By Dave Belcher

Moapa Valley Progress

The MVHS Football team travelled into Las Vegas on Friday to play a Sunrise Mountain team who had not won a game from the time of their creation. Guess what? They still haven’t.

Two years ago when the Pirates went up against Sunrise Mountain, they scored over 50 points in the first half. Friday night they scored 47 in the game.

Still the Miners have improved somewhat since that first meeting; well, at least on defense. They held the Pirates to one touchdown in the first quarter which was scored on a Conner Mortenson 18 yard run.

In the second quarter the Pirates got things rolling with 27 points on four touchdowns to bury the Miners by the half.

It wasn’t just the offense on this night that would explode. The Pirate defense stopped the Miners all night long allowing a whole -4 yards for the Miners and allowing just one 1st down in the game. That came just under the two minute mark in the game.

The Miners couldn’t stop the Moapa defensive line as the their quarterback was chased down all night long. Lane Stringham and Matthew McDermand did the work up front and the rest of the defense cleaned up any leaks that escaped.

The 2nd quarter collapse for the Miners started when Conner Mortenson ran for his second touchdown from four yards out. The point after was good and the Pirates were up 14-0.

Three and out for the Miners and the Pirates scored again. This time it was the full back Kasen Hughes from four yards out that reached pay dirt. However, the point after was no good, wide left, and Moapa was up 20-0.

After another Miners three and out, the Pirates tried their passing game. Dakota Watters found Shane Terrill in a beautiful pass and over-the-shoulder catch from 25 yards out. With the extra point Moapa was up 27-0.

But they weren’t finished. Getting the ball back with just over a minute the Pirates travelled from midfield to the 19 yard line when Watters found Brandon Johnson by himself in the left end-zone.Moapa closed the half out leading 34 -0.

In the third quarter Sean McConell scored the lone touchdown for the Pirates when he ran 10 yards for the score and a 41-0 lead.

Moapa’s final touchdown came from Romero from a yard out as the Pirates blew out the Miners 47-0.

The Pirates had 310 yards rushing. Waters was 6-15 for 69 yards passing for two touchdowns. Conner Mortenson had 165 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. Sean McConell rushed for 115 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.

Next week is the Pirate’s bye week. They will return to Vegas at Del Sol high school a week from Friday to take on the Dragons at 7:00. Freshman and JV will play on Thursday at 4 and 6:30.