Gabriel Riveros came charging out of the gate Saturday, and sprinted right past the rest of the field to the top of the leaderboard at the Warren County Championship.

Riveros birdied three of the first four holes at Clear Creek Golf Course and wound up with a 68 to take a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round. He only made one bogey, on the seventh hole, and finished with pars on his last six holes.

“It was unexpected. It just kind of happened,” Riveros said of his strong start. “The birdie on one is easy. It’s a par-5, so if you hit two good shots that’s all you need. On two I hit over the green and into the rough, and hit a perfect chip. I played solid.”

So did a few other guys.

Riveros’ former St. Aloysius teammate, Channing Curtis, shot 69 to settle into second place. Judd Mims was third after shooting a 70, while Nick Mekus (72) and Mark White (73) were also within striking distance.

Ryan Hoben, Hunter Simrall and Justin Stokes all shot 76, and Javier Torres and Doug Lee were at 77 to round out the championship flight.

Riveros, Curtis, Mekus and Mims will be paired in the final foursome that tees off at 9:52 a.m. on Sunday.

“Me and Nick might drink a little beer,” Mims said with a laugh. “It might get a little rowdy out there.”

Riveros said he wasn’t secure about Sunday’s round — because of the slim lead, not the possibility of golf course antics from his playing partners.

“It’s going to be competitive,” Riveros said. “I’m not safe, not with a one-shot lead. That’s nothing. If I shot 60 today, I would have felt a little good.”

Riveros and Curtis played in a group on Saturday with White and Torres. After Riveros’ early surge, Curtis birdied Nos. 5 and 6. White and Torres also turned in solid rounds, which Curtis said helped push the entire group.

“We had a great group. We had 18 birdies in our group,” Curtis said, adding that his own strong start was left in the dust by Riveros’ effort. “I hit the ball really well. Gabe came out of the gate, though. I was one under through four and was like, ‘Oh my God.’”

Riveros bogeyed No. 7, and then parred the eighth and the ninth. Birdies followed on Nos. 10 and 12, with pars the rest of the way. He called it, simply, “a consistent round of golf.”

With some hungry and talented competitors nipping at his heels, he might need a great one today to finally break through and win the County Championship.

Curtis and Mekus have both finished in the top 10 each of the past two years. Mekus was the runner-up in 2014. Riveros was the runner-up in 2015, and finished fourth in 2013.

“One shot can be gone off the first tee shot,” Curtis said. “It certainly helps to have it close like that.”

In the senior division, Jim Darnell shot a 73 to take a five-shot lead into Sunday’s final round. Jeff Cowan and Joe Grayson were tied for second, at 78, and Mike Caruthers was another shot back.