Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

high school football:

Moapa Valley ekes out playoff win in overtime against Virgin Valley

1014moapafootball

Steve Marcus

Virgin Valley’s Nolan Tanner, right, blocks a field goal attempt by Dylan Mortensen during a game between Virgin Valley High School and Moapa Valley High School in Overton on Friday, Oct. 14, 2011. The Moapa Pirates shut out the Bulldogs 18-0.

Prep Sports Now

Working through the playoff brackets

Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer go over the high school football postseason picture and reflect on how it got to this point. The episode also contains a lengthy segment debating who is the Southeast Division MVP — Niko Kapeli, Kyle Keplinger, Aaron Love or Chris Marshall.

A Dylan Mortensen extra point in overtime saved Moapa Valley from a shocking first round playoff upset to rival Virgin Valley Saturday afternoon.

Mortensen booted the extra point through the uprights moments after his brother, Conner Mortensen, broke through in the end zone. Moapa Valley escaped with a 13-12 victory at home.

“Dylan has struggled and been a little inconsistent this year,” Moapa Valley coach Brent Lewis said. “And I always told him that we’d get in a close game and it would be up to him. That’s what happened.”

With three minutes remaining in the game, it looked like neither Mortensen would have a chance to lead the Pirates to a win. Virgin Valley was up 6-0 and had held Moapa Valley to three first downs all game.

But the Pirates finally adjusted to the Bulldogs loading the box and quarterback Dakota Watters threw a long touchdown pass to Brandon Johnson. The Pirates bobbled the snap on the extra point to keep the game tied at 6.

“It was one of those games we didn’t deserve to win and we pulled it out somehow,” Lewis said. “We were dead to rights. They had us. I feel bad for them because they dominated the football game.”

Virgin Valley, which held a 250 to 99 yardage advantage in the game, came out with a veer option offense for the first time this year to throw off Moapa Valley. Quarterback Humberto Urias scored on Virgin Valley’s first drive with a 14-yard rush.

But the Bulldogs couldn’t end regulation with a score despite advancing the ball to the six-inch line after blocking a Pirates field goal. Moapa Valley returned the favor by blocking Virgin Valley’s 21-yard field goal attempt as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Urias scored on the second play of overtime, but Moapa Valley stuffed the two-point conversion attempt. The stop set up the Mortensen brothers’ heroics.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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