Friday, Aug. 17, 2018 | 11:21 p.m.
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Senior quarterback Joshua Rose threw four touchdowns to lead Cheyenne to an opening-night win over rival Cimarron-Memorial Friday night.
Rose completed 9-of-23 passes for 192 yards and the four scores as Cheyenne held on to win a back-and-forth contest 35-19.
“Josh is a special kid,” Cheyenne coach Patrick Ward said. “He’s a very smart kid and a coachable kid. We’ve got some kids who can catch. The line is learning how to pass block and they’re doing a good job.”
Senior receiver Mike Reed, who towers over most defensive backs at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, caught two touchdown passes for the Desert Shields.
Cheyenne claimed a 14-0 halftime lead, but the teams traded scores six times in the second half as Cimarron-Memorial tried to claw its way back.
“They had our back against the wall and they were fighting as good as anybody,” Ward said.
The rivalry game between the schools — Duel in the Desert — dates back to the early 1990s. A win over Cimarron-Memorial is a good way for Cheyenne to begin its season.
“I think the kids were really pumped (to get a win over a rival),” Ward said. “We had a pretty good crowd at the game, and I think everyone was excited. (Cimarron) played a hell of a ballgame. They were very well coached and fought to the end.”
Cheyenne now prepares for a trip out to Boulder City to play the Eagles, while the Spartans hope to get into the win column as they host Coronado next Friday.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21