By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
After the extremely physical and emotional game last week against Desert Pines, the Moapa Valley High School Football coaching staff wondered whether their players could sustain their intensity this week against Elko.
“I’ve been nervous about a letdown all week,” said Moapa Valley head coach Brent Lewis. “We bent but we didn’t break.”
On Saturday, the Pirate team was able to hold out for a solid 17-0 win against Elko, sending them to the State Championship game for the ninth time in ten years.
Elko came to Moapa Valley with a new offense from the season. And they threw the ball.
In the second play of the game, Elko quarterback Puentes completed a pass over the middle to the fifty and followed that up with a 14 yard pass to set the Indians up at the Pirate 36; 1st and 10. Puentes, with an empty backfield, rolled to his right looking to pass. He kept right on rolling for 8 yards to the Pirate 27. Another quarterback keeper gained a yard and gave the Indians a 4th and 1 at the 26. That’s when Elko jumped off sides, 4th and 6.
Puentes found his receiver open on a 10 yard slant. But Jay Mortensen stopped him and RJ Hubert made the hit that dislodged the ball, falling incomplete. That would set the tone for the rest of the game.
Four times the Indians made it deep into Pirates territory and came away with nothing. Their passing game made the difference in their ability to move the ball. But not being able to run the ball prevented them from scoring.
Moapa Valley started their first drive against Elko’s 2-5 defense. On their third play Sterling Simmons broke a 33 yard run from the Moapa Valley 36 to the Indian 32.
Two plays later Nate Cox pitched the ball on an option to Jacob Leavitt. But he missed Leavitt sending the ball bouncing to the Elko 44 where Leavitt recovered it. Elko then sent a blitz that sacked Cox who fumbled, giving the ball over to the Indians on the Pirate 48.
An Elko 1st down on a slant across the middle, then a play later Puentes’ pass was tipped by his receiver and landed in the hands of Derek Cope who returned the ball to the Elko 43.
Hubert ran for 10 yards then Sterling Simmons ran for 5. Trystin Deal then ran up the middle to the 17. Two first downs later, on the first play of the second quarter, Cox found Hubert for a 4 yard touchdown pass giving the Pirates a lead they would never relinquish.
The Indians returned the kickoff to the Pirates 50 with some great blocking. But Elko then lost 5 yards and punted.
Moapa Valley would give the ball back four plays later when Cox threw a pick at the Pirate 33. But an Elko defender stepped in front of the ball on a short out route and it was intercepted.
Elko would then use 11 plays from the Pirate 33 to get to the 5 with help of a questionable pass interference call at the goal line. Two plays later Elko went to the double wing formation when Puentes couldn’t handle the snap and fumbled. Leavitt recovered: 1st and 10 Moapa Valley at their own 10 yard line.
Employing a running strategy, the Pirates moved to the Moapa Valley 48. Then Cox found Hubert on the near side line double teamed. Hubert went up high to catch the ball over a defender and was taken down at the Elko 20 for a 32 yards pass play and a first down.
Next play Leavitt took a pitch around the left got his feet taken out at the 17 and kept going to the 14.
Hubert lined up in the wildcat and took the ball right, crossing the goal line. This gave Moapa Valley a 14-0 lead by halftime.
Elko came closest to scoring when Puentes found Kyrin Allen deep. But Allen was slowed by Mortensen near the goal line and Hubert stripped the ball just before going into the end zone. Moapa Valley recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
Moapa Valley took the second half kick-off where Leavitt received the ball. He reversed and handed off to Hubert who was met by Elko and taken to the ground hard. Hubert didn’t get up for several seconds scaring Pirates fan and players. But a minute later he popped up and ran to the sidelines, sat out a play and returned.
Moapa Valley’s offense started moving again with the help of Trystin Deal who ran for a first down past mid field. Then he caught a shovel pass for another 1st and 10.
Leavitt took a hand-off and travelled inside the 10 to the Indian 8. He ran again to the 4, then to the 3. On 3rd down and goal from the 3, Leavitt couldn’t avoid the blitz and was taken down behind the line of scrimmage at the 8. In came Mortensen who kicked a 25 yard field goal for a 17-0 Pirate lead.
There would be no more scoring in this one. Elko had great field position to start almost every possession Saturday, but the Pirate defense ended their drives without a score.
That didn’t change on the kick-off return when the Eagles brought the ball up the middle again to the Pirate 27. But again they came away with nothing 10 plays later. Indians kicker Nick Smiley had his 32 yard field goal blocked by Deal keeping the Indians scoreless.
Elko would get another chance to score on a 15 play drive that ended with a double pass from the Pirate 38. Mortensen caught the pass at the Pirate 14.
Moapa Valley then used up the clock with an 11 play drive all on the ground where they made it to the 3. After a false start, Cox threw a pass to Sam Bond on the right side of the end zone. Bond was all alone, but the ball went off his finger tips and fell incomplete.
Moapa Valley was finished as they knelt on the ball for the last play running the final 30 seconds off for the win. Bent they had never broken.
Moapa Valley finished with 331 yards of total offense with 48 rushes for 272 yards. They finished with just 59 yards passing on 4 of 10 attempts.
Cox threw for a touchdown and also had an interception. Deal ran for 104 yards on 13 carries, Sterling Simmons had 84 yards on 13 carries. RJ Hubert carried the ball 10 times for 76 yards and a touchdown. Jacob Leavitt had 9 carries for 27 yards. Deal had 2 catches for 26 yards and a touchdown while Hubert had 33 yards receiving.
On defense the Pirates had 3 sacks with Deal, Garrett May and Dalyn Leavitt each getting one. Jay Mortensen and Derek Cope each had an interception.
Elko would finish with 188 yards total offense. 167 yards came from passing with Puentes finishing, 12-23 with an interception and a fumble.
Kyrin Allen had 63 yards receiving on 4 receptions. Nick Smiley had 4 receptions for 39 yards. Tuff Carpenter had 3 receptions for 51 yards and RJ Bejarano caught one pass for 14 yards.
Moapa Valley held the Indians to 21 rushing yards with Puentes getting 24 yards on 20 carries. Smiley had two carries for -3 yards.
The Pirates will travel to Reno High School for this Saturdays State championship game against the Churchill County Green Wave. Fallon is the top seed from the north. They are 11-1 overall and 9-0 in league play. Game time is 12 noon at Reno High School.
