Montgomery Outlasts Hopewell Valley in Thrilling Overtime Opener, 35–28

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

HOPEWELL – The Montgomery Cougars opened their 2025 football season with fireworks, rallying late and sealing a dramatic 35–28 overtime victory against Hopewell Valley on the road Friday night.

Senior quarterback Jack Kristjanson found Obinna Obuba for a 25-yard touchdown in the extra period, and kicker Trey McFadden added the point-after to give Montgomery (1–0) the winning margin. The defense held firm on Hopewell Valley’s possession in overtime, clinching the Cougars’ first win of the season.

The night was anything but straightforward. Montgomery built a 14–0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run from Zach Mutton and an 1 yard score from Caiden Miller. But Hopewell Valley stormed back in the third quarter, exploding for 20 unanswered points highlighted by Jude Berman’s 45-yard interception return and a 2-yard plunge by Lucas Hemmer.

Trailing 20–14 heading into the fourth, Montgomery dug deep. Miller struck again with his second rushing touchdown, but Hopewell Valley answered with a 7-yard scoring connection between Grayson Vlasac and Berman, followed by a two-point conversion, to make it 28–21.

Just when the momentum seemed to swing, Cougar special teams delivered a game-changing play. Gesira Walcott returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards to the end zone, bringing the visitors even at 28–28 and setting the stage for overtime.

Kristjanson, who went 14-of-22 passing for 168 yards, shook off two interceptions to deliver when it mattered most. His connection with Obuba in overtime marked his lone passing touchdown of the night. McFadden added three extra points and contributed heavily on special teams, including a 110-yard receiving effort on offense.

Defensively, Montgomery showed resilience under pressure. Dragomir Georgiev led the way with 11 total tackles, while Michael Bellamy added 10 and Jaden Bartley chipped in with nine. The unit made the crucial stop in overtime after yielding big plays earlier in the contest.

The Cougars finished with 248 yards of total offense—168 through the air and 80 on the ground. Miller paced the rushing attack with 38 yards and two touchdowns, while McFadden was Kristjanson’s favorite target, hauling in seven receptions for 110 yards.

Montgomery, now 1–0, will look to build on the momentum when they return home next week.

Hopewell Valley falls to 0–1 but showed grit of its own, led by Berman’s two receiving touchdowns and interception return.

In the end, though, Montgomery made just enough plays to walk away victorious, opening their season with the kind of thrilling finish that sets the tone for fall under the Friday night lights.

The Cougars host Summit this coming Friday, September 5th in their home opener 7:00pm Cougar Stadium.

Photo Credit: Nick Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com