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StumbleMoapa Valley should once again be a force in the 3A
Monday, Aug. 23, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
Coach Brent Lewis
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Moapa Valley High coach Brent Lewis talks about the 2010 high school football season.
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Las Vegas Sun reporters Case Keefer and Ray Brewer discuss the upcoming high school football season. They will let you know whether or not anyone can dethrone defending state champion Bishop Gorman, release their state title sleepers teams and give a quick breakdown of the area's 30-plus schools.
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One of Southern Nevada’s foremost high school football dynasties rests some 60 miles away from Las Vegas.
Year after year, Moapa Valley competes for 3A state championships. The Pirates have compiled only one losing season in the last seven years.
“Our tradition has a lot to do with it,” Moapa Valley coach Brent Lewis said. “The kids just pick it up and run with it. The confidence that we have done it with in the past seems to carry over year after year.”
Moapa Valley has the talent to make another run in 2010 after it fell to Truckee, 27-0, in last year’s state championship.
Kelan Weiss, who threw for nearly 2,000 yards last year, is back along with the majority of the Pirates skill players.
Weiss will be able to throw to two big-time receivers in Casen Lewis and Haden Cooper. Lewis and Cooper complement each other well, as Lewis is short and speedy and Cooper is tall and agile.
“We lost Matt Newton, who was our superstar, and I don’t think we can replace him and all that he did for us,” Lewis said. “But those two right there are going to be a good duo to throw to.”
Also returning is running back Zach Waite, who was the team’s second leading rusher last season. It’s a good thing Moapa Valley has so much experience in the skill positions, because both the offensive and defensive lines are a different story.
“We’ve got some holes to fill there, but we’ve got some kids coming up to fill them,” Lewis said. “They are our most inexperienced spots so if we can learn what we need to do up there, it will be key.”
As a 3A school, Moapa Valley plays a more unique schedule than Las Vegas teams. The Pirates open with three dates against Utah schools, including the always-challenging Desert Hills and Hurricane to start the year.
“To tell you the truth, I think those will be the two best teams we see all year,” Lewis said. “We’ve got a hand full there for sure.”
The Pirates went 1-2 against Utah teams last season. Moapa Valley has lost to Hurricane nearly 15 years in a row, according to Lewis.
Although he’d love to break that streak this year, Lewis said it was most important that Moapa Valley get better from the game.
“We’re not super worried about winning or losing those games,” Lewis said. “We want to be competitive and use them to prepare for the rest of our games.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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weiss nearly threw for 2,000yds
bolton through for more than 2,000yds
casen lewis? whos that?
james depew jumped over moapa to the TOUCHDOWN
morgan nevin (20 tackles aginast moapa)
mitch nelson (2 int agianst moapa)
returns 1/2 of the o line
names to look out for colin christian, cory ackerman, cole roberts and many more.
lowry will be the team moapa needs to look out for, honestly.
Last Saturday, Truckee faced their toughest opponents they will see until the State Championship game. Carson (4A) and Lassen, (of California).
Re: Bolton. His 2,085 yards came mostly in the first half of games, as he threw less than a dozen passes all season in the second half, as Truckee went to the ground game to eat the clock.
It looks like Truckee and Moapa Valley are on a collision course once again for the State Championship.
Northern3A-
Maybe the Las Vegas Sun will let you send them specials on Truckee's football team this fall...then again maybe not. Probably because no one cares about the North until it's time for playoffs. You think anyone in Southern Nevada knows who christian, ackerman, roberts, and many more are? Nice try on slammin Casen. Bolton attempted 50+ more passes than Weiss last year. You would expect someone to have more yards who throws the ball more. Bolton is a stud, no arguing that. And thanks for being honest and warning us about Lowry. But maybe you should worry about them seeing how they are on your schedule and not Moapa's?
Moapa's State Tiles - 15
Virgin Valley's State Titles - 11
Boulder City's State Titles - 11
Truckee's State Titles - 9
Truckee is the team to beat in the 3A, no question about it. They are the champs until someone knocks them out of the playoffs. Being a Moapa fan, I have nothing but respect for that team and coaching staff.
3A STATE TITLES
8 - Wooster
6 - Bishop Gorman
6 - Truckee
5 - Reno
5 - Western
4 - Las Vegas
3 - Moapa Valley
3 - Bishop Manogue
2 - McQueen
1 - Virgin Valley
0 - Boulder City
Should Moapa Valley and Truckee meet in the State Championship game, it would be the 3rd year in a row. Clearly, the Pirates and the Wolverines are the Class of the current 3A.
When was Truckee invited to the NIAA?
STATE TITLES SINCE 1990
8 - Truckee
5 - Moapa Valley
3 - Bishop Manogue
2 - Virgin Valley
1 - Boulder City
1 - Spring Creek
Regarding Lowry: Trust me, Truckee is VERY aware of how Lowry has improved over the years. While the Varsity beat them last year 63-12, the JV game was much tighter, as Truckee only won 28-13.
LakeTahoeGuy-
I'm going to assume that you're from Truckee and that you know a bit about the sports programs there since I've seen you comment on numerous articles.
1)What league did you play in before 1990 and how many titles did you win?
2)Is there any truth to what the other Northern 3A schools say about Truckee getting kids to come play for them who are actually supposed to be in a different school? Sort of like recruiting? Or is that false?
Actually, Truckee was in the NIAA even before 1990 but I thought 20 years was far enough to go back for this discussion. I can check and find out the answer to your question.
If we go back through the 80's, both Moapa Valley and Truckee won One State Title each, in 2A; Truckee in '83 and Moapa Valley in '84.
I know that in the 70's, Truckee was playing Colfax and some Sacramento area schools, as was posted by a former player from that era.
Regarding point 2: Absolutely NOT true. In fact, the opposite is true, some players in the past have commuted to Reno in order to play for 4A Bishop Manogue for one reason or another. I know of another family that moved to Reno from Truckee so their son could attend 4A McQueen.
4A schools attract more attention from College scouts.
You may be thinking of the incident that happened at Fernley a few years back, and players coming down from Oregon, just for football season.
Truckee, similar to Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley, (at least what I have witnessed over the last several years), seem to have families of very talented athletes, and often have two or three, or even more athletes that go through a the program. That is why we see the same last name for athletes for years. One family in Truckee had 5 boys that played football, and if I am not mistaken, ALL of them ended up with State Championship Rings.
I have a great deal of respect for Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley, and I know the Truckee players do as well.
Coach Shaffer and his staff do as well, and I have heard Coach Shaffer speak highly of both programs.
I have very little experience with any of the other schools from Southern Nevada.