By MATT KING
Daily Journal Sports Writer

Published: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Updated: Sunday, November 15, 2009 4:09 AM CST

MILLER, Mo. - Current head coach Judd Naeger was the starting quarterback in 1995 when a road victory over Miller propelled the storied Valle Catholic football program toward its ninth and most recent state championship.

The Warriors returned to Lawrence County on Saturday afternoon and continued their quest to repeat history in emphatic fashion, scoring on their first five possessions to overwhelm the Cardinals, 42-6 in a Class 1 quarterfinal contest.

Senior quarterback Michael Greminger finished the day 7-of-12 passing for 172 yards, and also reached the century mark with 100 rushing yards on 14 carries. He passed for two touchdowns while running for two more.

Junior tailback Luke Uding passed the 1000-yard milestone for the season with 94 yards on nine attempts, and his short run capped a successful opening drive for the Warriors, who enjoyed favorable field position throughout much of the action.

An inspired and physical Valle defense forced four turnovers, and used heavy pressure to contain Miller signal-caller Justin Jack, whose 20-yard scramble was the Cardinals’ longest play from scrimmage until the game’s final drive.

Cornerback Jason Blum made two second-half interceptions and lineman Brandon Lalumondiere recorded two sacks. Nick Zerwig logged a team-high 12 tackles and Aaron Basler added 10 for the Warriors.

Valle (13-0) must travel to Tipton (13-0) next Saturday for a state semifinal with the winner punching its ticket to the Edward Jones Dome.

Junior Tyler Hinshaw was the favorite target for Miller with 12 total receptions. His 16-yard grab helped the Cardinals (10-3) enter the opposition red zone before the drive eventually stalled midway through the opening period.

The Warriors countered with an 86-yard drive that was aided by two personal foul penalties against Miller. Greminger had tremendous pass protection while completing four throws during the march, then scored on an 8-yard keeper for a 14-0 lead.

Zach Weiler intercepted Jack on the first play of the second quarter, and Michael Loida caught a 22-yard scoring pass from motion receiver Nathan Geile after Greminger briefly left the game with a hand injury.

The Warriors delivered another big three-and-out series on defense, and Blum turned a pair of quick screen passes into sizable gains on the ensuing Valle drive, following strong downfield blocking for a 39-yard touchdown play.

Miller committed another harmful miscue near midfield when a jarring hit from Zerwig enabled Basler to recover a fumble. Christian Moulton capitalized with 4:04 remaining before the break on an 8-yard scoring pass from Greminger.

Valle carried a 35-0 advantage into halftime after sophomore Kevin Abts booted his fifth extra point, and induced a continuous clock for the seventh straight game since defeating Maplewood 20-12 in week six of the regular season.

An endzone interception by Jack helped the Cardinals stop a seven-minute drive in the third quarter, but Blum answered with an uncontested pick on the ensuing snap, and returned it along the sideline to the Miller 8.

Greminger patiently sliced through the defense on a draw to increase the Valle advantage. A one-handed pick from Blum moments later extended the Warriors’ bid for a shutout.

Jack completed 17-of-28 passes for 141 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown toss to Hinshaw as time expired. Daniel Parscal was limited to 26 rushing yards on 10 carries for the Cardinals, who won their lone state title in 1994.

Valle cornerback Nick Brown knocked down a pair of early fourth-down passes, and set up the team’s first scoring play with a 35-yard reception.

Valle  14  21  7  0 - 42

Miller   0   0   0   6 - 6

First quarter:

VC (7-0) - Uding 1 run (Abts kick), 8:30

VC (14-0) - Greminger 8 run (Abts kick), 2:32

Second quarter:

VC (21-0) - Loida 22 pass from Geile (Abts kick), 10:41

VC (28-0) - Blum 39 pass from Greminger (Abts kick), 7:45

VC (35-0) - Moulton 8 pass from Greminger (Abts kick), 4:04

Third quarter:

VC (42-0) - Greminger 8 run (Abts kick), 2:52

Fourth quarter:

MILL (42-6) - Hinshaw 2 pass from Jack, 0:00