By GANNON HANEVOLD
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Flag Football team took a step back last week in the box score with two tough games against contending opponents. The Pirates took on one of their rivals in the Boulder City Eagles on their home field on Wednesday, December 11; then just two days later travelled to Del Sol to play one of the favorites in the entire 3A.
Against the Eagles, Moapa Valley played a part of one of their closest games of the season. With two overtime games already this year, and another ending with a late touchdown, the team has been bred for these late game moments. The Pirates made the game as close as it was despite a sputtering start. Moapa Valley trailed at halftime 14-0 due to a pair of Boulder City scores courtesy of Ryann Reese on the ground and Makenna Arboreen through the air.
In the second half, the story was much different. Pirate quarterback Graceann Erickson kept busy passing the ball, completing 12 of her 16 passes for 152 yards and just one interception. However, her most important statistic was the pair of touchdown passes Erickson threw in the fourth quarter to tie the game and send it to overtime. On the receiving end would be Lara Bingisser both times, as Bingisser continues her impressive start to the season.
While both offenses had their bursts, the defenses came to the table hungry in the extra periods.
After the first overtime, neither side could punch the ball into the endzone. The second overtime was the same story. However, in the third overtime, the Eagles defense stood tall for yet another stop and were also able to exploit the Moapa defense at the most opportune time. Ryann Reese continued her impressive performance by scoring her second rushing touchdown of the day, this time from 19 yards out. Reese also added an interception in the game. The final score ended at 20-14, Eagles.
“I think we came out and played our best game after the half,” said Moapa Valley QB Graceann Erickson.. “We had just enough pressure to push us to do what we needed to, but in the end the Eagles simply outplayed us. It was a good game and one of the best we’ve had this season even though we lost.”
Days later, the team was back in business on the road with their work cut out for them against the athletic Del Sol Dragons. By halftime alone, the Pirates had already trailed 25-6. They had their most challenging defensive test of the year running and passing all over the field. Del Sol would end the game with a 48-6 victory, as quarterback Stephanie Tewart tossed four touchdowns, and the Dragons as a whole rushed for four more. It was certainly an eye opening experience for a Pirate team that has been stingy on the defensive end all year so far.
“We learned that we can’t let up for one second, especially against a team like that,” Erickson said.
The Dragons scored more points in that game than the other four league opponents the Pirates have faced so far combined. It was an output the Pirates know they have to bounce back from against their rivals from Virgin Valley after the holiday break, when they will next hit the field.
Though the Pirates will be off of the turf for 26 days now, they’ll look to bounce back and right the ship in the season’s final weeks.
“We’ve learned what we can really do and the talent we have,” Erickson said. “I think we are going to go pretty far. We just have to play hard and keep up our consistency.”
