Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009 | 1:16 p.m.
Expanded coverage
It wasn’t pretty, but you won’t hear members of the Boulder City High football team complain.
The Eagles’ Preston Swasey had a pair of long touchdowns and Boulder City’s defense recorded a shutout on Sept. 11 in a 28-0 victory against host River Valley (Ariz.).
While the final score indicates a lopsided victory, that was far from the case, coach Alex Kazel said. Boulder City led only 7-0 at halftime and looked lackadaisical during most of the first half.
“We didn’t play with a lot of aggression,” Kazel said. “But it was our first road game and 104 degrees when we got off the bus. We just didn’t have that intensity of the week before and made some mental mistakes.
“Then again, you could credit that to the weather and travel.”
Swasey sparked Boulder City’s defensive effort by returning an interception for 58-yard for a touchdown in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead. He also scored the Eagles’ second touchdown on a 64-yard scoring strike from quarterback Ross LaMarca.
Boulder City (2-1) closed with 14 points in the fourth quarter on a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown from Devin Combs and a 32-yard touchdown run from LaMarca. It was the second straight week Combs returned a kick for a touchdown.
Boulder City will look to continue the momentum Sept. 18 when it travels to Cedar City, Utah, to play Canyon View High. Canyon View is coached by the uncle of Boulder City center Bleu Huxford.
Like the past three weeks, the Eagles are dealing with injuries in piecing together their offensive line.
It’s been so bad that Kazel promoted junior varsity running back Frankie Badgely to start on the line against River Valley.
Badgely, a sophomore and one of the school’s better athletes, didn’t disappoint.
“He is the type of kid who is physical and won’t back down,” Kazel said. “He wanted to play and do anything to help the team out. He’s a great fit for us. He is one of those real tough kids who will do whatever you ask.”
Canyon View, which lost to Las Vegas’ Desert Oasis High 38-7 two weeks ago, should be a step up in competition for the Eagles. Also, Canyon View traditionally plays tough at home.
“The kids are getting there. They are working hard,” Kazel said. “But it’s tough when you have that much turnover on the offensive line.
“We’ve had three different starting offensive line combinations in three weeks, and we have struggled a little bit to get the assignments down.”
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected].
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