[” 96 D2:5] “%9:D 😀 2 ?6H D62D@? 2?5 E96 6IA64E2E:@?D 2C6 E96 D2>6] (6 92G6 E@ >2<6 DFC6 E9:D 8C@FA @7 <:5D EC:6D E@ >66E E9@D6 6IA64E2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 =@E @7 ?6H A=2J6CD[ 2?5 E96J 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ HC:E6 E96:C @H? 492AE6C 😕 E96 3@@< @7 v6?6G2 7@@E32==]”k^Am