St. Genevieve Rides Defense to League Title

With St. Genevieve’s defense outscoring the Chaminade offense, the Valiants captured the Santa Fe League football championship, 35-14, Saturday night at Birmingham High.

On consecutive plays in the fourth quarter, the Valiants returned interceptions for touchdowns to clinch the title for Coach Lindon Crow.

It was a Crow decision in the fourth quarter--which even he second-guessed--that made the game close.

St. Genevieve was leading, 21-7, when Alfonso Gutierrez was sent in to attempt a 47-yard field goal.

Chaminade’s Scott Eberlein blocked the kick and Dennis Schwesinger picked it up and ran 60 yards for a score.

Suddenly, with 11:45 left in the game, St. Genevieve’s lead was down to seven.

Then, with 5:10 remaining, the Valiants’ Leti Malieitulua fumbled at the Eagle 11.

But Malieitulua made amends for his error five plays later when he intercepted a Pablo Suarez pass and ran 21 yards for a touchdown.

On the Eagles’ very next play, Steve Escovar intercepted a Suarez pass and returned it 26 yards for another score.

With the win, St. Genevieve finished the regular season at 8-2 overall and 5-0 in league.

Chaminade fell to 7-2-1 and 4-1 in Santa Fe league action.

From the outset, St. Genevieve was the dominant team.

The Valiants, who came into the game ranked second in the Southern Section’s Desert-Mountain Conference, scored on their first possession.

St. Genevieve went 64 yards in eight plays, as Jeff De La Cruz went in standing on a six-yard run with 7:52 left in the game.

But Chaminade, which was the conference’s No. 3 team coming in, needed just one play to tie the score.

From his own 20, Suarez faked a handoff to two running backs, then hit John Sunde down the left sideline for an 80-yard touchdown.

That proved to be the highlight of the game for Suarez.

The senior quarterback completed just four passes in 24 attempts for 126 yards. He also suffered four interceptions.

Chaminade could not muster much of a ground game either, as the Eagles were held to 90 yards rushing.

De La Cruz gave St. Genevieve its second score on a three-yard run with 1:35 remaining in the first quarter.

De La Cruz, who missed most of the second half with an ankle injury, had 84 yards rushing on 18 carries.

The Valiants’ last score of the first half came on a 29-yard pass from Andy Sherman to Brendan O’Connor.