Friday Night Pirate Lights: 2008 State Game vs. Truckee

By DAVE BELCHER

The Progress

The 2008 Moapa Valley High School state championship team was featured on last week’s Friday Night Pirate Lights program streamed over an online platform. Interviewed in the program were Head Coach Brent Lewis; Coaches Jeff Keel, Shane Hickman, Brandon Jones and Todd Robison; and alumni players Shaun Hilton, Travis Ozaki, Tyler Lomprey, Riley Staley, Brad Weiss, Max Jenkins and Jake Pearce.

The 2008 Moapa Valley football team had just come off a state title the year before over rival Virgin Valley.

Moapa Valley returned most of the team for the 2008 season. That included quarterback Max Jenkins who was in his third year as the starting quarterback.

“We had been playing together since the 8th grade,” said Lomprey. “We had been talking clear back in middle school we were going to take it then.”

Lomprey was one of three lineman that were captains on the team that year. “After ‘07 we thought we were really going to do this thing and yeah, we were able to do it,” Lomprey said.

The 2008 team finished the season with a 10-2 record. The two losses came against two very good programs in Utah, both games on the road: the first to Hurricane Utah, 28-13; the second to Delta, Utah 40-21.

Lomprey remembered the formative experience that the particularly bitter loss to Delta had been. “The changing point of that season was the loss to Delta,” he said. “That was a hard fought game. It put a bitter taste in all of our mouths. After that, we were hell bent on demolishing every team we saw.”

The Pirates didn’t lose again. In fact the closest game was against Virgin Valley in the Dawg pound a 35-20 win for the Pirates.
“We were unpredictable,” said Lewis. “This 2008 team was very deep.”

Brad Weiss had become a much better runner since the previous year, Lewis said. With Jake Pierce at fullback, Moapa could pound the football giving the Pirates so many options.
In the 2008 final state game, the Pirates faced off against northern powerhouse Truckee.

As both teams started to the football field at the same time. Both Truckee and Moapa Valley players started talking to each other. Truckee was notorious for trying to intimidate their opponents every chance they get. It was getting loud!

But Moapa Valley had the secret weapon. When the Wolverines took the field they noticed the Moapa Valley High school band. The band was marching into the stadium at the same time. Leading the cheerleaders, dance team and flags of blue and gold. Over one hundred and fifty in rows of six. It made an impression.

In fact Coach Jones remembered after a couple years that while talking to Truckee coaches and players the sight and sound of the band that year was intimidating.

Beyond that, the Moapa Valley side of Arbor View stadium was filled as it looked like the whole community had come to watch the Pirates win the state title.
“When I think of Moapa Football, I think of packed stands,” said Riley Staley.
Truckee does as well.

The Pirates first play of the game was Weiss on an Iso carrying Wolverines fifteen yards.
“It set the tone for the game.” Lewis said.
Matt Newton scored the first touchdown with a 20 yard reception.
Truckee would score on their second play with a 90 yard run.
Wiess would score Moapa’s second touchdown.

Jenkins found Newton on a quick slant which he took for another touchdown.
Moapa Valley ran a fullback option as Pierce took the hand off then tossed it to Wiess for the touchdown.
It was during practice the day before the game that Coach Keel was standing next to Jenkins who was also the punter. They were practicing punts from the endzone on a windy day. Keel asked Jenkins, “What would you do if the (snapped) ball goes over your head?”

Jenkins assured Keel that wouldn’t happen. Well, it did and as told Jenkins kicked the ball out the back of the endzone saving a touchdown.
“They listen,” said Keel. “You may not think they do, but they do.”

Just to liven things up a bit. Coach Todd Robison related a story about Travis Ozaki.
“He started telling the Truckee defensive line what play was coming to see if they could stop it,” Robison said.

“Me and Lomp had some swagger to us,” Ozaki said. “We weren’t afraid to give people a little bit of a heads up, to see if they could stop us.”

It was that “swagger” that made the 2008 team who they were. Call it cocky or call it confidence. Whatever it was you must call them State champions. The Pirates went on to beat the Wolverines 35-16.
“After the game I spent some time talking to Coach Schaffer,” said Lewis. “He had so many good things to say about our program. Just about how well we executed.”

This was just one of many battles the Pirates would have going up against Truckee over five years in a row.

Schaffer passed away a few years ago and Lewis said that he attended the funeral services in Truckee at the time.
“The Truckee atmosphere is so much like the Moapa Valley football atmosphere,” Lewis said. “I gained a lot of respect for the Truckee Wolverines over the years. It was all because of Coach Schaffer. He will be missed.”

With that another chapter of Moapa Valley football history ended. Truckee would go on to win the next four state championships, all wins over the Pirates.