Pirates Crush Vikings, 42-6

By DAVE BELCHER

Moapa Valley Progress

The Moapa Valley High School Football team held a welcoming party for the newest member of the southern 3A on Friday night. The Valley Vikings came to Jeff Keel stadium where the Pirates promptly trounced them, 42-6.

It was the first ever visit for the Vikings to Moapa Valley. They came into the game with confidence that they could run through the 3A and into a championship.They left with a couple of hotdogs in hand given to them by the Moapa Valley boosters club who provides all visiting teams with a meal for the ride home.

The Pirates started the game with a kickoff returned to the 50-yard line. Seven plays later Braeden St John ran 5-yards into the endzone for the first Pirate touchdown with 9:42 to play in the first quarter.
Moapa Valley started with a short pass in the flat and completed a couple more as they worked on the passing game last week. Quarterback Luke Bennett completed 12-17 for 151 yards and a touchdown.
“We simplified our passing game this week,” said MVHS head coach Brent Lewis.

Moapa Valley went with the short pass throwing a couple of deep balls trying to deepen the Vikings defense and spread it for more running room. “We were much better passing the ball this week,” said Lewis with a huge smile.

Even more impressive was the Pirates defense. Jessop Lake created havoc in the Valley offensive back field. On the second play of the game he sacked Valley quarterback Jarrett Zibert for a loss. Then he came up the middle tipping Zibert’s pass giving St John a chance to pick the ball and returned it inside the five-yard line. After Lake ran the ball to the 1-yardline, St John scored giving the Pirates a 14-0 lead with 6:39 to play in the first quarter.

The Vikings struggled to get any offense going throughout the game. They had only one scoring drive. Zibert found his receiver a couple of times moving the ball down the field. He finished with a 4-yard run for the only touchdown of the night for Valley.

From that point on the Vikings could get nothing going. They finished with 84 yards of total offense. They carried the football 14 times for -2 yards on the ground. Zibert was 8-29 passing for 86 yards and three interceptions.

Because the Pirate defensive backs where making some hits and defending very well, The Viking receivers were hesitant to catch a ball. Most pass plays for Valley ended with contact by a defender.

The Pirate special teams had a great game. If it was not for a push in the back, St John would have had a punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter. Every time the Vikings kicked the Pirates returned the ball into Viking territory close to the fifty yard line.

Moapa Valley ended the first half with a 6-yard touchdown reception to Derek Reese giving the Pirates a 21-0 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, St John scored his third of four touchdowns with a 10-yard run. He scored his fourth at the start of the fourth quarter from a yard away for a 35-6 Pirate lead with 11:14 to play in the game.

Just under five minute later Trystin Lehman scored with an 8-yard run starting a running clock and giving the Pirates the win.
Pirate kicker Leo Rios had a great night kicking. He made every extra point plus kicked the ball deep keeping the Vikings deep in their own territory. He had two touchbacks.

On the kickoff starting the second half, Rio executed a perfect onside kick which was recovered by the Pirates.
Moapa Valley turned the ball over three times. Once on a fumble inside the Vikings five. Then twice by interceptions.

One interception acted as a punt. It was fourth down when Bennett loafed a pass inside the Vikings twenty which was picked. Instead of getting the ball at mid field, Valley took over inside the twenty. The other was a pass short of Reese just outside of the endzone.

Bennett finished with a touchdown and two interceptions. He was 12-17 for 151 yards. St John ran 17 times for 72 yards and four touchdowns. Hayden Redd ran 9 times for 59 yards while Trystin Lehman ran 6 times for 50 yards and a touchdown. Moapa Valley had 225 yards rushing on 39 carries totaling 376 yards of total offense.

This Friday, Moapa Valley travels to Las Vegas at Eldorado High School.