Countless Geneseo children have grown up soaking in the boisterous atmosphere of Green Machine football.

Luke Lembke was no exception, and he was lucky enough to experience high-intensity road games thanks to his father.

Tonight, Luke will experience his biggest game yet, playing for the Maple Leafs in the Illinois Class 4A state championship against Metamora.

Loren Lembke moved to Geneseo in 1994 to become sports director of the old WGEN-AM radio station and covered the Maple Leafs for half a decade.

The Lembkes traveled together when Luke was 8 or 10 years old, well before Luke became the Maple Leafs' do-it-all senior. Loren first envisioned his son as part of the Machine during a broadcast at La Salle-Peru.

"I was wrapped up in the postgame, and Luke was down on the field with Josh Ward throwing a ball around," Loren recalled. "I thought, wouldn't it be neat if they were playing for Geneseo someday."

Because he traded the radio business for the insurance industry 10 years ago, Loren hasn't covered Luke in the green and white. But he has enthusiastically watched from the stands as Luke has helped propel the Leafs into their ninth state championship game.

In 13 games this fall, Lembke has run in 21 touchdowns on offense. He also has been leaned on for placekicking duties, returning kicks and plugging holes in the defensive secondary.

"He's the ultimate competitor," coach Larry Johnsen Jr. said. "You have to keep a real eye on him because he just wants to do everything he can to help out.

In the season-opening win over Chicago Manley, Johnsen held Lembke out. The senior hadn't said anything, but Johnsen had found out from other players that the senior tweaked his hamstring.

Lembke contemplated giving up football when he reached his freshman year of high school. He had split time between football and soccer in seventh and eighth grade, but ultimately the gridiron tradition he witnessed as a youth won him over.

"It was lot of fun just going there and watching the past players," Lembke said. "Just watching them make big plays makes you want to play, too."

Since that decision, Lembke's had several memorable plays of his own. He's hoping for a few more today as the Leafs play Metamora for the fifth time in playoff history.

Loren will be at Champaign's Memorial Stadium no doubt yelling himself hoarse as he cheers on the team. But the most compelling father-son connection could happen on the field.

If Geneseo topples Metamora, Johnsen would join his father, Larry Johnsen Sr., in the ranks of title-winning coaches.

Only one other father-son duo has each coached a team to the state title. Before coming to Moline in 1977, Paul Unruh would a championship at West Chicago, and in the years since, his son Jim has won five titles at Carthage Illini West.

Johnsen Jr. downplays the significance a win tonight would bring.

"It would be an honor," he said. "But that's an individual thing. The big picture thing is trying to bring a championship to the community of Geneseo."

That's something that would appeal to throngs of green-clad fathers and sons.