St. Genevieve Stuns No. 1 Montclair Prep

The St. Genevieve Valiants don’t care too much about preseason polls. At least not those of their opponents.

The Valiants scored late in the first quarter and shut down a last-minute Montclair Prep drive, spoiling the debut of first-year Mountie Coach Pat Blackburn, 7-6, in the opening game for both teams at Pierce College. Montclair Prep was ranked No. 1 in the Inland Conference in the Southern Section preseason poll.

Montclair Prep kicker Eric Treibatch, who earlier scored the team’s only touchdown on a 58-yard interception return, missed a 37-yard field goal with 23 seconds left that would have won it for Montclair Prep.

Montclair Prep’s offense, led by senior quarterback Frank Charles, sputtered to just 135 total yards while St. Genevieve quarterback Dion Contreras passed for 147 yards and scored the Valiants’ lone touchdown on a one-yard plunge in the first quarter.

The Mounties mounted its final drive with 3:10 left in the game. After running back Paul Anderson gained 11 yards on a fourth-down play, Jamal Swinton gained six on the next play, but it was nullified by a holding call.

Charles then hit tight end Robbie Briggs for a 20-yard completion to the 27-yard line with just 23 seconds left. Following a timeout, Blackburn elected to immediately go for the field-goal attempt, but Treibatch hooked the kick to the left.

The Valiants ran out the remaining time.