“Inexperienced” Moapa Valley goes for nine straight in 3A Sunrise League

By Jesse Granger

Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 | 3:56 p.m.

The class 3A Sunrise League belongs to the Moapa Valley High football team.

The Pirates have won the division eight straight years, posting a record of 47-5 over the past four seasons.

But this could be the year that the Pirates are finally toppled. After graduating their leading passer, receiver and three leading rushers from last season, Moapa Valley is starting from scratch.

“This is probably going to be my most inexperienced team that I’ve had in my 14 years of coaching,” coach Brent Lewis said. “We’ve got a lot of holes to fill but we do have capable kids.”

The Pirates will be tested right out of the gates with trips to large-division schools Sierra Vista and Legacy, and playing host to Mojave and Hurricane from Utah.

“Our coaching staff takes great pride in coaching kids up and turning them into football players,” Lewis said. “Traditionally we have started slow and progressively gotten better and that’s going to have to be our M.O. this year.”

The biggest shoes to fill will be those of R.J. Hubert who ran for 728 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also pitching in 781 receiving yards and nine touchdowns through the air.

Hubert led the Pirates offense that averaged nearly 40 points per game in 2015, but this year’s offense will likely be far less potent.

“We have to establish a strong running game,” said senior receiver Dayton Wolfley. “If you don’t have a running game you have nothing so we want to run, run, run and then surprise them with the pass.”

But while Moapa will be using players with no varsity experience at nearly every position, the school does have its strong pedigree to fall back on. Some of the players that are finally getting a shot have been waiting for years for it.

“It’s awesome. I love it,” said senior linebacker Dalyin Leavitt. “I’ve been watching Moapa Valley since I was five, so I’ve watched all of the teams that have played for state championships. I love the tradition. The valley has high expectations obviously but you just have to embrace it.”

Another thing the Pirates have working in their favor is the realignment by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association this offseason. After the reshuffling, Desert Pines and Sunrise Mountain are no longer in the Sunrise League.

Moapa Valley beat Desert Pines 13-12 in the playoffs last year, knocking the Jags out of the postseason for the second straight year.

“Well it’s still not the perfect scenario,” Lewis said. “Numbers wise the deck is always going to be stacked against us. It evens out a little bit with Desert Pines going to the other side, that’s obviously a big weight off our shoulders. I think our league is wide open this year and with us being so inexperienced I think teams will be chomping at the bit to get at us.”