St. Genevieve Caps Comeback Year : High school football: Valiants rally with late touchdown to defeat Murphy, 28-27, and clinch Santa Fe League title.

Losing streak? What losing streak?

St. Genevieve High’s football team, which snapped a 23-game losing streak late last season, capped a remarkable turnaround with a come-from-behind 28-27 victory against Murphy on Thursday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

The victory clinched a Santa Fe League championship for the Valiants (8-2, 5-0).

“I’m on Cloud 99 right now,” Coach Richard Fong said.

The Valiants trailed, 27-21, when they took the ball at their 23 with 6 minutes 35 seconds remaining.

Led by the running of sophomore Ricky Estrada and senior Omar Gutierrez, St. Genevieve drove the ball 77 yards, scoring on a six-yard run by Estrada with 1:32 to play.

John Arboleda’s extra point clinched the victory and St. Genevieve’s first league championship since 1985.

“I felt confident we could score,” Fong said. “Nobody can stop us.”

The Valiants, who have not been to the playoffs since 1987, were led offensively by Gutierrez, who gained 212 yards and scored two touchdowns in 31 carries. Estrada gained 99 yards in 14 carries despite a dislocated middle finger on his right hand.

The running game was necessary because quarterback Alex Muller was off his game. Muller completed only three of 11 passes for 23 yards and threw two interceptions.

Murphy Coach Greg Dixon, whose team had won back-to-back Santa Fe League championships, predicted before the season St. Genevieve would be his toughest competition.

“I was right,” he said. “This was a game I was really looking forward to and not looking forward to.”

Murphy (5-4-1, 3-1-1) opened the scoring when Danny Ragsdale hit Gibbons St. Paul with an eight-yard pass with 4:02 to play in the first quarter.

The Nobles took a 13-0 lead after John Funes stepped in front of Muller’s pass and took it 90 yards for a score with 11:22 to play in the second quarter. The snap on the the extra-point attempt was high and Oscar Cruz could not get a foot on the ball.

Muller then led the Valiants on a 57-yard scoring drive, in which he threw only one pass. Estrada scored from 10 yards to pull St. Genevieve within 13-7.

Gutierrez dashed 70 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown with 5:20 to play in the half. The extra point gave the Valiants a 14-13 lead.

St. Genevieve took a 21-13 lead on a three-yard run by Gutierrez with 5:45 to play in the third quarter.

The Nobles tied it on the ensuing possession, when Funes caught an eight-yard scoring pass and Howard Henry made a reception for the two-point conversion with 3:54 to play in the third.

Murphy took the lead on a 13-yard scoring pass to Henry with 6:47 to play.