MVHS Flag Football Takes Three Tough Losses

By GANNON HANEVOLD

Moapa Valley Progress

The Moapa Valley High School Flag Football team took on the three teams at the top of the 3A standings within just four days last week. It turned out to be more than the team could handle, yielding a trio of losses. But the Pirates still have reason for optimism before the playoffs in late February.

In their first game of the week, the Pirates traveled on Tuesday, January 29, to take on a Boulder City team that, earlier this season, had got the best of Moapa in a close game that resulted in three overtimes.

This time around, the Eagles appeared better prepared for what the Pirates had to offer. Thanks to some late touchdowns, the Pirates made the score appear closer than it could have been. The final digits on the scoreboard wound up at 28-13, Eagles.
Boulder City was led by three passing scores from quarterback Makaela Perkins and a hundred yards on the ground by Ryann Reese.

Unfortunately, the Pirates’ calendar didn’t get much kinder as the week went along. On Thursday, the Pirates hosted Del Sol, the cream of the crop in the Southern 3A.
The Dragons lived up to the hype surrounding their team, getting off to an early 20-0 lead in the first quarter. It only spiraled more out of control from there.

But there was hope to be found even amidst the lopsided loss. Pirate runningback Lea Isepp scored her first touchdown of the season to make the final score 58-6.

A day later, the Pirates took on rival Virgin Valley, a team Moapa Valley hasn’t topped in years as a flag football program. This time around, the Pirates had hopes to shock the Bulldogs. At the end of the first half, the score was tied at 6-6. It was clear the road to the finish was going to be a close one.

Still tied in the fourth quarter, the Pirates continued their strategy of switching quarterbacks throughout the game. Allyson Stewart and Graceann Erickson each saw the field at different moments. But it’d be Stewart who came up with the big-time pass late in the game. Stewart took a three step drop and found Lara Bingisser down the seam in the middle of the field. Bingisser took to the air to get past her defender and came down with the ball across the goal line, landing in the back with the ball cradled. The score was 12-12.

With just around fifty seconds remaining, Virgin Valley finally broke the tie, and consequently did the same to the spirits of the Pirate sidelines. With the score 18-12 and not enough time still on the clock, the Bulldogs went on to win the game.

However, Moapa didn’t exit quietly, as Elena Ramirez intercepted and returned the extra point attempt for two points of her own in the final minute. The final score stood at 18-14, and the Pirates fell to 4-10 in the regular season.

This week is their last of the regular season, and the Pirates will take on Chaparral and Western. The former comes at home for Moapa Valley’s season finale and the seniors’ final show on the home field.

Now positioned in seventh in the 3A, these last games become crucial if the Pirates wish to make the playoffs as they had originally set out to do. Just one win this week will clinch that position. Though last week may not be viewed as a successful one, it is clearly too soon to count out the blue and gold.