By Dave Belcher

Moapa Valley Progress

MVHS	30
Legacy	33

The big play did the Pirates in again…..and again…..and again on Thursday night, October 6 at Legacy High School in Las Vegas. Moapa was beaten by the Longhorns 33-30 in a brawl.

The first big play started at the very beginning. Legacy’s Ireland took the ball and sprinted around the right side 88 yards for the first score of the game and a precedent. The extra point made it 7-0. With less than twenty seconds off the clock the Longhorns were already up.

The Pirates held their own with the line and the flow of the game. As the Pirates marched down the field Moapa’s second series ended with a score when Dakota Watters hit Jacob Rebman for a 9 yard touchdown with 4:14 left in the first quarter. Moapa then spread the Longhorns out with the swinging gate formation for the extra point. Watters found Brandon Johnson for the two point conversion and an 8-7 lead.

Legacy did not throw well as they were 0 for 4 and are a run first offense.

Legacy’s Hughes led the Longhorn offence with his size and speed as he had 259 yards on 18 carries. Ireland had 163 yards.

Legacy found themselves in a hole at the end of the 1st quarter, 3rd and 14 at the Moapa 39. Legacy punted. Then Moapa did also on their possession.

The next Longhorn punt was returned by Moapa to the Legacy 40, but a holding call sent the Pirates back to their own 23 to start the next drive. It was a 37 yard penalty.

Conner Mortensen was running hard as he carried four or five Longhorns an additional 10 yards after a run. Then he came back and ran a draw to the 20 for another first down.

Watters ran a keeper to the 10 and a defensive holding took the ball to the 5. It was 1st and goal at the 5 with 3:40 to go in the half when Mortensen was dropped for a two yard loss. A Moapa hold pushed them back to the 20. A Pirate reverse lost another three yards then a pass that was overthrown gave the ball to the Longhorns with 35 seconds to go in the half.

The next big play of the game happened on the next play as Hughes following his blocking took the ball on a sweep left and ended up 77 yards later with Legacy’s second touchdown. They missed the two point conversion and went into the locker room up 13-8. What a way to end the half!

To start the 2nd half Watters threw a pick to set up Legacy at the Pirate 24. Moapa’s defense held getting the ball back at their own 20 on downs.

They started an eleven play drive which included a 35 yard screen pass to McConnell from the Pirate 30 to the Legacy 35. Mortensen rushed for another 1st down with a 22 yard run on 3rd and 5 from the 30 to the 8 four plays later McConnell took the ball in from the 2 and gave Moapa a 14-13 lead. A pitch to Kasen Hughes for 2 points and Moapa was up 16-13 with 3:11 left in the 3rd.

The momentum had changed as a Legacy punt was snapped over the punters head where the punter recovered at the Longhorn 36.

The first play was a pass to Shane Terrill who took the ball to the 4 yard line then was stripped as he was fighting for the end zone. The Longhorns recovered at the 4.

A penalty on the Longhorns took the ball back to the 2 yard line then came the run. Hughes took the handoff and stepped through a couple tacklers then busted up the middle to the right side for 98 yards and a lead the Longhorns would not give up for the rest of the game. The extra point made the score 20-16 as the Pirates jaws dropped in disbelief.

The Pirates took the kick to their 43 and three downs later punted.

Then came big play number four. McMorris took the Pirate punt. Racing down the Pirate sideline, he outran everyone to the end zone; 81 yards for the score! After Kasen Hughes blocked the extra point the Longhorns had a 26-16 led.

Moapa rebounded and took their next possession down to the Longhorn 13 yard line. On 4th and 4 Mortensen scored. The pat was no good and with 7:31 to go in the game the score was 26-22.

Legacy took the kick off and was pinned down at the Moapa 12. First play went 51 yards by Hughes.

Legacy’s Hughes was stood up a play after that and Kasen Hughes stripped the ball as the Pirates recovered it at their 13 yard line. The Pirates then went 4 and out with 4:50 left to play. Legacy went 4 out.

On the Pirates next possession from the Longhorn 8. A fumbled snap and two incomplete passes forced another punt with 1:46 to play. From the 15 yard line Hughes scored his shortest touchdown run of the night and a 33-22 lead with 1:30 left.

The Pirates didn’t quit. Watters connected with McConnell on a 46 yard touchdown with 1:12 left and Rebman’s catch for two points made the score 33-30, Legacy.

Everyone knew the onside kick was coming and it came with Legacy recovering it. They only needed to kneel on it but tried to run another dive as the quarter back bobbled and dropped the ball sending gasps from the Longhorn crowd. He recovered it and after a Moapa time out they knelt out the two remaining snaps for the win dropping Moapa to 5-2 on the season.

Mortensen had 157 yards rushing and 1 touchdown. McConnell had 29 yards rushing and 1 touchdown then 4 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.

Rebman had one catch for 9 yards and a touchdown and 1 more for a 2 point conversion. Johnson had 1 catch for a 2 point conversion. For Legacy Hughes had 259 yards with 3 touchdowns. Ireland had 163 yards and 1 touchdown. McMorris had an 81 yard punt return for a touchdown.

Watters was 9-21 with a pick and 2 touchdown passes for 217 yards.

Moapa had 386 yards total offence to Legacy’s 426 all on the ground.