By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Varsity Football team started its season with a home win against Sunrise Mountain on Friday night, 13-12.
“It was ugly, but we will take it,” said head coach Brent Lewis after the game.
Everyone thought that the game was won when Leo Rios took a hand-off up the middle for 24 yards in the fourth quarter. The touchdown gave the Pirates a 13-6 lead with 2:25 to play.
But Sunrise Mountain wasn’t done yet. They received the kick-off bobbling the ball. The receiver took a couple of steps back, picked up the ball and broke a tackle; then ran zig-zagging through Pirate tacklers and finally out-running Moapa Valley to the end zone for the touchdown. That brought the final score, 13-12.
Sunrise Mountain who doesn’t have a place kicker tried a reverse in their effort to win the game with a two point conversion. But the Miners were stopped in the back field giving the Pirates the win after allowing the clock to run out.
The excitement at the end of the game didn’t compensate for the poor play Moapa Valley had in the first half. It took a strong defensive stand at the one yard line to keep the Miners out of the end zone in the first half. Two passes were dropped by Miner receivers who had beaten the Pirate defensive backs. An Miner interception returned 100 yards for a touchdown ended up being called back on a hold after the Pirates were in the red zone looking to score. Several other Miner penalties helped keep the Pirates unbeaten at home.
Sunrise Mountain scored their first touchdown and held a 6-0 with 2:37 to play in the first quarter.
It was then that Pirate quarterback Daxton Longman hit a wide open Derek Reese for an 82 yard touchdown pass, the first touchdown for Moapa Valley, with 2:00 remaining in the first half.
Moapa Valley had 313 yards of total offense with 106 yards rushing and Longman throwing for 207 yards passing on 12-17 and a touchdown.
Logan Jackson ran for 44 yards on 10 carries. Braeden St. John ran the ball 16 times for 35 yards. Rios ran twice for 25 yards and a touchdown. Reese had two catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Moapa Valley is 1-0 to start the season and will travel to Hurricane, Utah on Friday night for a 6 PM game.
Hurricane has played two games this year and is 1-1 so far. Two weeks ago in their first game they travelled to Orem Utah and beat Mountain View 30-6. Last Friday the Tigers hosted Christian California and were beaten 60-35.
Moapa Valley has won two of the last three games against Hurricane.
