By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Football team travelled to Mojave High School on Sept. 12 for the ‘Thursday Night Lights’ game which was broadcast on MYLVTV. The Pirates returned home with a 42-7 win and a 3-1 record overall.
The Pirates took the opening kick off and drove 64-yards. They finished the drive with a 13-yard Cameron Reese touchdown pass to Chris Hoy. Justin Proffitt kicked the extra point for a Moapa Valley 7-0 lead with 9:16 to play in the first quarter.
Moapa Valley held the Rattlers to just five yards before a punt turned the ball over to the Pirates.
Moapa then drove 56 yards and finished up with a 3-yard Hayden Redd touchdown run for a 14-0 Moapa Valley lead.
In the second quarter Mojave punted after the first series. The punt was returned 35 yards by Steele Skinner for a Pirate touchdown with 11:07 to play in the first half. The Pirates led 21-0.
The Moapa team would score again less than two minutes later after Luke Barlow picked off a Mojave pass and returned it to the Mojave 35-yard line. Reese found Austin Heiselbetz on a 12-yard fade to the corner of the endzone for a 28-0 lead after the extra point.
Mojave was forced to punt again turning the ball over to the Pirates on the Moapa Valley 39-yard line. On the first play Reese threw a strike to Barlow who ran 69-yards for the touchdown and a 35-0 lead with 8:18 to play in the first half starting the running clock.
The Pirates would get their final touchdown when Will Uri blocked the next Mojave punt. Mitchell Lyon picked up the ball and ran it back for the touchdown. Moapa Valley lead 42-0 at half time. The Pirates played the seconds and even some JV players in the second half.
Mojave had 18-yards of total offense in the first half. Their only touchdown came with 1:51 to play in the game when quarterback Rydisill found Davis for a 45-yard touchdown pass completion. Mojave is 0-3 in the 4A Northeast.
The Pirates will travel to Cheyenne on Friday night. The Desert Shields are 3-1 overall. They beat Cimarron 29-23 last Friday night.
Last year the Pirates beat the Desert Shields twice, both times in Moapa Valley. The first time the score was 21-6. The second time which was in the playoffs, ended with a score of 42-19. Cheyenne’s loss came at home to Boulder City 12-7 a couple of weeks ago.
