Pirates Route Miners At Homecoming

By DAVE BELCHER

Moapa Valley Progress

What a Homecoming it was for Moapa Valley last Friday night. Sunrise Mountain returned to where they had beaten the Pirates last year in the first round of the playoffs. But this time it was much different. The MVHS Football team put a beat down on the Miners, 48-6.

The game started with the traditional cannon blast. This was followed by a loud roar from the capacity home crowd in support of the cannon which has been a Pirate tradition for four decades but has recently been surrounded by some controversy.

The Miners kicked to the Pirates to start the game. An onside kick attempt went out of bounds giving the Pirates the ball at midfield.
On the fourth play from the 25-yardline, Luke Bennett found a wide open Derek Reese in the endzone for a touchdown and the Pirates were off and running.

The Miners started their next drive with a pass. That’s when Pirate defender Jessup Lake sacked Tyree Hayes forcing a fumble. This set the Pirates up on the Miner 14-yardline. Three plays later Bennett forced a ball into double coverage where it was picked off in the endzone turning the ball over back to the Miners.

Nine plays later on fourth and ten Hayes threw a ball high. It fell incomplete turning the ball over on downs, at the Pirate 40.
The Pirates would score again later on, when Braeden St. John took a handoff up the middle 19-yards for the score. Pirates would then lead 14-0.

The Miners would run three plays then punt. But the punt was blocked by Lake forcing it out of bounds at the 11 of the Miners. St John would take it to the 4. Then Tristan Lehman carried it up the middle for the touchdown and a 20-0 lead after Leo Rios missed the extra point.
Moapa Valley’s next series was a ten play drive ending with a 5-yard run by St. John inside the final minute of the first half for a 27-0 lead.

The Miners received the kickoff to start the second half and promptly threw the ball to Rios who tripped inside the Miners 10-yard line at the 5. A Pirate hold sent them to the 17 when Bennett found St. John in the right flat. St. John then turned it up the field for the touchdown and a Pirate 34-0 lead after a Rios extra point.

The Pirates would recover a Miners dropped snap at the 18-yard line. Four plays later Bennett completed a 6-yard pass to Reese for a touchdown. It was now 41-0 to start the running clock. The Pirates would score their final touchdown when Devyn Collins muscled his way into the endzone. The Pirates led 48-0.

The Miners finally got on the board when Hayes found an open on the right sideline who out-jumped the defender and raced the final 42-yards to the goal line completing a 78-yards pass and catch touchdown. The 2-point conversion was stopped for the final score of 48-6.

Bennett finished with 148-yards passing on 8-16 completions for 3 touchdowns and an interception. St. John had 115-yards rushing with 2 touchdowns. Reese caught 2 touchdowns.

With the win, the Pirates take over sole possession of first place with two league wins. Boulder City is also undefeated in league play. But having played a non-league game has just the one win.

The Pirates and Eagles will do battle in Boulder City this Friday night. The winner will be in first place and in control of the league championship. With the championship will be the home field advantage throughout the playoffs. This game will also start a long stretch on the road for the Pirates’ final three games. Game time will be 7 pm.