PONTIAC — Pontiac High School’s 8-7 season-opening football victory over Central Catholic on Friday came at the cost of several injured captains.Â
“It was a bad day to be a captain for us unfortunately,” said Pontiac coach Alan Kuchefski, who saw Brady Monahan come to the rescue.
The sophomore provided 129 yards on 28 carries, including a 15-yard touchdown run with 2:03 left in the third quarter.Â
“I gave it all I got and I just got to the corner,” Monahan said his sweep left to score. “I’ve got to do it for those (injured) guys. They’ve put all they’ve got into this.”Â
The Indians, who won last year’s meeting, 35-14, saw co-captain Justin Grieff leave in the first quarter with a left foot injury. He finished with two carries for 22 yards.Â
“That really handcuffed us offensively,” Kuchefski said. “We ended up settling on our quick pitch and our counter play. Those were the two that really ended up working for us. (Monahan) fights hard. He did a pretty good job tonight.”Â
All-Illini Prairie Conference lineman and captain Steven Lewis of Pontiac left with a left ankle injury late in the third quarter.
“He’s kind of the heart and soul of our team,” Kuchefski said. “Everybody looks up to him.”
Another co-captain, receiver Cobi Parra, was slowed by leg cramps.
“I told the officials I may not come out for the coin toss next week because I’m afraid it might be me next (to get hurt),” quipped Kuchefski, who applauded the Saints’ improvement from 2018.
“Hats off to Central Catholic. They have gotten a lot better. They are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were last year.”
Coming off the first winless season in its history, Central led most of the way after sophomore Jake Slaughter capped a seven-play, 61-yard game-opening drive with a 15-yard scoring run. Jonathan Naour added the extra point with 8:58 left in the period.Â
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Slaughter finished with 76 yards on 14 carries while Naour completed 10 of 20 passes for 78 yards. Slaughter made five catches for 37 yards.
“(Slaughter) had some tough yards,” said first-year Saint coach Kevin Braucht, who saw a 27-yard touchdown catch by Slaughter in the fourth quarter nullified by a holding penalty.
“He’s only a sophomore so we’re going to ride him for a couple years. He showed he’s got the speed and he ran between the tackles well.”
Pontiac pulled within 7-2 with 7:21 left in the third quarter when Peyton Cramer tackled Naour for a safety after a high snap.Â
“The defense stepped up there,” Kuchefski said. “They had some high snaps all night that they were dealing with. Luckily, that one got through and Peyton was there to clean up.”Â
The Saints also lost 90 yards on 12 penalties.
“I felt every time we got going, we had a penalty or something happened,” Braucht said. “That safety hurt us pretty good. We had some iffy snaps all night. It’s all correctable stuff.”
The biggest play of Central’s first drive — and of the entire first half — was Slaughter’s 23-yard run to the Pontiac 27.
 “We had our first handful of plays scripted so we had worked on those all week,” Braucht said. “We get tired and we kind of lose our focus a little bit.”
Pontiac’s Wyatt Griffith completed 3 of 13 passes for 40 yards and was intercepted once by Nicholas Fisher late in the second quarter.
Photos: Central Catholic at Pontiac football
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Pontiac seniors Peyton Cramer (6), Steven Lewis (55), Cobi Parra (11) and Justin Grieff (42) lead their team onto the field before they play Illini Prairie Conference opponent Bloomington Central Catholic on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac.
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Pontiac Township High School senior Peyton Cramer, a tight end/defensive back for the football team, brought out Old Glory prior to the Indians' season opener against Bloomington Central Catholic on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Pontiac.
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Central Catholic's Tyler Sears (51) and his teammates take the field before they play Illini Prairie Conference foe Pontiac on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac.
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Bloomington Central Catholic and Pontiac coaches and captains meet with the officials prior to their season opener Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Pontiac.
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Central Catholic's Hank Keller runs the ball during Pontiac's 8-7 Illini Prairie Conference win over the Saints on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac.
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Central Catholic's Liam Brady holds down Pontiac's Kristian Wiles as Brady's teammate Jake Slaughter gets a gain during the Indians' 8-7 Illini Prairie Conference win over the Saints on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac.
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Central Catholic fans cheer as the Saints took an early lead in the first quarter of their season opener against Illini Prairie Conference opponent Pontiac on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. The Indians came back in the second half and won, 8-7.
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A sunset hovers over the Bloomington Central Catholic football team as they open their season against Pontiac on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, in Pontiac.
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Pontiac lineman Adam Weir (66) matches up against Central Catholic's Easton Paul (79) before a snap during their Illini Prairie Conference game Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. Pontiac won, 8-7.
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Central Catholic head coach Kevin Braucht looks on as his team opens their season against Illini Prairie Conference foe Pontiac on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. The Saints fell short to the Indians, 8-7.
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Central Catholic quarterback Jonathan Naour drops back to pass during Pontiac's 8-7 Illini Prairie Conference win over the Saints on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac.
Picked off

Central Catholic's Nicholas Fisher hangs onto an interception during Pontiac's 8-7 Illini Prairie Conference win over the Saints on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac.
The pack

Central Catholic's Jake Slaughter tries to outrun a pack of Pontiac defenders during their Illini Prairie Conference game Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. The Indians defeated the Saints, 8-7.
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Pontiac's Mitch Barlow avoids a grab from a Central Catholic player during their Illini Prairie Conference game Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. Pontiac won, 8-7.
Handoff

Pontiac quarterback Wyatt Griffith (9) makes a handoff to teammate Brady Monahan during the Indians' 8-7 Illini Prairie Conference win over Central Catholic on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac.
Cheer squad

Pontiac's student section cheers as its team begins to rally in the second half during the Indians' 8-7 Illini Prairie Conference win over Central Catholic on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac.
Great catch

Pontiac's Peyton Cramer catches a pass in front of Central Catholic's Austin Jordan during their Illini Prairie Conference game Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. The Indians defeated the Saints, 8-7.
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Pontiac head football coach Alan Kuchefski signals to his team as they open their season against Illini Prairie Conference foe Central Catholic on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. The Indians rallied in the second half to win, 8-7.
Safety

Pontiac's Peyton Cramer defends Central Catholic quarterback Jonathan Naour in the end zone during their Illini Prairie Conference game Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. Cramer forced a safety on the play en route to the Indians defeating the Saints, 8-7.
Celebrate two

Pontiac's Ryan Weir (57) celebrates a safety scored against Central Catholic during their Illini Prairie Conference game Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. The Indians defeated the Saints, 8-7.
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Pontiac's Peyton Cramer (6) positions behind Central Catholic ballcarrier Hayden Pirtz during their Illini Prairie Conference game Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, at Pontiac. The Indians slipped past the Saints, 8-7.
Contact Randy Sharer at (309) 820-3405. Follow him on Twitter: @PG_sharer