3A Football Roundup (October 31, 2018)

By DAVE BELCHER

Moapa Valley Progress

Last week there were four games in the 3A state football playoffs: the first round. Four teams were also awaiting the results to find out who their opponent would be in this weeks second round. Those four included Fallon, top seed in the north; Tahoe Truckee, second seed in the north; Pahrump Valley, top seed from the southern Sunset; and Moapa Valley, top seed from the southern Sunrise.

Northern 3A
Lowry at Elko
This matchup had the third seed Elko hosting sixth seed Lowry. Two weeks prior the Indians travelled to Lowry and beat the Buckaroos 42-13. But last week in Elko, Lowry pulled off the upset in a big way. They beat Elko 41-13 ending the Indians season.
Lowry scored first with a 67-yard run by Anthony Peterson with 10:05 to play in the first quarter. After holding the Indians to a punt Lowry started moving the ball again taking it to the 28-yardline. Then came a pass in the flat and an Elko interception.
Lowry fumbled inside the Elko 20 on their next possession. But they held the Indians forcing a punt again.

The punt travelled a total of seven yards giving the Buckaroos the ball at the Elko 29. Peterson would score again from 2-yards away for a 14-0 Lowry lead.
Elko would score their first touchdown when Cooper Jones returned Lowry’s first punt 87-yards. Elko could only muster up 21-yards of total offense in the first half. Lowry gained 225-yards.
Lowry scored on a fade to the endzone. Then capitalized on a blocked Elko punt, scoring when Snow ran the ball from the 6-yard line, 28-7. Lowry recovered the onside kick followed by a Snow 2-yard run for a touchdown. The score was 34-7 after the missed extra point.
Lowry then intercepted an Elko pass and marched the ball down the field for a 3-yard Mentaberry touchdown, 41-7.

Elko started the season with a 5-0 record. They finished the season at 1-4.
Lowry will travel to the second seeded Truckee Wolverines in the second round game.

Spring Creek at Fernley
The first time these two teams met this season the Spartans travelled to Fernley and lost, 28-21. Last week Spring Creek returned to Fernley and were beaten 33-13.
Spring Creek scored the first touchdown when Hunter Buzzetti scored on a 33-yard run for a 7-0 lead.
The touchdown preceded an interception to set up the Spartan drive. Fernley quarterback Miles Steele ran an 18-yard touchdown tying the game at 7-7.

Spring Creek fumbled a punt setting up Fernley for an eventual a 1-yard run by Steele for a 13-7 lead.
Spring Creek tied the game on a 46-yard pass play from Guthrie Thurston. Fernley regained the lead after a 50-yard run left them at the 2-yard line. There Anthony Thompson ran the ball in for a 20-13 lead with just over five minutes to play in the first half which ended up being the halftime score.

To start the third quarter it only took two plays for Fernley to add more distance on the scoreboard. Steele faked the option toss and ran 86-yards to the endzone and after the extra point lead 27-13.
Steele scored again in the fourth quarter with a 14-yard run for the final score. Fernley has won seven of the last eight games. The loss came to Elko.
Fernley will travel up the road to rival Fallon in the quarterfinal game.

Southern 3A
Sunrise Mountain at Cheyenne
Rayvion Brown scored first for Cheyenne when he returned a 40-yard Sunrise Mountain punt for a touchdown midway through the first quarter.
Three and a half minutes later Mike Reed caught a Joshua Rose pass for a 14-yard touchdown. A 2-point conversion gave the Desert Shields a 14-0 lead with 1:58 to play in the first quarter.
Cheyenne’s defense would score the next touchdown when Tayjon Bullock recovered a Miners fumble for 88-yards.

At 1:57 to play in the first half, Rose scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run making the score 28-0.
In the third quarter Rose finished the first Cheyenne possession with a 7-yard touchdown run. The point after missed giving the Desert Shields a 34-0 lead.
Rayvion Brown scored the final touchdown with a 3-yard run. Brown caught the 2-point conversion for a 42-0 lead.

Sunrise Mountain finally scored when Agine Cunningham crossed the goal line from 3-yards away the 2-point conversion pass was incomplete for a final score of 42-6.

Cheyenne will return to Moapa Valley for the quarter final game this week. Moapa Valley won the first game 21-6 against the Desert Shields. The game will be played Friday night at 7PM.

Del Sol at Boulder City
The Eagles finished the season with a second place finish in the Sunrise and a great chance to make the semi-final game next week.

In last week’s game against Del Sol, the Eagles were behind 14 points to start the fourth quarter. Del Sol scored their first touchdown when Markell Turner caught an 8-yard pass from Andre Nevarez for a 6-0 lead. Boulder City’s Thorstein Balmer tied the game when he finished an Eagles drive from 8-yards away. The extra point also missed leaving the score 6-6 with 4:20 to play in the first half.
Maalik Flowers would get the first touchdown of the second half scoring on a 76-yard pass reception from Nevarez. The point after sailed between the uprights for a 13-6 Dragon lead.

There were 37 seconds to play in the third quarter when Turner caught his second touchdown pass from Nevarez, a 24-yarder giving Del Sol a 20-6 lead. That would be the last touchdown of the season for Del Sol.
Balmer started the Boulder City comeback with a 39-yard run. Jimmy Dunagan caught the 2-point conversion pass from Parker Reynolds with 9:22 to play in the game.

The next Eagle possession ended when Trey Davis caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Reynolds to tie the game 20-20. Balmer scored the game winner with 1:53 to play in the game with a 1-yard run. The 2-point conversion was also run in by Balmer for the final 28-20.

With the win the Eagles will travel to Pahrump Valley on Friday night. The winner will get to play in the state semifinals. Boulder City beat Pahrump Valley in Boulder City 32-28.