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MVHS Flag Football Takes Two League Losses

By GANNON HANEVOLD

Moapa Valley Progress

Emma Eichhorn runs the ball for the Pirates in a home game last week against Virgin Valley. PHOTO BY KATELYN GARLICK/Moapa Valley Progress.

After a long month of rest, the Moapa Valley High School Flag Football team was eager to get back on the field for a game. They faced a tough pair of games last week, one of which at home against a local rival. The Pirates went head to head with the Bulldogs and Cowboys last week and came out on the losing end. Hoping to learn from it, however, the Pirates still remain firmly in the playoff race.

The first game of the week was a home matchup on Wednesday. The Pirates hosted the rival Virgin Valley Bulldogs, former state runner-ups.

After not being on the game field for nearly thirty days, it appeared as if the Pirates may have been a bit rusty early on. Both sides traded three-and-outs on their opening two possessions. But eventually it was Virgin Valley that struck first, going up 7-0.

A pair of passes by Pirate quarterback Graceann Erickson were intercepted by the visiting Bulldogs in the second quarter. The turnovers allowed for Virgin Valley to extend their lead to 21-0.
But momentum was soon to swing back in favor of the blue and gold. With an offense sputtering, the Pirates relied on their defense to make a play to turn the tides.

Freshman Alexis Gould turned out to be the source of the spark for Moapa Valley. She intercepted a pass in front of the visiting sideline. Gould dodged opponents on her way to the endzone for the Pirates’ first touchdown, making it 21-6.

In the second half, the Pirates continued to struggle on the offensive end. It wasn’t until early in the fourth quarter that Moapa Valley picked up a first down, their very first of the game. That was thanks to a Coy Overson running play. But the Pirates were ultimately stopped at the goal line on that drive
They wouldn’t get much further after that. The final score after a late touchdown would be 27-6 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Shaylee Feltner led the Bulldogs with 190 rushing yards and three scores as Virgin Valley moved to 7-0 in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Pirates looked ahead to a Friday night matchup against the Chaparral Cowboys as a chance to respond.

After the first half at Chaparral, the Pirates trailed 12-6. Their sole touchdown came off of a Graceann Erickson pass.

Erickson, hoping to flip the script after the offensive struggles on Wednesday, tossed another score in the second half. On the receiving end of her touchdown tosses were Lara Bingisser and Emma Eichhorn.
Unfortunately, Moapa Valley still fell short to the Cowboys, 19-13.

Despite a hard first week back, the athletes seem to retain their optimism.
“We are trying to get more focused and get down to business and come back swinging,” Erickson said. “I expect good things. I think we will come together and perform like a team.”

In such a crucial position, Graceann commented on how she believes she can improve her role as a quarterback. “I think I can still improve on being a team leader and getting my team fired up and ready,” she said.

On the defensive end, senior Elena Ramirez talked about what she thinks the defenders should focus on. “Defensively we need to be watching the backfield and making sure we’re in the right coverage,” she explained.

Ramirez also chimed in some positivity of her own. “The girls are pretty hungry for a win” she said. “We are going to use our drive and motivation to reach our goal which is the playoffs. We are ready to take on the rest of the league.”

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