By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
Completing feats of great strength was the theme for the evening on Thursday night at the Rob Prisbrey Strong Man competition. The event was held at the Jeff Keel field and stadium at Moapa Valley High School. It was a fundraiser for the Pirate athletes who are going to football camp this week.
Twenty-six young men participated in the event competing in four different challenges for a time. Each competitor was trying to beat his opponents and be named Moapa Valley strong man.
Many parents, friends and spectators were in the bleachers cheering for the boys during the evening. “We opened the weight room after Thanksgiving last year which was a little earlier than we had in the past,” said strength coach Rob Prisbrey. “We had an average of 20 or so boys each night working hard.”
The efforts in the gym were on display as each athlete worked through each event. “I’m so proud of the boys as they worked hard this year,” Prisbrey said.
In addition to working in the gym, Prisbrey led the participants through sled drills on one night each week. Those drills have increased to twice a week over the summer.
The first event was the Gator pull and push. The athletes were required pull a John Deere Gator for twenty yards, hand over hand by a rope that was tied to the bumper. They then pushed the vehicle back to the starting point. Coach Brandon Jones sat in the gator throughout the event to steer the vehicle and make sure it stayed on track. With each boy, the turf got a little softer, making traction more difficult as the event continued.
The second event was the tire flip and carry. Each athlete was requireds to flip a large tractor tire, end over end for twenty yards. They then had to jump inside and lift the tire while carrying it back the twenty yards to its starting position. For some the task was easy. Others found it much more difficult.
Then came the fire hose drag. Each competitor was required to drag a full length fire hose for twenty yards in one direction, then drag it back again the full length. This task was more difficult than it sounds.
The dumbbell obstacle course finished the night. Each athlete carried a 45-pound dumbbell around an obstacle course which included push-ups, sit-ups running forward and backward.
When all was finished the winners were announced for each grade level. Rolando Villarreal was the winner in the freshman division. Hayden Redd won the sophomore division. Josh Cox won the junior division. And Sam Respess won the senior division.
Josh Cox was the overall strongman winner and was named as Moapa Valley Strong Man.
The MVHS football team is headed to Fillmore Utah this week at its football training camp. This team camp helps all three Pirate teams work the fundamentals, run plays and get some scrimmaging in against various teams.
In the past Virgin Valley, Sunrise Mountain, Millard high school the host school, American leadership from Spanish fork, Beaver and Gunnison High Schools would all participate.
With school starting a couple of weeks earlier this year, football will also start earlier as well on August 3.
There will be no lock-in this year! The athletes who would like to play football or any of the fall sports must have a sports packet filled out and turned in before they can practice. That will include a physical for everyone this year. Sports packets can be picked up from the athletic office for $20.
