Geneva coach Rob Wicinski had a warm recollection of John Barton, a former Vikings hall of fame coach who died Friday of cancer at age 71. Barton was a longtime Geneva fixture in the football, basketball and track and field programs.
Wicinski said he didn't know Barton especially well, but took some of Barton's advice to heart shortly after taking over the program leading up to the 1999 season.
"Actually he told me as a young puppy – well, I guess I wasn't that young when I got here – 'Do it the way you want.' I found that quite interesting," Wicinski said. "I didn't know him that well but he made a lot of sense. He goes 'You're never going to be right with [everybody],' so do it the way you want to do it.
"What a good man. He was a very, very good man. He fought hard. That was a tough battle for him. That cancer don't play nice."
