Warriors Open Season With 56-0 Route At Principia

BY MICHAEL BOYD JR.
STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

Valle Catholic junior Jared Bruns (9) looks for a block as Michael Loida (4) comes around during VCHS's 56-0 rout at Principia Satuday afternoon.

Senior Nolan Carrow opened up Valle Catholic’s football season Saturday in West St. Louis County by racing down McCandless Field 83 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff.

That was all the Warriors needed for a 56-0 rout over host Principia in a game that practically was over in the first six minutes.

Carrow’s feat was the first of five first-quarter TDs as Valle never looked back. It was the first time since 1988 that the Warriors started a season on a Saturday.

Less than a minute after Carrow’s feat, Valle got the ball back quickly and senior receiver Michael Loida caught a 15-yard pass from senior quarterback Alex Stoll, and the rout was on.

Principia obviously lost several key players from last year’s successful season as it could not move the ball all afternoon.

Valle outgained the Panthers 433-to-7, including 282-7 on the ground.

“(Principia) is very young,” seventh-year Warriors Coach Judd Naeger said. “It’s hard to come back when you lose as many kids as they lost from last year’s team. It was just one of those deals where we jumped on them early and it was hard for them to recover. Anytime you score early on a young team, it takes a lot of the spirit out of them.”

Valle lost seven all-staters from last year’s Class 1 state runner-up finish, including several linemen as well as the school’s all-time leading passer in Michael Greminger.

Stoll, last year’s No. 2 QB, struggled somewhat in his first start as QB1, but did throw for 96 yards and three TDs on 7-of-15 passing with an interception. He also scrambled for 24 yards.

Backup Michael Wehner was 3-for-3 passing for 54 yards. He also rushed for 36 yards and the game’s final TD.

Senior rusher Luke Uding, an all-state utility player last year, rushed for 128 yards and two TDs on just six carries. He also caught an interception and had three tackles.

Loida, an all-state defensive back last year, also scored two TDs. He rushed for 48 yards and a TD, and had 29 yards receiving and a TD.

Junior Jared Bruns added 19 yards receiving and a TD and Andrew Bader rushed for a TD.

All-state kicker Kevin Abts was a perfect 8 for 8 on point-after touchdown kicks.

“We managed to get everyone in the game and they got a lot of (varsity) experience,” Naeger said. “It was a physical game, so the younger kids got to experience that themselves on the field and that was good to see.”

After Carrow returned the opening kickoff in 14 seconds and Loida made his TD catch, Valle scored again when Uding sprinted for a 79-yard TD run.

Abts added his third PAT for a 21-0 lead halfway through the opening quarter.

The Warriors took a 28-0 lead with three minutes left in the first when Bruns caught a three-yard TD pass from Stoll and Abt added the PAT.

Loida then ran for a 47-yard TD as time expired in the first. Abts’ kick made it 35-0.

In the second stage, Uding caught another pass from Stoll for a 27-yard TD. Abts made it 42-0. Bader then punched in a five-yard TD run with 45 seconds left in the first half. Abts made it 49-0 at halftime.

With a running clock to start the closing half and Valle bringing in its bench, Wehner scored the final TD on a 10-yard keeper just seven seconds into the final frame.

“It always feels good to get a win, but it doesn’t last very long,” Naeger said. “With this game being on a Saturday, we’re not going to get much time to enjoy it because as soon as we get home we have to start getting ready for next Friday.”

Defensively, Bader had 11 total tackles, while Eric Meyer had nine total.

Bruns (sack), Ryan Hermann (fumble recovery), Trevor Klump and Jesse Meyer each had six tackles.

Wayde Roth and Carrow both had five.

•Notes: This is the first season Valle is playing as a member of new Jefferson County Conference, which basically the old Blue Division (small schools) of the Mississippi Area Football Conference). ... Valle has won 15 of its last 16 games dating back to last season. ... Valle had 13 tackles for losses. ... Principia is a Class 2 private school for Christian Scientists, in which the football program finished 7-3 last season. ... Principia and Valle are familiar track and field foes due to both programs placed in the same area for the state sectionals.

•Up next: Valle hosts crosstown rivals Ste. Genevieve at 7 p.m. Friday for the annual Old Settlement Showdown, which is re-tied at 23-all as Valle has won the last two meetings.