By DAVE BELCHER
The Progress
After 22 months of no football action, the Jeff Keel Stadium was overflowing on Friday night, Sept. 3 with expectant fans. The Moapa Valley High School football team went head to head with the Boulder City Eagles.
Both teams were undefeated coming into the showdown. But that was about to change. It ended up being a bloodbath with Boulder City being pummelled 54-14 by the Pirates.
Not much went right from the get-go for the Eagles. Due to a string of transportation mishaps, the bus carrying the Boulder City team didn’t arrive on scene until about 15 minutes after the game was supposed to start. The game started nearly an hour late. But that didn’t affect the enthusiasm on both sides of the stadium.
Boulder City fumbled on their very first play of the game, turning the ball over to the Pirates. Then a quick screen pass to Heiselbetz resulted in an apparent touchdown. But an illegal block cancelled it out.
Even so, just a couple of plays later Peyton Neilson found Gunner Redd by himself for the first touchdown of the home season. The point after was blocked resulting in a 6-0 Pirate lead.
But that was only the beginning of the Pirate score-fest for the evening.
Moapa Valley’s very next possession ended with Eli Cox catching a catch-and-run pass carrying the ball 24 yards for a touchdown. The extra point split the uprights for a 13-0 Pirate lead.
Austin Heiselbetz would score his second receiving touchdown of the night with a 34 yard reception.
Jayme Carvajal intercepted a Boulder City pass and returned the ball 72 yards for the fourth Pirate touchdown giving the Pirates a 27-0 lead.
It was Dustin Gordon who scored the Pirates final touchdown of the first half. Neilson’s pass to Gordon gave the Pirates a 34-0 lead at halftime.
Redd scored his second touchdown of the game with a 14 yard run to start the second half.
With 1:23 to play in the third quarter, Heiselbetz intercepted a Boulder City pass and returned the ball 75 yards for his third touchdown of the night.
Finally, well into the fourth quarter, the Eagles scored their first touchdown. Torren Pinkley ran for it with 9:22 to play.
But the glory of that moment was short-lived for the Eagles. Immediately upon the ensuing kickoff, Redd scored his third touchdown by returning the kickoff all the way home. The point after was blocked giving the Pirates a 54-7 lead.
Boulder City got the final touchdown of the night with only 1:01 to play. Hunter Moore scored for the Eagles for the final score of 54-14.
Neilson finished with 5 touchdown passes on the night completing 14 of 19 for 284 yards in the win.
Heiselbitz caught four passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
The Pirates will have a bye this week before returning to play at home against the Pahrump Valley Trojans on Friday, Sept. 17.
