The Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Flag Football team took to its home field on Tuesday, Jan. 19, more than two months late, to start an abbreviated winter sports season. The defending state championship Pirate team went up against SLAM Academy of Las Vegas, and beat them, 26-14.
It was the first high school sports contest to take place on the field since last March, when spring sports teams were pulled from the fields while warming up to play ball. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all high school sports have been put on ice since then.
Of all the winter sports, flag football alone has been allowed to commence since it has been classified as a minimal contact sport. Even so, the Clark County School District cancelled the winter sports season for all schools under the distance learning model of instruction. Since MVHS is the only CCSD high school conducting live classroom instruction, the Pirates qualified to play.
The Pirates started last week’s game with possession of the ball. Quarterback Madi Fairchild guided the Pirates down the field, finishing the first drive of the game with a toss left to Skotlyn Hill who ran 14-yards to the end zone for the first touchdown.
The Bulls took the lead late in the first quarter when their quarterback found a receiver open in the front of the endzone. They scored the extra point giving them a 7-6 lead.
Later on, Andrew caught a pass from Fairchild and ran it into the right side of the endzone just as time on the half ran out. The extra points were no good making it a 12-7 Moapa Valley lead at halftime.
The Pirates second possession of the second half was beautiful. Fairchild completed pass after pass moving down the field spreading the ball all over. Finally she tossed to Watson from the 6 yard line who ran around the right end for the touchdown. Fairchild found Andrew in the middle for the 2-point conversion for a 30-7 lead that also ended the third quarter.
SLAM was held on fourth down of their next possession giving the Pirates short yardage to the endzone at the Bulls 25. A couple of short passes moved the Pirates to the six. Fairchild then pitched to Hills on a beautiful option play for the team’s final score.
SLAM would score again in the fourth quarter for the final score 26-14.
“We have been waiting for a long time for this game,” said MVHS head coach Dave Belcher. “We wish we could defend our title this year with the seniors who are so talented. But we have to accept the hand we’re dealt and we are very happy to be doing something no other team in the CCSD is doing.”
Belcher said that one of his biggest challenges this year will be allowing playing time for the 30 girls in the program.
“There are only two JV games and five varsity games,” he said. “My challenge is getting the win but also getting as much playing time for the underclasses as possible.”
Another challenge for the Pirates is playing the games without the fans that usually turn out in support. Due to COVID restrictions, no spectators are allowed on the school property.
But Pirate fans are not easily dissuaded. A large group of die-hard fans still lined the outside of the fence on the east side of the campus to watch the game from a distance.
Belcher said that his athletes are just happy to be playing the game, whatever the circumstances.
“These girls have been working very hard over the last several months waiting for this game,” Belcher said. “It’s good to see them smile even after conditioning. It’s good that we are playing again.”
