By Dave Belcher
Moapa Valley Progress
It was a beautiful evening in urban Las Vegas on Friday night. The Pirates came home with a 36-33 nail biting victory over the Clark Chargers.
Clark received the opening kickoff at the Moapa 31 yard line. The drive stopped three plays later with a Charger punt. Moapa took possession at the Charger 17.
Hayden Cooper caught three passes during the drive to the 16 yard line. Riley Solomon ran to the nine then Dakota Gordon fumbled at the five turning the ball over to Clark.
The Chargers ran five plays before their second punt to the Moapa 49 yard line.
Moapa’s second drive started and continued after a 26 yard completion to Casen Lewis at the ten. Cooper caught the first touch down of the night in the right corner of the end zone. The extra point was good and Moapa lead 7-0.
Clark took the kickoff to the 39. Three plays later the Chargers punted again and Lewis took the ball to his left down the Moapa sideline 70 yards for Moapa’s second score. On the extra point try, the Pirate line went left leaving Weiss in shotgun, a receiver, and a back. Weiss kept the ball and ran right of the center into the end zone for 2 points, and a 15-0 lead with 8:23 left in the 1st half.
Clark took the kick off to their 45 yard line. It must have been time for the Pirate defense to take a break. Jackson ran to the 32. McClain took it to the 11 yard line. Jackson finished the drive with a four yard run and the score. The extra point was good and Moapa lead 15-7 with 6:44 in the half.
Moapa’s next series was three plays long. A Weiss sack made it second down and 17 yards to go from the Pirate 15. Weiss’ next pass was incomplete.
Weiss’ next pass was completed to Clark for an interception at the Pirate 41. Ten plays later Clark’s quarter back McKinney barely made the end zone on 4th and inches. The two point try was no good and with 1:46 in the half Moapa was up 15-13.
Clark’s kick off went out of bounds giving the ball to Moapa at the Pirates 35 yard line. A pass to Cooper then another to Shane Terrill.
Terrill caught another one, and then Lewis’ catch took the ball to the Charger 29. Two Weiss keepers and then a Lewis completion to the 4 yard line. With 10.8 seconds left Cooper caught his second touchdown of the night. The extra point was good and Moapa lead 22-13 at the half.
The Pirates scwibed the ball to Clark who recovered it at the Pirate 38.
An unsportsmanlike penalty on the Pirates moved the ball to the Moapa 47 with enough time for one play. It was a Pirates sack and time ran off.
Moapa received the 2nd half kickoff and took it to their 30 yard line.
Riley Solomon took it 14 yards to the 44. Weiss’ next pass went to Clark for their second interception to the Pirate 38. Clark finished the drive with a 10 yard touch down and extra point with 5:41 left in the 3rd.
The Pirates next possession was six plays long finished by Zach Waite’s 36 yard touch down. Zach rushed for 101 yards on the night for the Pirates 1st 100 yard game this season. The extra point was no good. Pirates 28- Chargers 20.
Clark’s next possession went 3 plays before Will Belcher’s sack cause McKinney to fumble. The Pirates recovered then scored when Hayden Waite punched it in from a yard out. Another swinging gate formation and two more points with Weiss taking it in. Moapa 36- Clark 20.
Clark took the ensuing kickoff at the 35 with 11:16 left in the game and down 16 points. Quarter back McKinney ran the final 36 yards down the Moapa side line for another charger touchdown. Clark went for 1 instead of 2. The kick was good and Moapa was still up two possessions with a 9 point lead at 36-27 with 8:18 on the clock.
Moapa’s expecting an onside kick was surprised with a kick deep. Instead of letting it go into the end zone, Zach Waite picked it up at the 2 yard line and returned it to the 15. Zach Waite took the first carry 33 yards to the 48 yard line. Parker Chappell went with the next carry. Zach went five more with the next. Weiss was sacked and he fumbled at the Pirate 40.
Clark recovered it. On third and 10 at the Moapa 40. Mckinney threw for a 40 yard touch down. MV 36- Clark 33. A short snap and an incomplete pass on the extra point left the score 36-33 with 4:43 on the clock.
This time a Clark on side kick had the Pirates recovering at their own 48. The ball went up the middle to the second row of Pirates no chance for Clark to recover even with the three yard head start Clark had over the line of scrimmage.
Clark stuffed Zack Waite for no gain. Clark had 7 or 8 in the box so Moapa threw two incomplete passes then with 3:56 left went to punt on 4 and 3.
Moapa’s punter ran right looking for a seam to run for the 1st didn’t see one so he punted it. The punt was blocked and Clark recovered it at the Pirate 38 yard line. Here we go.
On Clark’s 1st play, Lane Stringham sacked Mckinney as he scrambled looking for any open receiver. He was dropped 18 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Second play was an incomplete pass. Third play another incomplete pass. With four down and 18 to go for a first down McKinney’s next pass was knocked away by Hayden Cooper who could have intercepted it as he went out of bounds around the 15. He chose not to so Pirate got the ball on the 46 with 3:13 left to go.
Hayden Waite ran two yards. Zack Waite ran six yards. Clark called a time out, 3 and 2 to go for Moapa. Zack ran 4 more yards for the 1st. Moapa was then flagged for delay of game.
Zack on 1st and 15 ran for 7 yards to the Clark 40. Clark called their final timeout with 51 seconds left. Zack ran for three more.A Weiss keeper up the middle to the 35.
With 4th and 2 yards to go, Moapa ran the clock to 25.6 seconds then called a time out.
Final play? Weiss hit Lewis for 20 yards on the play and Moapa came away with an ugly victory. I take that back. Former Principal Dr. Larry Moses would say,” There is no ugly victories, just ugly losses.”
O.K. then this one had a sweet spirit.
The Pirates travel Friday to Silverado High School in Vegas to play the Skyhawks. Varsity plays Friday at 7 p.m. Silverado lost to Foothill 13-7 last Friday.
