MVHS Flag Football Falls To Sunrise Mountain

By GANNON HANEVOLD

Moapa Valley Progress

With a short week last week, the Moapa Valley High School Flag Football team had an opportunity to rest as the final stretch of the regular season quickly approaches. With injuries and season fatigue becoming a factor, the Pirates needed the down time. But they still had one important regular season game on the schedule.

The only game of the week for Moapa came on Wednesday at home against the Sunrise Mountain Miners. Earlier this season the Miners narrowly beat the Pirates 13-12 . This time around Moapa Valley was hoping for a redemption call.

At halftime, the score was knotted at six apiece and it appeared as if the Pirates might be in for another close matchup.

In the second half, Moapa Valley just didn’t look like they could get it going offensively. Stalled time and time again, the Pirates were held scoreless in the final two quarters.

Meanwhile the Miners scored twice on their own against a usually stout Moapa defense. The final score wound up being 18-6, and the Pirates fell to the Miners to head to a 4-7 record on the season.

With that loss, the Pirates fall to sixth in the 3A Southern League, after rising to fifth a week earlier.
Though they played just one game last week, a very difficult week stands on the horizon.

This week, the Pirates will take on the top three teams in their league in a span of just four days. Moapa Valley starts the week against Boulder City, and then ends it with a back to back against Del Sol and Virgin Valley on Thursday and Friday.

Junior Coy Overson said she’s not concerned about the busy week, and the team is looking forward to the action. “We have a busy week so it’s going to be exciting for us!” she said.

Overson also commented on the progress the team has made this year. “We’ve all learned to love the game even more and I know we’ve all worked hard as individuals to make the team stronger,” she said.

Despite a season full of ups and downs, her teammate Lara Bingisser believes the Pirates have many strengths as well, most notably their athleticism. “We have a lot of speed this year and a lot of talent and potential,” Bingisser said.

Overson explained what she believes the team still needs to focus on as many crucial games ease around the corner. “I think we need to run every play the very best we can and give everything we’ve got so we can better come together as a team and put more points on the board,” she said.

Scoring points has been an issue for the Pirates this season, while their defense has been typically up to the task. Despite the offensive struggles, quarterback Graceann Erickson has the fourth most passing touchdowns in the league with eleven. Her top receiver Bingisser stands in third when it comes to receiving scores, while runningback Jerzi Anderson is in sixth on the ground.

With a busy week coming and playoff placement still a likely given, the Pirates’ season is far from over.